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jimjam · Account Deactivated

To cheer ourselves up through this terrible spell of Welsh weather we decided to start planning next summers trip. We are doing the full six weeks (kids) holiday, in France and Spain.

I noticed this year that some of the ferries seem to have started using the budget airline ticketing system where the last seats are the most expensive and the first booked are the cheapest.

My question is, when do you guys find that the tickets are cheapest, should I buy now 10 months in advance, or wait for a bargain, if there is such a thing.

Thanks in advance

Rapide561

Hi

My advice would be to research all ferry prices now - and if you find one that you like - BOOK IT!

The price may come down, it may well go up!

If you are happy with the price, then that is the main thing.

Before you book with the mainstream operators, check our motorhome friendly ferry firm at www.transeuropaferries.com and note you can sleep at Ramsgate docks the night before if you are on an early crossing the next day.

Eurotunnel have some good fares too - we have just booked at £61.00 one way to return us to the UK in June.

Rapide561

russwoo

hi
If you are a caravan club member, they have special offers before xmas, year before last we paid £85 return dover/calais any length any date as long as you book & pay before a certain date in february, last year we paid £75 for the same deal.

geraldandannie · Moderator

I'd check the theory by looking up a few prices now, and then doing the same in the middle of January or something. I'd also subscribe to the operators' newsletters, to keep abreast of any special offers they have.

Gerald

vicdicdoc

We have never bother to book months & months ahead, we go via Norfolk lines & book through the Caravan Club - paid £58 return [mind you it was for an 0200hrs outward ferry & midnight return ferry [got there early so they put us on the 10pm ferry back to Blighty], its a price war out there & I can't see prices going through the roof. [I hope]

peedee

Hi Jim jam,
A bit like you this year not sure what to do. I usually book well in advance but last year I noted that with the exception of the peak periods prices tended to stay low and I think as long as there is plenty of capacity and competition this will always be the case. My view is it looks like being the same this year but if you want to travel in peak periods, book now.

peedee

Boff

Hi Jim,

it seems to me that the ferry companies are (like airlines) doing their best in making their pricing systems as intransparent as possible for the customer. They call this "yield management", but that is the essence. So just do whatever you like, there is a 50% chance that you do it right. (Or, if you are a pessimist, a 50% chance that you regret it... Wink

)

Only if you want to take a night ferry at a peak season weekend I would recommend to book well in advance, albeit not for the prices but because of limited capacity for motorhomes.

Best Regards,
Gerhard

sallytrafic · Southern Rally Co-ordinator

So there is a price war is there I would start to get worried.

Its only a day or so since the Herald of Free Enterprise anniversary reported on these pages. What do you do in a price war you cut costs what were TT trying to do? Run a four sailings a day schedule with the manpower for less and overheads cut to a minimum. So the guy who was supposed to shut the door went for a kip, no one ensured he was up, the loading officer also had duties on the bridge at sailing time. So like I said Price War ......be afraid be very afraid.

On the other hand sod it I'm on holiday and I want to get there for free if possible.

Regards Frank