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Ferry deals to France - Summer 2015

  • 11-08-2014 1:21pm
    #1
    BenEadir
    Registered Users Posts: 4,539 ✭ BenEadir


    Hi all,

    Boards member Johnny Fontane posted a bargain alert http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057103851 last December for the new LD Lines ferry to France which loads of Boardsies, myself included, took advantage of. Not only did I save hundreds of Euro on the fare but I also saved over €100 on diesel as LD Lines sailed into St Nazaire which reduced the drive to my destination by 4 hours Vs Irish Ferries to Roscoff or Cherbourg. On top of that the LD Lines service was excellent with very comfy beds, friendly staff etc.

    As the old bargain alert is over I wanted to create a thread which people who benefited from the old bargain alert (and others) who are planning to return to France by ferry in summer 2015 could subscribe to so that when new fares and discounts/special deals come out they can be posted here and whoever has subscribed to this thread will know about them straight away as they are usually fairly time limited.

    Good idea / bad idea?

    Ben
    Tagged:


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Comments

  • #2
    grenouille1966
    Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭ grenouille1966


    Between LD lines and booking direct with a 5 star campsite in France, I saved 1, 500 euro on 2012's holiday. 2, 500 against 4, 000 euro.

    If I can get a cheap fare with LD lines next June, I will go again with them.

    F.


  • #3
    jay0109
    Registered Users Posts: 2,610 ✭✭✭ jay0109


    grenouille1966 wrote: »
    Between LD lines and booking direct with a 5 star campsite in France, I saved 1, 500 euro on 2012's holiday. 2, 500 against 4, 000 euro.

    If I can get a cheap fare with LD lines next June, I will go again with them.

    F.

    Looks like LD won't be operating in 2015, at least not that route


  • #4
    wombats
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭✭✭ wombats


    LD are not operating to France for 2015?? how come?? any more info on that?


  • #5
    grenouille1966
    Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭ grenouille1966


    Who told you that??

    I would say that is rubbish. The crossings were pretty much packed. I imagine they will be operating the Rosslare- St. Nazaire route in 2015 and beyond.


  • #6
    frash
    Registered Users Posts: 2,483 ✭✭✭ frash


    See the main thread.....
    Not looking good for next year at all.

    Confirmed by LD Lines themselves.


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  • #7
    wombats
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭✭✭ wombats


    Which main thread?

    Link pls?


  • #8
    frash
    Registered Users Posts: 2,483 ✭✭✭ frash


    wombats wrote: »
    Which main thread?

    Link pls?

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057103851


  • #9
    wombats
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭✭✭ wombats


    Yeah I found it thanks.

    That's disappointing if they are not running in 2015 but sure we'll live in hope yet!


  • #10
    Wine Goddess
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭ Wine Goddess


    I think it's a great idea - we couldn't afford France this year because the ferry crossing costs so much and I missed the LD offer (boo, hoo!) so if anything pops up in here I'd be delighted!


  • #11
    BenEadir
    Registered Users Posts: 4,539 ✭ BenEadir


    Wine Goddess wrote: »
    I think it's a great idea - we couldn't afford France this year because the ferry crossing costs so much and I missed the LD offer (boo, hoo!) so if anything pops up in here I'd be delighted!

    Thanks WG, that's the whole idea of the thread. Boardsies looking out for and helping Boardsies :D

    Ben


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  • #12
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,435 ✭✭✭ munchkin_utd


    Wine Goddess wrote: »
    I think it's a great idea - we couldn't afford France this year because the ferry crossing costs so much and I missed the LD offer (boo, hoo!) so if anything pops up in here I'd be delighted!
    Landbridge (Irish Sea & channel crossings on 1 ticket) is only 145 euro or so to get to the continent mid week in high season, so a pretty good alternative to the direct ferry if it works for you.

    Of course there's a few euro for petrol and tolls and maybe another €30 for a cheapo hotel en route in England or France, but still works out a fair bit cheaper than the direct ferry.


  • #13
    frash
    Registered Users Posts: 2,483 ✭✭✭ frash


    munchkin_utd wrote: »
    Landbridge (Irish Sea & channel crossings on 1 ticket) is only 145 euro or so to get to the continent mid week in high season, so a pretty good alternative to the direct ferry if it works for you.

    Of course there's a few euro for petrol and tolls and maybe another €30 for a cheapo hotel en route in England or France, but still works out a fair bit cheaper than the direct ferry.

