UK Ferry Tickets

Finding the best ferry deals is usually not as complicated as finding the best flight deals. With forethought and a little extra effort, you can easily find the cheapest ferry to France. However, the number of options available for ferries to France can be very confusing because of the sheer volume of competing carriers, routes and offers. When you book any ferry you should make sure you do it well in advance. Give yourself enough time to evaluate all the various options available to you. Booking last minute can often mean settling for less popular crossing times and still paying a hefty price.

When you do start looking for your ferry offers you should be aware that the route you select will dictate the cost of your ferry ticket. UKferrytickets is therefore an invaluable tool for quickly sifting through all the available routes and comparing the costs to find the cheapest.

Another important factor to consider is the choice of ferry company. Each company will have its own foibles and its own price tag. When trying to compare different routes, different ports and their costs, you must also take into consideration your savings on fuel and the journey time with each option. Not many people take into consideration their fuel savings when calculating or comparing ferry costs. You may be able to get considerable fuel savings by choosing the right ports, which can balance your overall holiday cost.

Like flight tickets, the cost of ferry tickets can vary based on the season, the day and the time of your travel. If you are flexible with your travel days and happy to travel at off-peak times, you will have more chance of getting some of the cheapest ferry fares.

On longer routes you can also play around with your accommodation options. If you need to book a cabin, then you must be prepared to pay more. In some cases, you are obliged to book cabins, in others you may be able to manage with reclining seats. Avoiding overnight crossings can help save ferry cabin costs but you may then need to pay more to stay overnight in an en-route hotel.

Some people try to keep their ferry costs low by not taking their vehicle. Here you need to take into consideration the cost and inconvenience of organizing local transport. In most cases, driving your own vehicle is cheaper and more convenient but it’s always worth double checking.

Once you’ve chosen to book a car-inclusive ferry ticket, make sure you book the right vehicle size and include any trailers, luggage racks, bikes etc in the overall dimensions. Booking the wrong vehicle size or forgetting to mention the bikes on the roof can sometimes lead to your passage being refused at the port and a great deal of unnecessary frustration and expense. On the other hand, if you are lucky enough to have a choice of vehicles, by all means choose the vehicle that fits into the cheapest price category, as long as it is suitable for the trip.

Guest Article by Max Rickman

Monday, February 16th, 2009