Whats cheapest way to get to France by Ferry. Poss to use Tesco Rewards Vouchers?

andygb

pompeyrich wrote: »

Love the tunnel but it has got expensive these days, used to do an evening return for a tenner.

Just done a quick comparison, DFDS to Dunkerke, £62 , my ferryling, formerly SeaFrance, £72 or P&O, £78 both to Calais. Eurotunnel, £178. All fares are return for a car and passengers.

Worth working out whether your discount is worthwhile, the ferries are not too bad, the new P&O ones are very nice and no need to spend out on food and drink, just take your own. Yes they may have coachloads of kids running riot, and a few steps to negotiate back to the car but for half the price, or less, I wouldn't write them off.

Couldn't agree more.
We spent eight nights in France back in June, and the difference between the ferry and the tunnel worked out at two full tanks of diesel for the car - which was what we used getting there and back and all the running around when we got there.
As you said, the new P&O ships are good, and so are the Rodin and Berlioz, which are the ex SeaFrance boats sailing under the MyFerryLink name.

pKaTz

Had a check last night and I have £40 in tesco rewards which will get me £120 in vouchers. The cost for eurotunnel will be £158. So i could do the journey for £38.

lemonstar

I also want to book a crossing BUT I'm wondering how to minimise the risk of getting caught out by any possible port strikes - they invariably occur at xmas and the Dover-Calais crossing is the number 1 target. When do the strikes traditionally take place? How much notice do we normally get? etc does anyone know if there is a port that is les likely to be affected or are they all affected equally? is Eurotunnel a safer bet than a ferry? MyFerryLink (owned by Eurotunnel I'm sure) have recently had the monopolies commission rule in their favour to allow Eurotunnel to operate but, if you look in the news or announcements section there's a "reassuring" message that travellers won't be affected in any way - I don't know about anyone else but that kind reassurance only makes me more concerned! I rang my travel insurance company and found that my annual policy doesn't include any cover in the event of a "port closure" - I need to cancel the policy and take out a new one if I want it added and I will as I don't want to take the risk of getting caught out - I've had 2 bad experiences 1) Speedferry going bust (leaving us stranded in France & having to pay for a last minute crossing back to England - only found out as we arrived at the port to come home to learn that their high speed ferry had been impounded for non-payment of port taxes) and 2) the big xmas freeze a couple of years ago that prevented some Eurotunnel trains from running - we couldn't get through on the phones, no emails were being answered etc so in the end I had to book a ferry at 24 hours notice (costing £550) - it was 13 weeks AFTER we got home that Eurotunnel eventually got round to contacting us - we weren't entitled to any compensation as we had paid with Tesco vouchers which actually have zero value) - you can see why I want to avoid problems if possible.

andygb

lemonstar wrote: »

I also want to book a crossing BUT I'm wondering how to minimise the risk of getting caught out by any possible port strikes - they invariably occur at xmas and the Dover-Calais crossing is the number 1 target. When do the strikes traditionally take place? How much notice do we normally get? etc does anyone know if there is a port that is les likely to be affected or are they all affected equally? is Eurotunnel a safer bet than a ferry? MyFerryLink (owned by Eurotunnel I'm sure) have recently had the monopolies commission rule in their favour to allow Eurotunnel to operate but, if you look in the news or announcements section there's a "reassuring" message that travellers won't be affected in any way - I don't know about anyone else but that kind reassurance only makes me more concerned! I rang my travel insurance company and found that my annual policy doesn't include any cover in the event of a "port closure" - I need to cancel the policy and take out a new one if I want it added and I will as I don't want to take the risk of getting caught out - I've had 2 bad experiences 1) Speedferry going bust (leaving us stranded in France & having to pay for a last minute crossing back to England - only found out as we arrived at the port to come home to learn that their high speed ferry had been impounded for non-payment of port taxes) and 2) the big xmas freeze a couple of years ago that prevented some Eurotunnel trains from running - we couldn't get through on the phones, no emails were being answered etc so in the end I had to book a ferry at 24 hours notice (costing £550) - it was 13 weeks AFTER we got home that Eurotunnel eventually got round to contacting us - we weren't entitled to any compensation as we had paid with Tesco vouchers which actually have zero value) - you can see why I want to avoid problems if possible.

I don't think anyone can predict a port strike, they just seem to happen without warning.
We have been going to France several times per year for the last twenty years, and the worst we have suffered is a four hour delay at Eurotunnel - it goes wrong as well you know;)

Tarry

I prefer the ferry, but if you wife is feeling sicky from the pregnancy, the tunnel would be better (plus I find the tunnel more expensive on my budget).

Good about the price with the vouchers though x

travelgran

pKaTz wrote: »

Had a check last night and I have £40 in tesco rewards which will get me £120 in vouchers. The cost for eurotunnel will be £158. So i could do the journey for £38.

No,you could go to Tesco's and spend your vouchers so the cost to you is £40+£38=£78. In fact you could double up your vouchers in store, £80+£38=£118. Yes, we use vouchers for the tunnel but they are not 'free'.