Ferry operators stifling tourism

MadsL

I'm writing this on a ferry. I need to take my car to the UK for some specialist work. It cost me €333 for the journey. As I looked around at how empty the ferry is at peak holiday season, it struck me that the operators don't seem to be that interested in filling this ferry. By contast I could take my car to france from the UK for €216 - over €100 less. To be clear and to make the comparisons fair that is for the midweek over weekend back Holyhead to Dublin route (3hrs) compared with the Weymouth to St Malo route weekend to weekend. (5.5 hrs)

Does the state need to sort this out to get tourists back in significant numbers? It strikes me as only worth getting the ferry if you pack the car with five kids and the granny.

Do we need to intervene/offer tax breaks/incentives?

gouche

I live fairly close to Rosslare Port and drive the Rosslare-Dubin road every day and on my way home from work in the evenings, the majority of cars are english or foreign reg'd. Obviously there'll be more at weekends - it is a Tuesday today.

I've taken the ferry to fishguard twice this year and each time it had a fairly decent amount of people on it.

If the government wants to do something about the ferries they should make Iarnrod Eireann schedule trains so there's actually one waiting at the station when you get off the boat, instead of leaving five minutes before the ferry docks.

donkey balls

I do be down around Dublin port on a regular basis and there does be a fair amount of foreign reged cars heading back to Hollyhead,As for the pricing of the ferry companies they might operate like the airlines do the earlier you book the cheaper you get it.
A mate of mine took his car to the UK last year and he got it alot cheaper than you, Also you say that there was hardly anyone on the ship at peak periods just because there is very little cars going on the ship does not mean that the company is not making money.
I will let you in on a little secret over 90% of irish Imports/Exports go by road on commercial vehicles these shipping companies&transport companies are the life blood of ferry operators all year round.

Meteoric

gouche wrote: »

I live fairly close to Rosslare Port and drive the Rosslare-Dubin road every day and on my way home from work in the evenings, the majority of cars are english or foreign reg'd. Obviously there'll be more at weekends - it is a Tuesday today.

I've taken the ferry to fishguard twice this year and each time it had a fairly decent amount of people on it.

If the government wants to do something about the ferries they should make Iarnrod Eireann schedule trains so there's actually one waiting at the station when you get off the boat, instead of leaving five minutes before the ferry docks.

+1 on this, I know people who want come over here from England but have to try get me or someone else with a car collect them as there are no decent rail links. They can get to the harbour on the UK side no problem but once in Ireland public transport makes things too difficult

MadsL

I will let you in on a little secret over 90% of irish Imports/Exports go by road on commercial vehicles these shipping companies&transport companies are the life blood of ferry operators all year round.

That's sort of the point I'm making...

keithclancy

MadsL wrote: »

I'm writing this on a ferry. I need to take my car to the UK for some specialist work. It cost me €333 for the journey. As I looked around at how empty the ferry is at peak holiday season, it struck me that the operators don't seem to be that interested in filling this ferry. By contast I could take my car to france from the UK for €216 - over €100 less. To be clear and to make the comparisons fair that is for the midweek over weekend back Holyhead to Dublin route (3hrs) compared with the Weymouth to St Malo route weekend to weekend. (5.5 hrs)

Does the state need to sort this out to get tourists back in significant numbers? It strikes me as only worth getting the ferry if you pack the car with five kids and the granny.

Do we need to intervene/offer tax breaks/incentives?

Depends on the length of the crossing and the quality of the service.

i.e. A crossing from Hoek Van Holland to Harwich could cost you upto 500 euro return for a car and 4 people. Whereas a crossing from Dunkerque would only cost 100 euro return.

Even the Eurostar can be expensive.

Freight is the lifeblood of P&O, Stena and Norfolkline from France/The Netherlands/Belgium as they are all transit countries from Germany and Eastern Europe.

William Powell

If you want a cheaper fair then try booking a month earlier that makes a big difference, don't travel at peak times or weekends and see if you can find a discount code - hint search this site.

Taking my most of my own advice I normally get over to the UK and back every few months for well under 200euro - last time was 174euro and that was without a discount code.

keithclancy

William Powell wrote: »

If you want a cheaper fair then try booking a month earlier that makes a big difference, don't travel at peak times or weekends and see if you can find a discount code - hint search this site.

Taking my most of my own advice I normally get over to the UK and back every few months for well under 200euro - last time was 174euro and that was without a discount code.

Same on the Dutch - UK Routes .. Stena line usually have a 10% code floating around the net.

William Powell

But back to the OP's point, I think there could be some form of subsidy to get more tourism via the ferries, but you'd need to link it with tourism by having cheaper/subsidised fairs if you book holiday accomadation in Ireland, otherwise the cheap fairs will just be used by the Irish to get their cars fixed in the UK - or like I do, to stock up on cheap stuff on the pretext of visiting relatives


You could also link a subsidy to booking tickets for any of the many regional festivals in Ireland, so book tickets for any performances at Kilkenny arts festival or Wexford Opera and get xx% off if you book ferry tickets at the same time?

Tora Bora

We need a tunnel to the mainland:cool:

Cookie_Monster

William Powell wrote: »

But back to the OP's point, I think there could be some form of subsidy to get more tourism via the ferries, but you'd need to link it with tourism by having cheaper/subsidised fairs if you book holiday accomadation in Ireland,

You could also link a subsidy to booking tickets for any of the many regional festivals in Ireland, so book tickets for any performances at Kilkenny arts festival or Wexford Opera and get xx% off if you book ferry tickets at the same time?

but why go to all that trouble, why not just pay a lot less to fly and rent a car / use the train/bus? Leave ferries for the freight and they few who want to drive their own car.

William Powell

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

but why go to all that trouble, why not just pay a lot less to fly and rent a car / use the train/bus? Leave ferries for the freight and they few who want to drive their own car.

But you have to go to a lot of trouble for tourism thats what makes the difference, it may not even bring in many more, but high fairs put people off and give the wrong impression (well the right impression just not the one we want to put across ).

keithclancy

William Powell wrote: »

But you have to go to a lot of trouble for tourism thats what makes the difference, it may not even bring in many more, but high fairs put people off and give the wrong impression (well the right impression just not the one we want to put across ).

Well .. any sort of attractive subsidy would have to be paid for via the Tax Payer.

Guarantee you the Airlines (Ryanair) would be up in arms about government taxes.

bobbysands81

Tora Bora wrote: »

We need a tunnel to the mainland:cool:

We're on the "mainland" buddy.

Cookie_Monster

bobbysands81 wrote: »

We're on the "mainland" buddy.

we're an island off an island off the mainland

number10a

Ferries are disgustingly expensive alright. I'm flat broke at the moment and I thought a nice cheap holiday would be to feck off to Brittany for a week with my bike and do a bit of camping. How wrong was I!! €293 return for me and my bike from Cork to Roscoff!!! Like it makes no difference at all to their costs me being on the boat. I was expecting about €50. You'd think they'd have cheap fares for such passengers as every single cent for a foot passenger is basically a profit. The killer really is the compulsory accommodation on these crossings. I'd happily sleep on the floor somewhere.