Is the humble car ferry chugging back into fashion? Ten years ago, the idea
would have been faintly ludicrous. We were all still infatuated with
low-cost airlines: ferries, by comparison, looked outdated, overpriced and
unloved.
But the past few years have seen a sea change. Ferry companies have spent
hundreds of millions of pounds on gleaming new ships, and have replaced
their impenetrable old fare structures with the simple pricing policies
pioneered by EasyJet and Ryanair. Fares have tumbled. A decade ago, a return
from Dover to Calais for a family and a car in high season would have cost
about £300. This summer, the same deal can be had for less than £100 – and
you won’t find any taxes or security charges tacked onto that price.
It’s not just price, either. As airports become increasingly unpleasant,
ferries are starting to look fun. At most terminals, security is discreet,
loading is quick and check-in times are short, often just 30 minutes. While
airline passengers squirm in their seats, sea passengers can stand on deck
with the wind in their hair, watching the white cliffs slip into the
distance.
Not all journeys end at Calais. Brittany, Holland, northern Spain, Ireland,
Scandinavia, even Iceland and the Faroe Islands can be reached by ferry. And
then, of course, there’s the carbon argument. Car ferries may not be as
green as trains, but they are kinder to the planet than planes.
So it’s no surprise to learn that, after years of decline, ferry-passenger
numbers are now rising again. But how do you get the best deals? As with
no-frills airlines, it usually pays to book early – you’ll have to move fast
if you want a high-season bargain for this year. Some operators let you buy
tickets more than 18 months in advance; others will release their 2008 fares
later this year, either in August or the autumn.
If you want low, low prices, head for Dover, where the competition is
fiercest. Earlier this year, it was possible to get a family and a car to
France and back for just £18.
Book online. Most ferry companies have websites that allow you easily to
compare fares over a range of dates and times. Some now charge a supplement
to book by phone.
To compare operators, go to a discount broker such as Ferrycheap.com (0870 264
2644, www.ferrycheap.com) or the
web-only Ferrybooker.com. To keep track of the latest deals, it’s worth
signing up to Ferrycheap.com’s e-mail newsletter. It claims to have 300,000
subscribers.
Strait of Dover
P&O FERRIES (0870 520 2020, www.poferries.com)
What it offers: up to 25 return crossings daily between Dover and
Calais. Sailing time is 90 mins, check-in time 30 mins.
Good points: regular crossings mean if you’re late, you can hop on the
next departure. P&O is particularly generous here: if you turn up within
two hours before or after your departure time, it will switch you for free.
The food on board is much improved in recent years, and includes, among other
outlets, a Langan’s Brasserie. The Club Lounges are genuinely posh: £12 (£6
in advance) buys comfy sofas, nibbles, a glass of champagne and personal
shopping. Priority loading is also available for £15 per vehicle each way.
Bad points: of P&O’s five ships on this route, Pride of Dover and
Pride of Calais are now 20 years old.
Prices: one-way fares start at £35 for a car and up to nine passengers,
although you’ll pay about £100 for a peak-season return this summer. No
supplement for phone bookings.
SEAFRANCE (0871 222 2500, www.seafrance.com)
What it offers: 15 daily sailings between Dover and Calais. Two
recently built “superferries”, the Berlioz and the Rodin, make the crossing
in 1 hr 15 mins; the smaller and older Renoir and Cézanne take 1 hr 30 mins.
Check-in time is 30 mins.
Good points: the superferries are outstanding. It’s worth tweaking your
schedule to ensure you catch one of them. Because this is a French operator,
the atmosphere on board – and the food – is authentically Gallic.
Bad points: the older ships have been in service for 27 years and are
showing their age.
Prices: one-way fares from £35 for a car and up to five passengers. If
you alter your departure times, you’ll pay a £10 amendment fee, plus an
excess if you stray into a more expensive price band. There’s no supplement
to pay for phone bookings.
