First of all, make sure to book your ferry to France well in advance. Last minute bookings can lead to disappointment due to lack of space and, particularly since the advent of fluid pricing, you will almost certainly end up paying more if you really do leave it too late.  When you book your ferry well in advance, you can rest assured that your tickets are reserved for the ferry of your choice and that the price is generally not going to get any cheaper after you book.

Secondly, if you have enough time, try to take daytime ferries rather than ferries that leave at night. Unlike car, train, air and coach journeys, ferry trips can provide an enjoyable, restful and welcome break for you and your family. You can enjoy bracing walks on deck or a meal on board, or, on longer ferry trips you can often choose from a vast range of other distractions, entertainments and activities.

Some people worry about seasickness but modern ferries are so smooth nowadays that it’s hard to feel the motion of the waves at all.  However, if you are particularly prone to seasickness, make sure you take the necessary medication at the appropriate time before setting off so that it doesn’t interfere with your enjoyment of the ferry trip.

Not everyone gets to travel on ferries that frequently so, when you take a ferry to France, try to make the most of the journey by staying awake and using the on board facilities. If you happen to carry your camera with you, you could capture some great shots for your album on your ferry trip. When planning to take photos on board, traditional ferries are usually better than high-speed ferries because there is more scope for wandering around outside and there is generally more space inside the vessel.

It may seem obvious but try to plan carefully and take care of everything that is likely to make you anxious during your trip. Carry with you all the necessary travel documents. Double check before you leave home so that you avoid any nasty surprises. If you are planning to stay overnight en-route, make sure that your accommodation is booked well in advance. Do not take pot luck with hotel accommodation, especially in peak season, as this can be a major source of tension, inconvenience and disappointment.

If you are a regular ferry traveller, why not try driving a different route every time you take a ferry so that you enjoy a new experience with every trip?

Finally, avoid drinking too much on your ferry trip. Apart from the obvious legal requirement of staying safely within drink driving limits, the onward journey will be best enjoyed in a state of alertness and sobriety.  You can always look forward to a drink or two after you reach your destination to celebrate your arrival.

Guest Article by Max Rickman

There are many advantages associated with booking ferries over the internet. Take the example of booking a ferry to France.  First of all, we can book our ferries from any part of the world as long as we have a computer with a reliable internet connection. It is no nonger necessary to be physically present at a travel shop to collect our tickets. This allows us to plan our trips in advance and make our bookings in our own time.

Secondly, booking our ferry to France online saves us a lot of time. We do not have to search for a suitable ferry operator or local travel agent who will do the ferry bookings for us. We don’t need to drive into town to visit the travel agent or the ferry operator, which also saves us time and fuel. At times, some travel operators also charge customers a service charge for making bookings and this can also be saved when we book our ferries online.

Another major advantage is that we can book our ferry to France any time of the day or night, weekdays or weekends. This will obviously not be the case when we buy tickets offline. We would need to either call or visit the travel operator’s office during their working hours, which often overlaps with our own working hours. With online shopping, we can book our ferry tickets from the comfort of our homes any time and the online system allows us to book our tickets round the clock.

Ferry tickets are often much cheaper when we buy them online. For instance, on the UKferrytickets site you can easily compare the costs between various routes, ferry operators, time of the ferry, etc and quickly find the cheapest and there are no extra booking fees. With offline travel agents, it’s difficult to be sure that the travel agent has your best interests in mind. They may have strong allegiances with certain operators or be tempted to recommend the ferry that pays them the most commission. The ferry booking engine and cheap ferry tickets comparison tool at Ukferrytickets.co.uk will help you find the very best ferry deals to France (and many other destinations) in the shortest time possible. In a matter of just a few clicks, all the best deals in the market place will be lined up for you to choose.

It makes you wonder why anyone would want  to book their ferries offline ever again!

Guest Article by Max Rickman

A: We always try to answer all calls and emails promptly but there may be periods of high demand when the volume of enquiries exceeds our capacity to deal with them. If you would prefer not to wait for one of our sales agents to become available on the telephone, please feel free to email us and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

A: Please email us or call us using the details printed on your confirmation email.

A: Most bookings are made without the need for calling us on the telephone. However, if you find that you need to talk to one of our experts, please call +44 (0)844 576 0006 and we will do our best to help you.

A: All British Nationals need a valid 10 year passport to travel abroad (5 year if you are under 16 years old) with no less than 6 months left to expire. For passengers travelling from the UK to Ireland we recommend a passport be used as ID however another form of photographic ID may also be used and must be shown for all passengers upon request.

You should always check to find out whether you need a visa when visiting another country by contacting either the UK consulate or the embassy of the country in question.

A: Please re-submit your details and try again. If the problem persists please try a different card.

A: The usual reasons for this is either your email address being incorrect or your internet service provider &/or security software trapping the email in the mistaken belief that it is spam. Please contact us by telephone on +44 (0)844 576 0006 and we will arrange to resend your confirmation.

A: On some night sailings it is not possible to book a crossing without also reserving either a compulsory seat or cabin. Where this occurs, it is a particular stipulation of the carrier and the rule will apply to all bookings whether booked online or otherwise.

A: Yes, you do. All carriers need to know exactly which vehicle is travelling, as well as the actual dimensions of each vehicle, so that a reservation can be made. Quotations are given based on this information being accurate and any errors or inaccuracies could lead to additional charges being levied at the ferry port.