Club Arnage

Q1.  Any suggestions as to the best way to book a ferry for 8 cars, and are there any deals going ?
Agent ?
Phone the Ferry ?
Ferries web site ?
E-mail the Ferry ?

Q2.  For Dover / Calais
P & O ?
Seafrance ?
Hoverspeed ?
Norfolk Line ?
Tunnel ?

Muchos gracias.

I would choose Hoverspeed, its quicker than a normal ferry, there are no lorries and in the past as it does not go into the port is less prone to action by strikers.

as for deals, I would try direct first then ring around some of the brokers, somtimes AA members etc get discount etc, you also get discount when booking over the net, but to do 8 cars will be time consumming.

I have never used the tunnel, when I was at school we where taught that we where moving away from france at about a foot a year, and I dont think concrete stretchs

I've only done this route once before a few years ago - I thought you just turned up and got the next boat as they went at least once an hour? I'd like to know the answer here too...Let's hope they don't go on strike again in 2004!

In my experience prices are much of a muchness on the ferries. Hoverspeed and the tunnel are a bit more pricey. P&O usually comes out best for me. I used the tunnel once and personally prefer the ferry - but there is no doubt the tunnel is quick (and shorter check in time too I think).

When I've researched buying from another source, they haven't matched the prices I've been able to obtain directly. Websites are usually the cheapest, but keep an eye out for offers in various newspapers.

The websites are a bit clumsy, and don't seem to always retain your settings when you use the Back button, which is a bit annoying if you are doing "what if" comparisons.

and it takes f***ng ages to dig a tunnel..

I hate to say this but when i worked for P&O , Seafrance were cheaper , but werent as frequent, which is why P&O were more popular .

If you phone " Group Bookings" at Dover , via the standard number , they may offer you a reduced rate if " YOU ARE ORDERING FOR AN ASSOSIATED CAR CLUB"  which you are , arent you - Cobras of east Anglia , or something.

They will book all the tickets , simple , or it was a while ago.



Mr Toad -

You must book a ticket on A ferry , but as they are so frequent , you can normally just jump onto the next one , it works as a rolling waiting list .

Only a few times will you ever be told that the sailing is full , and you must have youre origional booked ticket / sailing .

Dont use the tunnel - Its shocking.

At least with a ferry  , you know you have left / arrived in another country. There are some shocking stories from truckers of hald sleeping drivers trying to get into the wrong lanes on busy roads , with terrible consequences.

strikes - Who knows , thats the french for you.. love em and hate em.

Advantage to ferry over tunnel............you can a decent breakfast (bit pricey) before starting out on the other side.

I'm surprised you say this, Robbo. I always found the tunnel quicker, no more expensive (and sometimes a damn sight cheaper) than the ferry and quite agreeable. Granted, there's no bar to piss it up in, or breakfast to chow on, but I used it because it was just more efficient.
Probably wouldn't have been quite so attractive had I lived in central/sw England, but I did used to fret a bit about driving off the ferry with a skinful - not very p.c. anymore.
The (free) autoroute between Sangatte and Rouen squashes the Newhaven/Dieppe argument IMO also.
Finally the ramps at the tunnel terminals are not as steep and are therefore kinder to low-slung cars like Cobras etc.

I am too frightrned to use the tunnel. Silly maybe , but thats why i think its shicking . at least on a ferry you can , jump , swim , get a life raft , etc, the fire in the tunnel scared me , I think its Claustrophobic .

I have never taken a low slung car ( or any car )on the tube , but i know when i have at Portsmouth, they are very good at moving ramps to make it easy.

Thanks all.
We've previously booked Dover / Calais via an agent.  But this time we're 'going independant'.  
I don't generally have underside clearance problems, the car has side exhausts, but I've seen a Caterham 7 type car on the Portsmouth / Cherbourg route damage it's sump on the ramps.

I'll try the Dover phone number after the festivities.

Oh Robbo.  The tunnel is pretty much like driving your car into your garage and sitting in it for 45 minutes without being able to go anywhere.  Pretty uninspiring really, but it's quicker.

I dont have a garage.

But you've got an imagination ??   ;D ;D

I would suggest using the SeaFrance Company as it is generally cheaper and being that it is a french company the strikes seem to pay a blinf eye to them for some reason.

wonder why that would be....?

Is that right? I always thought that you would have a better chance with a UK ferry company? Isn't it normally the dock workers, so no one gets in or out?

You are right it is the dock workers that strike but they in general just want to stop the lorrys etc. I have been let past the blockades before where they were waving psat all cars but stopping lorries. A pure example is the minority that believe that the UK is completely to blame for the war in Iraq. I have seen several counts of vandalism aimed at the UK. I really hope the minority can grow up and remember the second world war and more importantly who keeps the worlds greatest motor race alive!

The attached car would have just got on the ferry, although it was fitted with a steel and platic plated bash plate / extended sump guard ( which meant speed humps grounded me.

Thanks all for your suggestions and advice.

I've now booked Dover / Calais from 9th to 14th June with P&O for 9 cars for £160 per car (2 occupants).

I've booked P&O Dover/Calais 11th to 14th, one car + 4 passengers £96.  Does it make that much difference that you've got 2 more days Steve.  Sounds a bit shocking.

Especially as I would have thought you would have qualified for a bulk booking discount Steve!

£160 is a good price , so is £96.

It costs 80 for a period return to the Isle Of Wight., which is a 5 mile trip.

One of my Portsmouth tickets for simular times is £330 inc Cabin there and back , Car + 3 .

So good job, nice price.

I have been quoted today maison blanche with portsmouth caen ferry for my motorhome  on tuesday night and coming back monday afternoon for 400GBP!!!! ;D

Will tell were when I have booked it. Need to get in touch with the other 3 pax.

Rick

Yes, I found the £96 return fare for the shorter period.

I think there's a 3/4 night price and a 5+ night price (plus day return etc).

Also time of day can make a big difference

I've just been trawling through my archived e-mails for when I was booking our ferries etc for the 2003 race and I found this price quote from the P&O sales people :


So, the price hasn't changed from last year.  Also, if we were to shorten our time in France to 120 hours, it would have cost us £110 / car.

So all in all, I'm a happy chappy.   :D :D

I wonder what would happen if you booked the cheaper return crossing by reducing it by four hours and then turned up 4 hours late?????

Save £50 per car initially and then get away with turning up late??  ;)

Alas , NO NO NO

They would greate you with , hello sir  thats another £50 please  or more. That was the system when i worked there.  

Yup, that's happened to me too

I suppose if they just charge you the £50 that you should have paid in the first place then you are no worse off, still have the chance that they may let you get away with it, and at leats the £50 has been in your bank account for an extra 3 months.

If they charge extra then obviously that's a different matter.

I've certainly got away with changing crossings on the Chunnel. Booked a 10.30 off peak crossing, turned up a couple of hours early and managed to get brought forward to a peak time crossing for no extra charge. On one occassion I did also have to wait two hours for my original crossing!