Hi All,
Just a bit of help as I know a few on here have the annual pilgrimage to the Alps in either the summer or winter season.

For the usual ski/board trip I could not get on the train so we are going to drive in Feb next year (half-term week).

Looking on the websites are any companies better than one another as I just want a low cost option for the crossing. Also is there a way of generating a flexible ticket without being charged a fortune if I end up late to the port??

Advice on if the tunnel is better at this time of year as well as I will be a late night crossing both nights is appreciated as well.

Many Thanks

ARP

we did Dover to Dunkerque on a night crossing – £90 for 5 people and car IIRC

Tunnel. Cheap and quick I wouldn’t use anything else TBH. £130 or so isn’t it?

Tunnel is king for speed & ease

P&O most expensive ferry but service is fair & they are flexible.
Seafrance cheaper but worse service
Cheapest is usually Norfolkline Dover – Dunkirk

(all the above are only in my personal opinion)

I nearly always pay the extra (+/-50%) for the Tunnel just for the convenience & speed.

Tunnel.

Would not use any other service. Ferrys are slow, boring not great to be on and not actually that much cheaper.

The tunnel is always the preferred option for me
So quick and you unload straight onto the motorway at each end

If you have Tesco points you can get 3:1 on vouchers for Eurotunnel

I hate the tunnel, when you have a loooong journey ahead, the last thing you want is yet more time sat in the same position.

try ferrysavers.com I use them a lot and get very cheap crossings. Last year it was £70 return for a car +5 with a roof rack for the megavalanche week.

last thing you want is yet more time sat in the same position.

get out and walk around?

@uplink yeah, but it’s still pretty flipping boring.

I hate the tunnel, when you have a loooong journey ahead, the last thing you want is yet more time sat in the same position

I think this is a very fair comment and of course depends on how far you have to travel on each side of the crossing.
I do the journey fairly frequently but have only a couple of hours on each side so don’t feel the need for a break

25 minutes extra in the car isn’t much of a hardship really. You can always use the hour or so you save over the ferry to stop for a break on the other side.

not actually that much cheaper.

Was about twice as much IIRC.

Dover to Dunkirk was £70 reutrn for me and the GF and our car. I enjoyed the crossing personally but the tunnel does save time/hassle if you want to just blitz it to your destination. We weren’t in any hurry though.

I like being able to roll up at the toll booth, stick the credit card in the slot and then travel on the next train

Not something I’d do if I was paying though

Also,
On the tunnel, I’ve never had to put up with a bolshi farmer at the Calais end insisting that he exercises his right to personally talk to every driver that gets off
Happened a couple of times in the Calais ferry terminal with a couple of hours delay