Book cheap ferry tickets to Calais and France online. Day-trip, 3 day, 5 day or Standard channel crossing ferry or tunnel fare (day-tripper companies and links) to France, Belgium, Eire, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Scandinavia - Ferries and Eurotunnel
Ferry to France (Dover Calais ferry - cross channel fares)
Tips from Day-tripper.net
Shop around to get the cheapest ferry tickets to Calais - fares are good value nowadays as a result of fierce competition between the ferry companies.
What's special about this page? Day-tripper.net believes that the best way of finding the cheapest deal is to do lots of research. We list all the companies we know of, the vast majority of whom we get no commission from. Comparison sites are good place to start, but they can't be relied upon for 100 per cent accuracy or even offering the best fare. This is because they don't necessarily compare all the fares on the market, and many fares may be out of date at the moment you do your search. Furthermore, for many different reasons they do not list all companies, with preference often being given to those from whom they get the best commission. This applies especially to Travel Clubs, whose rates can be very high or who will offer you a three day fare when a one day fare will do.
Five day and standard ferry tickets have never been better value.
If you shop at the Wine Beer Warehouse (Majestic Wines) you get cashback providing you spend £300 or more.
Why take the ferry?
Travel and sailing news
Latest ferry news (PO Ferries sailing information) - Latest ferry newsg(133934)a(303869))
Fastest way to cross the channel: Eurotunnel to Calais (35 minutes).
Lowest cost operator: Norfolkline.
Best for Belgium: Transeuropa, PO Ferries
Best for Brittany: Brittany Ferries to Roscoff (from Plymouth) or Saint Malo (from Portsmouth).
Best for Spain: Brittany Ferries to Santander, PO Ferries to Bilbao.
Best for Boulogne; LD Lines Ferries
FAQ; How do I get the best price?
A. Avoid travelling at weekends and, if you can't, be prepared to travel either very early or very late.
B. Travel after midnight and before 6.00am.
C. Sailings from Dover are generally cheaper in the afternoon, and from Calais in the morning. If you are planning on travelling during a school holiday, try and book well in advance when an offer is available.
D. Short breaks for a specific period are often good value, particularly on longer crossings.
E. The "OFFER" link is there for a reason, always check it out before booking a fare. There may well be an offer which suits your needs.
More than 10 of you? Contact the companies direct for better rates.
Good news - More and more people are returning to using ferries. The market grew 5.6% in the year to September 2007.
Compare prices on-line. www.aferry.to
Useful outside links
Cashback offer if you spend £300 or more!
Port of:- Dover Port Authority. www.doverport.co.uk Calais Port Authority. www.calais-port.com Ferry news from the Ferry industry magazine. www.interferry.com/news Ferry news from Ferry Publication magazine. www.ferrypubs.co.uk Ferry news from Lloyds List. www.lloydslist.com Weather. france.meteofrance.com Weather. www.meto.gov.uk Shipping Forecast - Met Office. www.metoffice.gov.uk  - NorthernFrance. Great site for visitors to the North of France (buy the book ). www.northernfrance-within90minutesofcalais.co.uk
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| Why take the ferry? 1. Ferry travel is cheaper than flying. A family of four can travel across the channel cheaply as the fare is per car, not per passenger. 2. No extra costs. Booking a ferry is straightforward, there is no list of "extras" which must be added onto the quoted fare. 3. No luggage restrictions, no excess charges, bring on board as much as you want. 4. Security. Brief and only for randomly selected cars. Take liquids and your nail scissors. 5. Don't be cramped, or have to walk miles to the plane. On a ferry, you have space to walk around, have a reasonably priced meal at a restaurant or cafe, enjoy a coffee or tea of your choice in comfort and/or shop at leisure. 6. Parking. Forget the expense of car parks or train fares involved when flying. Go by ferry and drive on, drive off. 7. Change your ticket for a reasonable fee. 8. Easy to book short breaks. You don't have to book months in advance on the ferries to enjoy a cheap short break. 9. First class doesn't cost a bomb (it simply isn't there on most budget airlines). For a small extra charge you can sit in comfort (PO Ferries Club Lounge, Norfolkline's First Class lounge, LD Lines Priority service). 10. Good situation. Calais and Dunkirk link in to all the main motorways. 11. Dress up. Forget about washing your underwear or making do with a T-shirt when travelling by plane. With no weight limits or space constraints, you can bring what you want to wear, not what fits in your (little) suitcase. 12. Shop till your drop, and don't worry about the excess charges for additional weight on your return journey. 13. Pets don't have to be left behind with all the additional cost that involves. |
To book online - click on logo 
Ferry to Belgium
Belgium Ferries - powered by AFerry.to |
 - Transeuropa sails to Ostende from Ramsgate. Late March 2010 - An enhanced service in co-operation with LD Lines Ferries starts.
 - P & O Ferries sails to Zeebrugge from Hull.
 - Norfolkline sails to Zeebrugge from Rosythe.
Channel Islands ferry - Guernsey and Jersey
Channel island Ferries - powered by AFerry.to |
 - Condor Ferries sails to the Channel Islands from Portsmouth, Weymouth & Poole.
 - Corsaire Ferries sails from Saint Malo to Jersey. Compagnie Corsaire ferries. www.compagniecorsaire.com
 - Manche Iles Express Ferries, from Normandy to the Channel Islands. www.manche-iles-express.com
Ferry to France - To (from)
France Ferries - powered by AFerry.to |
 - LD Lines sails to Boulogne from Dover.
