Dover-Calais Ferry - is it worth getting there early?

buyitall

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We are off to France during the peak Summer period and have a ferry booked for 14.25 on a Friday - the earliest we could get with no supplement. Does anyone have any advice about whether it's worth getting to Dover earlier to try to get on an earlier ferry? We could get there by about 10.00, and it would be great to get a head-start on the journey the other side, but with 2 children a 4 hour wait at the port could be stressful! All advice gratefully received ....

cheekymole

You can, but you will pay a supplement and there may not be any room and like you say, the stress would be unbearable

You could always leave home early anyway and do something en route?

buyitall

Do you mean that they would charge us the extra at the port?

cheekymole

Yes that's exactly what I mean but only if there's room and the charge depends on the ferry operator which will be an amendment fee and the extra charge for the more expensive sailing (if applicable)!!!

zappahey

Which ferry company? We've used Norfolklines a few times and they've been pretty flexible and have never charged us for changing times. You might as well turn up and try it and, if it doesn't work, just go grab some lunch.

jennifernil

We have always used SeaFrance. A couple of times we have arrived 2 hours early and they said they would put us on an earlier ferry if there was room, and they did. No extra charge. We would just have waited if there was a charge.

I have heard P&O are more likely to charge.

louidog

In my experience arriving early for a ferry to France has always resulted in getting put on an earlier ferry! I have never been charged for this either.....just arrived, put in the queue and boarded onto the next available boat!

photome

louidog wrote: »

In my experience arriving early for a ferry to France has always resulted in getting put on an earlier ferry! I have never been charged for this either.....just arrived, put in the queue and boarded onto the next available boat!

That is also my experiance have been put on earlier ferry loads of times ( no charge) although I havent been across for a few years now.

mrtg0525

I'd have to agree with louidog - both for Eurotunnel and the ferry companies, I've usually been put on the next available train/boat. Last year I was running a couple of hours late on the return was just put on a later ferry with no additional charge, although being on a motorbike probably helped in that case.

Queenie

buyitall wrote: »

We are off to France during the peak Summer period and have a ferry booked for 14.25 on a Friday - the earliest we could get with no supplement. Does anyone have any advice about whether it's worth getting to Dover earlier to try to get on an earlier ferry? We could get there by about 10.00, and it would be great to get a head-start on the journey the other side, but with 2 children a 4 hour wait at the port could be stressful! All advice gratefully received ....

Not sure how old your children are, but travelling with children can be stressful no matter what their ages

Be prepared! The car journey, any waiting and even the ferry crossing could all prove stressful if you haven't thought how you will keep the children "entertained".

John_3:16

P and O probably will . I have found that if you take a crossing through a deal then they will make up the short fall with a charge if you take a differant boat.

At Dover there is a shingle beach the kids can throw stones or there are alot of boats along the front so making the time up is not a problem. If getting on an early boat is worth the extra money pay it. I don't know haow far you have to ge the other side?