    Must take hours though - anyone here ever done it & care to share their experience of it?


  • #14
    September1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,224 ✭✭✭ September1


    frash wrote: »
    Must take hours though - anyone here ever done it & care to share their experience of it?

    It is not bad, if you could time land bridge drive to fall into night hours you would avoid traffic. It also saves a lot of time. I got IF cancelled once so had to make this journey and I left Cherbourg at 5pm and was in Dublin before 6am.
    munchkin_utd wrote: »
    Landbridge (Irish Sea & channel crossings on 1 ticket) is only 145 euro or so to get to the continent mid week in high season, so a pretty good alternative to the direct ferry if it works for you.

    Of course there's a few euro for petrol and tolls and maybe another €30 for a cheapo hotel en route in England or France, but still works out a fair bit cheaper than the direct ferry.

    Are you sure you can get this price in summer for whole family crossing?


  • #15
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,435 ✭✭✭ munchkin_utd


    frash wrote: »
    Must take hours though - anyone here ever done it & care to share their experience of it?
    Done it a good few times and with 2 toddlers and so long as you dont get caught in traffic in England its grand.
    And, we normally make a little holiday of the journey itsself, if possible visit relatives/ friends in England (and twice a detour via Peppa pig world in Southampton!).
    You can get family room in a premier inn or travellodge for 19pounds if youre booking ahead, and youve a car, so a hotel in an out of town location (with free parking) is actually a plus point and a couple of nights en route doesnt break the bank.

    If the Cherbourg ferry was cheaper/ running at the dates we wanted then we'd probably use it that little bit more, but the spin through England is fine once you've a little thought put into what you're at.


  • #16
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,435 ✭✭✭ munchkin_utd


    September1 wrote: »
    Are you sure you can get this price (edit: €145) in summer for whole family crossing?
    €145 is valid for midweek during high season, but beyond the car and driver youre paying a little per person - but still less than say a cabin cost on the direct ferry.
    its €145 for the initial adult plus car, €25 for subsequent adults, infants <4 are free and >4 are €12 a head.
    So car with 2 adults and 2 small kids €170, or 2 adults and 2 bigger kids is €194.
    http://www.stenaline.ie/ferries-to-france/europe-by-car

    If youre fixated with getting to Brittany, and as far west as possible (because thats where everyone knows from the roscoff ferry dropping them there), then landbridge proabably is too much hassle for the savings - too much driving and too much time.
    But for south of France its almost the same distance from Calais than Cherbourg, or if going to the Normandy coast its a handy drive from Calais. Its only 3h20min from Calais to Caen for instance.
    Or to somewhere like La Rochelle, its a trek from Cherbourg anyhow and from Calais its a couple of 100km longer so its just a longer trek in the car.


  • #17
    webpal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,093 ✭✭✭ webpal


    Just in case you don't know, tesco tokens are worth 4 times their value on irish ferries. So if you have accumulated 50 euros worth of tesco tokens that's 200 quid off your irish ferries trip. We use them every year.


  • #18
    tom traubert
    Registered Users Posts: 180 ✭✭ tom traubert


    So, Brittany Ferries emailed me today. Booking is now open for next summer.

    I received an online quote - last sailing in June, return mid July - for family of 5, (all kids 4 or more), mpv with rear mounted bikes and a 4 and 2 berth outside cabin.

    Total cost return, a few euro short of 1600e!

    I don't think so !


  • #19
    wombats
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭✭✭ wombats


    I just checked brittany for late June/early July with 2 adults, 2 kids 1 infant. 1340 :(

    We paid 1370 this year :(

    Are ld lines really not sailing next year?


  • #20
    dubal2008
    Registered Users Posts: 100 ✭✭ dubal2008


    I just got quoted on Brittney Ferries Rosslare to Roscoff out 1st Aug back 14th inc deluxe cabin for 4 with roof box all in €987...that is not bad as in the past we paid well over that price


  • #21
    Kerry Gooner
    Registered Users Posts: 242 ✭✭ Kerry Gooner


    dubal2008 wrote: »
    I just got quoted on Brittney Ferries Rosslare to Roscoff out 1st Aug back 14th inc deluxe cabin for 4 with roof box all in €987...that is not bad as in the past we paid well over that price

    Is this a new route next year, thought they only sailed from Cork


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  • #22
    dubal2008
    Registered Users Posts: 100 ✭✭ dubal2008


    Apologies meant to write Cork....