NORFOLKLINE (0870 870 1020, www.norfolkline.com)
What it offers: up to 24 daily sailings between Dover and Dunkirk, with
a 2 hr crossing time. Check-in time is 1 hr.
Good points: Norfolkline’s fleet of three new purpose-built car ferries
is second to none. The ships are all nonsmoking and there are no coaches or
foot passengers, which cuts down on noisy booze-cruisers.
Bad points: slower than its rivals, and Dunkirk is not as convenient as
Calais if you are driving west.
Prices: one-way fares for a car and up to five passengers start at £19.
Last week, peak-season crossings were available for £81 return, plus a £10
supplement if you book by phone, and £10pp to upgrade to a first-class
lounge.
SPEEDFERRIES (0870 220 0570, www.speedferries.com)
What it offers: up to five crossings a day between Dover and Boulogne
on a modern catamaran. Sailing time is 50 mins, check-in 45 mins.
Good points: although it has just one vessel, Speedferries has a good
punctuality record. With no freight and no foot passengers, it loads and
unloads rapidly. In March, it moved to a new fast-ferry terminal on the site
of the old Hoverport, delivering even faster connections. At the other end,
Boulogne is decidedly more appealing than Calais.
Bad points: if you’ve bought a cheap ticket and you miss your crossing,
you’re up the creek without a paddle. If there are spaces on the next
departure (a 3 hr wait), you will be able to buy a new ticket. If not,
you’re stranded. Even if you have a more expensive flex ticket, you will pay
a fee to switch.
Prices: one-way fares for a car and up to five passengers start at £18.
Some return crossings in the peak summer period were available last week for
£40. There’s a £10 supplement for booking by phone.
Western Channel
BRITTANY FERRIES (0870 536 0360, www.brittanyferries.co.uk)
What it offers: Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg and St Malo, plus Poole
to Cherbourg and Plymouth to Roscoff. Times vary from 2 hr 15 mins
(Poole-Cherbourg) to 11 hr overnight (PortsmouthSt Malo).
Good points: an impressive fleet, including the £80m Mont St Michel on
the Caen route. Day cabins available from £10.
Bad points: weekend crossings are very popular and pricey.
Prices: from £140 return (up to five days) or £230 return (five days or
longer) this summer, more if you travel at weekends.
LD LINES (0870 428 4335, www.ldlines.co.uk)
What it offers: a no-frills rival to Brittany Ferries.
Good points: three modern ships sailing from Newhaven and Portsmouth to
Le Havre in 5 hr.
Bad points: airline-style seats make for a restless night’s sleep.
Prices: from about £200 this summer.
TRANSMANCHE FERRIES (0800 917 1201, www.transmancheferries.co.uk)
What it offers: LD’s sister company, Transmanche, sails three times
daily between Newhaven and Dieppe (4-6 hr). Popular with French truckers
with an eye for a bargain.
Good points: keen prices.
Bad points: inconvenient timings – anyone fancy arriving in Dieppe at
4am?
Prices: about £200 return in high season.
CONDOR FERRIES (0870 243 5140, www.condorferries.co.uk)
What it offers: fast crossings from Weymouth to St Malo (from 5 hr 15
mins) year-round, and from Poole to St Malo (4hr 35 mins) between May 22 and
September 30, both via the Channel Islands. A conventional ferry sails
between Portsmouth and Cherbourg (5 hr 30 mins) on Sundays, from July 23
until September 9.
Good points: a fleet of fast, modern catamarans.
Bad points: pricey, and for most passengers the detour to the Channel
Islands is needless.
Prices: from about £400 return in summer.
North Sea
STENA LINE (0870 570 7070, www.stenaline.co.uk)
What it offers: Harwich to the Hook of Holland in 6 hr 15 mins,
currently the quickest route across the North Sea.
Good points: £70m has just been spent upgrading and extending the
superferries Britannica and Hollandica.
Bad points: the high-speed, gas-guzzling catamarans that did the
crossing in 3 hr 40 mins have been withdrawn.
