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booking van on ferry as car to save money?????

Posted: 17 Apr 2012, 20:01
by RussT3
Hi all
Im planning a trip to europe this summer and I'm not sure wether to book ferry or turn up on spec( maybe get better deal that way) well be away for aprox 2 and 1/2 weeks. read on forum somewhere a good while back that you can get away with booking on ferry as a car therefore saving money. i also remember reading that the staff on the ferry don't really check and let you on.
Any experience of this or advise
many thanks
russ

Re: booking van on ferry as car to save money?????

Posted: 17 Apr 2012, 20:53
by minilawz
hi
i just booked mine van on the ferry with Norfolk line ferrys and the vehicle type heading on there website is (Car/motorhome under 2.4 meters high) which mine is . And the price are good atm plus the ferrys are nice as i have traveled with them pervious times .

lawrence

Re: booking van on ferry as car to save money?????

Posted: 18 Apr 2012, 05:19
by thechubbsdub
I think that with some, it depends if you have windows or a panel van.

Re: booking van on ferry as car to save money?????

Posted: 18 Apr 2012, 10:51
by Cruz
Better to declare than to be left on the dock or charged a hefty extra fee?

Re: booking van on ferry as car to save money?????

Posted: 21 Apr 2012, 13:46
by richlaz
How much do you save?

Not sure if it would be worth the risk, it's probably only a couple of quid extra :lol:

Re: booking van on ferry as car to save money?????

Posted: 21 Apr 2012, 14:43
by jed the spread
I booked on last year knowing that I was over the 2.4 meters but paid £60 less for the under 2.5 meters. What happens is there are two levels, one for the cars (The roof is lower on that deck) and a higher roof on the lower deck for the lorries and overflow from the car deck. When you book in at the booth a detector goes off to say your over and they ask you to park up in a carpark area next to a counter. You go in, give them your car pass, they give you a lower deck pass and they put you on with the lorries and it takes five minutes and it was free. I got on the ferry and some cars were put on the lower level too as overflow so there is a good chance I would have been on the lower level anyway. It didnt spoil my holiday and we had an extra £60 that we spent on a smashing meal and drinks out in a restaurant next to a quite river in the french countryside and very nice it was too :mrgreen:

jed

Re: booking van on ferry as car to save money?????

Posted: 22 Apr 2012, 11:06
by T'Onion
Just booked ours , £68 return july/august , and that's 2 adults and a child and the LT 3mx5m ... no cheaper as a car :ok

booking van on ferry as car to save money?????

Posted: 23 Apr 2012, 11:04
by RussT3
T'Onion wrote:Just booked ours , £68 return july/august , and that's 2 adults and a child and the LT 3mx5m ... no cheaper as a car :ok
thats a lot cheaper than I thought it would be . have you got details of crossing/ company booked with etc?

Re: booking van on ferry as car to save money?????

Posted: 23 Apr 2012, 11:52
by T'Onion
RussT3 wrote:
T'Onion wrote:Just booked ours , £68 return july/august , and that's 2 adults and a child and the LT 3mx5m ... no cheaper as a car :ok
thats a lot cheaper than I thought it would be . have you got details of crossing/ company booked with etc?

Russ
Booked on a Saturday in July and returning on a week day in August , didn't change the price as to the day or time travelling
I have used http://www.ferrycheap.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; before , but I just googled ferry to france and http://www.ferry-to-france.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; popped up and after I entered my requirements it came up with DFDS at £68 (+ £1 card usage :roll: )
Had to put the LT on as 2.5 x 5m motorhome but when booking it showed up as not over 4m high and no longer than 5m :ok
DFDS site only has two hight setting both for car and motorhome (van is panel van without side windows) , <2.4 and >2.4

Happy Days


Hope this helps

Mark