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17/05/2008, 15:16 sueyh Joined on 06/10/2004 62 Posts 183 Eurotunnel Fares -v- Ferries We are finding more and more that it is cheaper to use the ferries than our Frequent User tickets with Eurotunnel.  This week hubby went to UK for four days - P and O Ferries £55 return (cost with Eurotunnel £39 each way).  Its a shame that with their great debt Eurotunnel don't want to keep up with the other cross channel companies.  I am not a good traveller on the ferries but when you work out the saving over the year its got to be worth a little discomfort Suey    Report

17/05/2008, 16:27 Acegundog Joined on 28/05/2005 Pons, Charente Maritime (17) Posts 72 Re: Eurotunnel Fares -v- Ferries Hello Suey I have only used Eurotunnel once (when Dover was closed in March!) as we needed to get across for a family do. It was absolutely fantastic (Eurotunnel and the family do that is!) but unfortunately we still use Speedferries now due to cost and cost alone! AGD AGD    Report

17/05/2008, 16:43 sueyh Joined on 06/10/2004 62 Posts 183 Re: Eurotunnel Fares -v- Ferries Have not tried Speed Ferries yet - due only to the fact that OH worked at Dover Port and used to call Speed Ferries craft the "Vomit Comet" due to the colour of people when they got off sometimes!! Suey    Report

17/05/2008, 18:56 powerdesal Joined on 07/01/2006 Sharjah U.A.E Posts 2,081 Re: Eurotunnel Fares -v- Ferries "Vomit Comet"????? I have never had a problem with Speedferries and we use it reasonably often. Steve Sharjah + 50 (in France) ........................................................................... 18 days Ins'Allah    Report

17/05/2008, 19:22 Acegundog Joined on 28/05/2005 Pons, Charente Maritime (17) Posts 72 Re: Eurotunnel Fares -v- Ferries Suey I have heard it called the Vomit Comet before but I think it's unreasonable - it's a small boat compared to the big P&O type ones so if you are prone to seasickness - sadly so be it.  OK you get no frills but you don't pay for them either just like some of the airlines (cat amongst the pigeons..........).  As an aside I used to use Condor back and forth France to the Channel Islands - Condor10 is the same size as Speed1 and costs bucket loads more for about the same crossing time and same service !!! The first time we used Speedferries back in June 2004 was the only bad experience - we were going France UK and unfortunately the captain (or whovever was in control) whacked it against the dock and it took 2 hours to get off whilst the staff beat the door down - but it didn't put me off!  I just felt sorry for the people waiting to get on as there is no replacement ferry so no more crossings that day! The only other problem is really bad weather but again it's the chance you take. Give Speedferries a whirl and see what you think.  But I agree - come on Eurotunnel bring your prices down so you are more competitive............... AGD AGD    Report

17/05/2008, 20:55 Alane Joined on 23/08/2004 27 Posts 319 Re: Eurotunnel Fares -v- Ferries We use Eurotunnel for most crossings as my OH is prone to sea sickness. They have held the £39 Frequent Traveller fare for some years now but have, year by year, increased the number of peak weekends so that now on most trips we have to pay a £30 additional premium on our return journey as we always come back in the evening. Fortunately we also travel out in the evening when the premium doesn't apply. At £108 return it can't really be called cheap especially for a frequent traveller deal and it does make the trip significantly more costly than using Speedferries. Add in the chaos at the French terminal whenever it is in the slightest bit busy makes it less than ideal but we just have to grin and bear it - or not travel at all. Our other preferred route is the Portsmouth - Caen overnight as she doesn't usually have a problem if we have a cabin and sleep overnight but that is invariably even more costly so we almost always end up back with Eurotunnel. From the Eurotunnel perspective they have probably pitched it about right as we rarely consider not making the trip because of the cost of the crossing. Best Regards Alan    Report

18/05/2008, 7:24 Rascalb Joined on 23/08/2004 Northwich Cheshire Posts 43 Re: Eurotunnel Fares -v- Ferries The old "Vomit Comet" title applies to all "Wave Cutters". It stems from the fact that people who travel well on conventional ferries have always traditionally found the cat's leave them queasy! Having worked for a well known camping company this was always proven out by staff trips and customer comments. I myself am seasick on traditional ferries but not on Speedferries. Having said that we have tried Speedferries 4 times. They were late every crossing (apparently the only guarenteed sailing on time is first of day). On three legs they ran out of water for the toilets, which was not a pleasant experience. We are also frequent travellers on the tunnel and agree that the extra charge weekends have increased. This is OK in sumertime aswe have the light nights and an aired property, but a pain in darker nights. Yes, there can be chaos when there is a problem, but that is occasional and the ferries can be exactly the same. It is the most convenient form of travel based on comfort and speed as far as we are concerned. The one thing I would like to see is that Eurotunnel look at geogaphical location of members in some way as being from the North West or further North we have very early and long journeys to make the cheap crossings. Being on the doorstep or within an hour or two's drive gives people a massive advantage to take all the cheap crossings!      Report

18/05/2008, 8:55 cooperlola Joined on 05/05/2006 72 - Sarthe - home of les 24 heures du Mans Posts 6,381 Re: Eurotunnel Fares -v- Ferries One of the things I find really frustrating about the Eurotunnel now is the way the on-line booking facility forces you to pay in Euros, even from a Sterling bank account.  No matter how hard I try, I always get diverted to the Euro version, as soon as my address is asked for.  Has anybody found away around this?  It seriously increases the cost now that the exchange rate is so lousy. But it's going to take a lot to make me travel by ferry again - it is not just the speed and discomfort of the actual crossings (I too get horribly seasick on both ferries and the cats) but the lugubrious customs processes - which still seem to have to be gone through at both ends of the journey.  Healthcare Issues Site    Report

18/05/2008, 9:06 Alan Zoff Joined on 27/07/2005 Allier 03 Posts 522 Re: Eurotunnel Fares -v- Ferries My wife is an exceptionally poor sailor (she threw up once on the old SeaCat while the boat was still moored in the port...) but she tried Speedferries when the cost difference with the tunnel became ridiculously high. We have not used the tunnel since. How she deals with the trip is important. It helps if we have had a local overnight stop to avoid getting on the ferry immediately after a long car journey (she is prone to car sickness, too.). Above all, she avoids reading anything or being "trapped" in the middle of the boat - she likes to sit where she can focus on the horizon and, weather permitting, to spend some time on the outer deck. Seems to work a treat, even when we crossed last month in quite rough conditions. I think it helps that she knows it will only take about an hour. But if EuroTunnel introduced more competitive pricing and flexibility for frequent travellers, we would probably switch back. "Live your dreams, don't dream your life"    Report

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