Prices: daytime fares start at £49 each way for a car and driver, with
overnight crossings from £89, including breakfast. Additional adults pay
£10, under16s £5, under4s free.
DFDS SEAWAYS (0870 252 0524, www.dfds.co.uk)
What it offers: Newcastle to Amsterdam (15 hr), Harwich to Esbjerg in
Denmark (18 hr), Newcastle to Bergen (26 hr), via Stavanger and Haugesund.
Good points: a new £150m fleet of ships.
Bad points: long crossings mean cabins are a must.
Prices: Esbjerg from £142 return, rising to about £900 for a family of
four in high season, including cabin.
P&O FERRIES (0870 598 0333, www.poferries.com)
What it offers: Hull to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge, both in about 12 hr.
Good points: if you’re travelling to the Continent from the north of
England or Scotland, this cuts out the long drive down south.
Bad points: pricey in high season.
Prices: about £470, including cabins in both directions, for a family
of four.
TRANSEUROPA (01843 595522, www.transeuropa.com)
What it offers: Ramsgate to Ostend, four sailings daily (4 hr).
Good points: fixed fares, so no price spikes.
Bad points: Ostend is not a great gateway into France. Handy if you’re
holidaying in Belgium, though.
Prices: £112 return in summer for a car and up to nine passengers.
Irish Sea
IRISH FERRIES (0870 517 1717, www.irishferries.com)
What it offers: the world’s largest passenger ferry, the Ulysses,
sailing twice daily between Holyhead and Dublin (3 hr 15 mins). Also routes
from Pembroke to Rosslare, and Rosslare to Roscoff and Cherbourg.
Good points: club class on the Dublin route costs £10pp and includes
priority boarding and lounge access.
Bad points: food and drink on board is pricey.
Prices: from £59 for a car and driver, plus £17 for each additional
adult and £5 per child. In high season, you can expect to pay about £260
return for a family of four.
NORFOLKLINE (0870 870 1020, www.norfolkline.com)
What it offers: Liverpool to Belfast (8 hr) and Dublin (7 hr).
Good points: modern ships.
Bad points: check-in closes an hour before departure. There are no free
transfers for latecomers.
Prices: from £60 each way.
STENA LINE (0870 570 7070, www.stenaline.co.uk)
What it offers: Fishguard to Rosslare (from 2 hr), Fleetwood to Larne
(8 hr), Stranraer to Belfast (from 1 hr 45 mins) and Holyhead to Dublin (3
hr 15 mins) and Dun Laoghaire (from 1 hr 39 mins).
Good points: upgrades are available for flexible travel and priority
boarding.
Bad points: the Fleetwood-Larne route has a 90-minute minimum check-in.
Prices: from £49 one way, Stranraer to Belfast, plus £15 per additional
adult, under16s £5, under4s free.
Other routes
Two car-ferry services cross the Bay of Biscay to northern Spain: Portsmouth
to Bilbao (35 hr) with P&O Ferries (0870 520 2020, www.poferries.com)
and Plymouth to Santander (20 hr) with Brittany Ferries (0870 536 0360, www.brittanyferries.co.uk
).
It is also possible to sail from Scotland to Iceland, the Faroe Islands,
Denmark and Norway. The Faroese Smyril Line (www.smyril-line.com
) sails from Scrabster, near Thurso in Scotland, to Bergen and Torshavn in
the Faroes, and on to Seydisfjordur on the east coast of Iceland.
And then there’s the tunnel...
Don’t forget the train. With up to four departures per hour from Folkestone,
and a crossing time to Calais of just 35 minutes, Eurotunnel (0870 535 3535, www.eurotunnel.com
) provides a fast, convenient alternative to the ferry.
Prices for a car and up to nine passengers start at £49 each way, but expect
to pay £200-£250 return over the school summer holidays.
If you turn up early or late, you will usually be slotted onto the next
crossing, although at peak times you may have to wait. When you book online,
the whole check-in process is now automated.
Alternatively, a FlexiPlus ticket lets you turn up and travel anytime. It
costs £199 each way.
