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

Take, for example, a cancellation policy. Some of the cheaper tickets or those offered by certain providers will not give you any room to move if your plans change a little later on. These providers will not generally allow you to cancel after your cooling off period expires, and some do not even offer that if you book under a special offer fare. If you do have to change your dates then you will lose our money under these conditions so it is worth checking whether the tickets are refundable in advance and how long before you travel you have to cancel to access your refund.

You also have to consider any further restrictions that might affect your travel. For example, your ticket may only allow for travel on certain route and may not allow for travel with a car. Of course, the restrictions vary from provider to provider so be sure to read the small print before you book.

Another factor to consider is the cost. Booking with a reputable agent should bring you no problems at all with transparent costings, extras fully outlined and set prices. However, if you book with another provider then you may find that you face added charges so your ticket bill ends up being far more than you wanted to pay. These providers are the budget airlines of the ferry world! Make sure that you are not going to face extra charges when you book by reading the information properly instead of clicking straight through.

If you pay attention to the terms and conditions in general before you book then you should be OK. A small minority of tickets and providers may not provide you with what you want and need but if you read everything laid out in front of you then you will avoid these common factors that may ultimately give you the wrong tickets to suit your needs. Sometimes paying that little bit more will give you the flexibility you want and need. No matter how much you pay though, putting that little bit extra thought into the tickets you are buying before you hit the purchase button is worth its weight in gold and will ultimately result in less stress and hassle before you travel!

Guest Article by Louise Crowley

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

Looking at advanced bookings first, there are actually some great deals on at the moment as a result of the credit crunch. Ferry companies are trying to encourage people to book their places on ferries now to ensure that they have revenue coming in and can continue with services. You can book summer tickets now if you choose at a discounted level so you may want to look around. Of course, if you book your tickets in advance then you are assured of your place and can be sure that you will be able to travel to your selected destination on the day of your choice. However, you do run the risk of not being able to afford to travel and thus being left with tickets that are of no use to you. As long as you check whether the tickets are refundable or not, or even transferable to another date, you can cover yourself for this. It does give you a little time to save your money as well though so you know how to budget in advance.

Booking ferry tickets at the last minute, on the other hand, offers exactly the opposite pros and cons. In terms of the pros, you can often find cheaper tickets that are designed to fill ferries. They are usually non-refundable but then that will not matter if you intend to travel right away anyway. However, you do run the risk of not being able to travel on your desired day or even to your preferred location. Furthermore, all car spaces may have already gone. That said, you will know whether you have enough money or not and won’t have to bother with checking the refund policy.

It is totally your decision as to whether you choose to book tickets now or further down the road but either way you should be happy with your choice. Some people panic if they do not have plans set in stone whereas others look at the whole process as an adventure. Similarly, you may not want to tempt fate by booking tickets or have them in your pocket so you know you will get a chance to relax in the summer months. Whatever you decide, a self drive via a ferry is one of the cheapest holidays you could choose so make the most of it!

Guest Article by Louise Crowley