Crossing the channel...

I have to go to sodding Germany.

Will drive there...whats the cpesast and or easiets way to get across?

Can one still turn up at 5 a.m. and get the 6 a.m. ferry for 25 notes without pre booking?

Is booking online an option?

Is the car train any better? I know its effin expensive...

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher
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If you return same or next day, you can get 'le shuttle' as cheap as £23, but pretty slim availability ...

Reply to
Andy Burns

nah. family w/e - about a week

Does one still have to run an 'immigration gauntlet' at calais?

My favorite is alwys dead early morning ferry, breakfast in first class restaurant away from hoi polloi...france by 9 local time and germany by

4pm.

On te way back klate night start through the night Calais at 4 am and go...

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I don't know about cost, but my brother, who lives near Stuttgart, always crosses using the Hook of Holland to Harwich ferry, by Stena. Worth a look, anyway.

Reply to
Davey

costs a lot and takes for bloody ever.

150 quid ONE WAY is par..

compared with 20 something at unsociable hours calais/dover

Nice ferry tho.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

someone who knows that "hoi" means "the". Wonderful !

Reply to
charles

Almost certainly not.

Yes, both DFDS and P&O offer on-line booking (as do lots of agents but I avoid them now).

It's quick and quite flexible, but, as you say, expensive.

That's an option for Germany but quite expensive and takes all day or all night.

We use DFDS and buy a 'multitrip' ticket which gets the cost down to £29 per crossing and it's also completely flexible so you can arrive early or late (even next day) and get on the next avaiable crossing.

They are the only operator on Dover-Dunquerque which will save you a little driving distance at least when going to Germany.

If you have a friend/acquaintance who *has* a DFDS multitrip ticket they can assign one of their crossings to you, we provide a lot of family and friends with crossings at £29 a go.

Reply to
Chris Green

Fly to Turkey and follow the masses.

Reply to
Andrew

No, it is done at Calais (but still by bored grumpy Frenchpersons.)

Reply to
Peter Parry

The only time I've used it, the ticket was paid for, so I never noticed the price. After a day's driving from Stuttgart, my brother likes the buffet and bar, and a bed, for the night-time crossing. Going the other way, he is ready for the day of driving to get home. Horses for courses, and all that. Also, Harwich is very near me, so he can use here as a landing or starting point.

Reply to
Davey

In Greek. In English it's merely empty terminology with no particular significance.

Only if you are anal enough to inflect it for the proper case.

Reply to
Custos Custodum

SWMBO books us online and you can get £25 or so for a day return to Calais. We went yesterday, as it happens, on a shopping trip. Then all you actually need is your passport as they ANPR you when you're at the P&O booth (I assume DFDS does the same).

Agree about the on-board restaurant. We sat in the ordinary lounge yesterday, surrounded by about a trillion noisy kiddiwinks on school trips. The nice restaurant expects you to eat, though, and one reason we go is to have lunch out so no real excuse to be able to avoid the mob.

Reply to
Tim Streater

I wonder if that might change (for the worse) in the foreseeable future?

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

Cheapest is probably an inflatable flamingo or unicorn.

Cheers

Reply to
Clive Arthur

The propblemn is you would think 25 would be chaeper than 44, and throw away the return until you try and book a return ticket.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Fine. Where do I book?

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I've only used Norfolkline, now DFDS, from Dover to Dunkirk for about the last 20 years but the order of events is French and UK immigration at Dover, drive straight of at Dunkirk.

On the return, UJ immigration at Dunkirk, Customs at Dover.

I doubt Calais is much different.

Why don't you check out the DFDS (who also serve Calais) and Stena websites for ticket price details?

Reply to
Terry Casey

Oops! I think that should have said DFDS and P&O!

DFDS to Dunkirk, longer crossing but cuts out the run up the coast from Calais and, unless its changed in the last couple of years, no coaches, therefore no noisy parties of school kids.

Reply to
Terry Casey

Book online, beware that the cheap(er) fares will all rise to around 100 on the day of travel. Last month I wanted to book a midday ferry (Dover?Calais) for £64, but you have to login, with a password, which I don't remember, so by the time the email with a new password had arrived, the fare had gone up to £96. DFDS are just as bad as P&O in that respect. So I decided if I was going to be ripped off I may as well take the chunnel for £105. The chunnel is not worth it, taking into account loading time etc, it is not significantly faster highway to highway and you don't get a change to get out of the car and take a proper break.

Reply to
DJC

Yes, first the French want to see your passport, the 'UK Border Farce', then some random check to see what you are carrying, the passport again for the ferry co.

Reply to
DJC

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