 - Euroferries sail to Boulogne from Ramsgate. Service starts Summer 2010?
 - Brittany Ferries sail to Caen from Portsmouth.
 - P & O Ferries sail to Calais from Dover.
 - Seafrance sail to Calais from Dover.
 - Eurostar goes to Calais from Folkstone and St Pancras, London.
  . - Eurotunnel goes to Calais from Folkestone.
- Brittany Ferries sail to Cherbourg from Poole and Portsmouth. - Condor Ferries sail to Cherbourg from Poole and Portsmouth.  - Irish Ferries sail to Cherbourg from Dublin and Rosslare.
 - Celtic Link sail to Cherbourg from Dublin and Rosslare.
 - Transmanche Ferries sail to Dieppe from Newhaven. (LD Lines)
- Norfolkline Ferries sail to Dunkirk from Dover. - LD Lines sail to Le Havre from Portsmouth, and in the summer, Newhaven. - Brittany Ferries sail to Roscoff from Plymouth, Cork and Rosslare. - Irish Ferries sail to Roscoff from Plymouth, Cork and Rosslare. - Brittany Ferries sail to St. Malo from Poole and Portsmouth.
Corsica ferry
Corsica Ferries - powered by AFerry.to |
 - SNCM sails to Marseilles from Ajaccio.
 - Corsica Ferries sails to Nice (Bastia).
- SNCM sails to Nice (Bastia). - Corsica Ferries sails to Toulon (Bastia & Ajaccia). |
Ferry prices - Compare on all routes
By port of destination - Day-trippers click here Take your car by ferryTravelling by ferry does have enormous advantages. For example travelling by car ensures you won't be stung by the tight baggage restrictions synonymous with flying. You also pay for the car and not per person. Furthermore, when you return you can bring back an awful lot more if you have a car (and save a lot). How to book a ferry ticket on-line - Book direct with PO Ferries and get the benefit of on-line booking discounts!
 - Aferry comparison site. www.aferry.to
You can book a fare with these companies; Irish Ferries, P&O Irish Sea, Red Funnel, IoM Steam Packet, Stena Line, and many more. |
| Wi-Fi (internet) on board Slowly but surely the option to use the internet on board is starting to come about. If you take the Seafrance Molière Ferry there is Wi-Fi (we have not tried it yet though). Norfolkline have wifi available in the business lounge. Brittany Ferries also now has wifi on board. |
| Travel and sailing news - Road and traffic news - BBC Travel News (ferries). www.bbc.co.uk BBC Travel News (Eurotunnel). www.bbc.co.uk BBC Travel News (Eurostar). www.bbc.co.uk BBC Travel News (Kent). www.bbc.co.uk Kent motorway web cams. www.bbc.co.uk Southern Counties motorway webcams. www.bbc.co.uk PO Ferries ferry news. www.poferries.com Seafrance. Tel: 0871 22 22 500. www.seafrance.com Eurostar. Tel: 08705 186 186. www.eurostar.co.uk Eurotunnel. Customer information line: 08000 969 992. www.eurotunnel.com DFDS Seaways. For the latest sailings information regarding arrival and departures please call us on 0871 882 1777 (calls cost 8p per minute). www.dfdsseaways.co.uk  - Kent Police (Operation Stack). www.kent.police.uk
 - Dover Port Authority. www.doverport.co.uk
 - Portsmouth Port Authority. www.portsmouth-port.co.uk
 - Freight Transport Association. www.fta.co.uk
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Tides - find out when a low or high tide is where you are sailing from or going. Easytide. easytide.ukho.gov.uk Shom, a French site. www.shom.fr |
| Speedferries users - offers for ticket holders. 2009 - These are now over, but we suggest you ring each cross channel company and ask what offers may be available for Speedferries ticket holders. November 2008 Speedferries has not been sold, and all sailings are cancelled. However the other cross channel companies do have some very good offers for Speedferries ticket holders. Leading the way are LD Lines Ferries with this offer; SPECIAL OFFER on LD Lines and Transmanche Ferries for users of the Dover - Boulogne route. "Given the actual circumstances, a 75% discount on current fares (not valid on accommodation) will be given to customers upon presentation of a valid ticket booked on the Dover-Boulogne route (minimum £15 charge for 1 car + 2 passengers). For travel between now and December 17th, customers can turn up at ports (Portsmouth, Newhaven, Le Havre or Dieppe) without booking, minimum 1 hour before departure. The valid ticket will be requested in exchange of the special fare. For travel after December 17th 2008, please contact our call centre at 0800 917 1201 from U.K. or 0800 650 100 from France or please send a mail at: reservation.tourisme@transmancheferries.com to arrange for the bookings. (new bookings only). Offer subject to availability, valid for travel until June 30 2009 (to be booked before January 31th 2009)." Seafrance are pushing the carnet of pre purchased tickets popular with Speedferries customers (pay in advance for single leg crossing from £26 each way) P&O Ferries have a similar offer season ticket (from £27 each way) and have the spare capacity as well. Norfolkline has announced a special 20% discount for affected SpeedFerries customers who are able to provide proof of an existing reservation. This offer is bookable until the 12th December for all departures in 2008 and 2009 subject to availability. Please note: you will be required to provide your SpeedFerries booking reference number at the time of booking and your SpeedFerries booking confirmation at check-in. This offer is only available via our Contact Centre; to take advantage of the offer please call 0844 499 0825 or 0044 208 1278311 (from outside the U.K.). |
