SUGGESTION: MSE to review Ferry pricing

portal

Dear MSE/Martin,

I see that your travel section carries tips and price comparisons on pretty much every major type of transport, EXCEPT ferries.

This is an area of the market with little or no competition, and frankly disgustingly high prices.

Short crossings like Portsmouth/Southamption to the Isle of Wight are particularly bad value.

How about investigating Ferries, and seeing if there are any bargains to be had? Or even doing some MSE deals with companies who claim to accept discount codes online (although I can find no evidence that they actually publish any codes!)

Cheers
Mark

portal

So no support for this idea?

Does no one else think they charge what they like, 'cause there's little or no competition?

Portal.

redux

The Isle of Wight ferry is reputed to be pro rata one of the highest in the world, but I don't know if it's actually true.

But are there no bargains?

For cross-Channel ferries, they now have continuously variable fares a bit like the airlines; so depending on when you book, and whether you manage to get back in time for your booked return leg, it can be the cheapest it's ever been or pretty expensive .

Thus it might be difficult to pin down advice to much better than book well ahead for ordinary returns (like now for the summer) and try a few variations on the time of day. The Tunnel tends to be a bit more, but not always (ie cheap overnight returns), and never ever turn up there without a booking. On either ferries or Tunnel, for short period returns, or short notice travel, booking on the day of travel loses the chance of the better fares.

As for discount codes, there has been some abuse of staff travel schemes, with references appearing on here or even for sale on eBay, so perhaps the companies would not be that well disposed to the subject at the moment. And I've never ever found a cheaper fare via an agent then by booking direct.

Han_naH

You may have seen "Trouble at the Top", the BBC documentary about a startup ferry operator, Dover to Boulogne.

Well, perhaps you should email these people, who suggest they cross 50% quicker, at 50% of the price.

In fact, Eurotunnel complained they have caused tickets to drop by half, and eaten into Eurotunnel's profits.

They could offer a service to the Isle of Wight, and rock the boat perhaps!

Ignatius_A

I for one would love to see an MSE guide on getting the best ferry deals

I'm considering a ferry crossing to spain (bilbao or Santander) next year, and the prices are extremely high.:eek:

I'd love to know where the best prices are for euro ferries

So that's a yes vote from me - pretty please?

gwendes

Yes from me. I'd love to be able to cross over the IOW or France cheaply but it seems like all the cheap crossings have stopped since P&O...

It's cheaper to drive from where I live (in Portsmouth) to Dover to cross!

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=680&articleid=734845

Snaggles

Oooh, yes, please do....crossing to anywhere except Calais is just ridiculously expensive, much more than the price of the holiday itself. I agree that there's so little competition they can just charge what they like.

DJChris

Ignatius_A wrote: »

I for one would love to see an MSE guide on getting the best ferry deals

I'm considering a ferry crossing to spain (bilbao or Santander) next year, and the prices are extremely high.:eek:

I'd love to know where the best prices are for euro ferries

So that's a yes vote from me - pretty please?

- Me too!

Ignatius, what was the best price you could find for the santander ferry as this is my preferred option. Best prices i was coming up with were £600 for 2 people in october!

Chris

sprokit

I would be very interested in anything you can do - living in the north even the trip down to Dover can add an awful lot of money to any good deals offered, and yet the prices for the northern routes are frightening at first look

smudger1946

you can get a night flyer ticket for ferry which is a a lot cheaper, i think it runs between 11evening to 6 in the morning.

tomstickland

Norfolkline regularly have £15 offers Dover - Dunkirk.

Ferrysavers comparison site.