  • #23
    BenEadir
    Registered Users Posts: 4,539 ✭ BenEadir


    Just price Cork -> Roscoff return out July 11 back July 31 with an MPV + bike rack 2 adults + 2 kids + outside 4 berth cabin each way and it's coming in at €1,238 which is just over twice what I paid this year for Rosslare to St Nazaire with LD Lines and Roscoff to Rosslare with Irish Ferries.

    There's no motivation to book that fare this early that's for sure.

    It'll be interesting to see if any discounts or special prices are issued in the run up to or just after Xmas.

    Let's keep our eyes and ears peeled for each other. It would be great to save a few hundred Euro on the ferry as it goes straight into the holiday spending money budget which is much more enjoyable than spending it to sit on a big boat!!

    Ben


  • #24
    dubal2008
    Registered Users Posts: 100 ✭✭ dubal2008


    I'm looking into the Irish Ferries and Siblu deal with Tesco points from what I read is that if I shop even €100 per week with them that gives me 4000 points after 40 weeks and that is worth 3 times that in travel vouchers for use against ferry and accommodation, as we pay approx €130 per week at present to shop anyway it seems like a no brainer to do this


  • #25
    September1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,224 ✭✭✭ September1


    dubal2008 wrote: »
    I'm looking into the Irish Ferries and Siblu deal with Tesco points from what I read is that if I shop even €100 per week with them that gives me 4000 points after 40 weeks and that is worth 3 times that in travel vouchers for use against ferry and accommodation, as we pay approx €130 per week at present to shop anyway it seems like a no brainer to do this


    It is 4x so you would get €160 but IF would charge you extra €20 (just make sure you buy your trip in two separate tickets, as otherwise it is €40). Tesco Mobile and Tesco Credit Card are another good sources of points.


  • #26
    Stone Deaf 4evr
    Registered Users Posts: 7,761 ✭✭✭ Stone Deaf 4evr


    Got an online quote this morning myself, to travel the same dates as I did this year (1st week in august , back 2 weeks later) has gone up by €180, if I leave it till the 2nd week of august its still higher by €90.

    A bit disappointing really, I was hoping that the Success of the LD lines route would have forced prices down. Now that they've come out and confirmed that they're not operating next year, its granting a wee bit of a monoply.

    i wonder is there any hope of a price drop around january?


  • #27
    BenEadir
    Registered Users Posts: 4,539 ✭ BenEadir


    Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »
    I was hoping that the Success of the LD lines route would have forced prices down. Now that they've come out and confirmed that they're not operating next year, its granting a wee bit of a monoply.

    Has it been made official? Link?

    Ben


  • #28
    Stone Deaf 4evr
    Registered Users Posts: 7,761 ✭✭✭ Stone Deaf 4evr


    BenThere wrote: »
    Has it been made official? Link?

    Ben

    Just had a quick look back through the threads, and i dont think any offical announcement has been made one way or the other. I really hope they stay running, while their timetable doesnt suit me, competition is great to keep the rest of them on their toes.


  • #29
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,435 ✭✭✭ munchkin_utd


    Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »
    Got an online quote this morning myself, to travel the same dates as I did this year (1st week in august , back 2 weeks later) has gone up by €180, if I leave it till the 2nd week of august its still higher by €90.

    A bit disappointing really, I was hoping that the Success of the LD lines route would have forced prices down. Now that they've come out and confirmed that they're not operating next year, its granting a wee bit of a monoply.

    i wonder is there any hope of a price drop around january?
    Ach, wouldn't call having 3 companies (stena, irish ferries, britanny ferries) running 4 routes between Dublin/ Cork/ Rosslare and roscoff/ cherbourg a monopoly.

    They are definitely exploiting supply and demand on the summer peak season though (as do ryanair and aer lingus and all other airlines), but as I pointed out above, if getting the car on the continent is your main aim then the landbridge deals are very reasonable.


  • #30
    dubal2008
    Registered Users Posts: 100 ✭✭ dubal2008


    I checked landbridge for my dates and it worked out for 4 people to be more expensive when you take in a night in a cheap hotel and food for 4 and diesel


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  • #31
    BenEadir
    Registered Users Posts: 4,539 ✭ BenEadir


    dubal2008 wrote: »
    I checked landbridge for my dates and it worked out for 4 people to be more expensive when you take in a night in a cheap hotel and food for 4 and diesel

    Plus time! How many extra hours would people be prepared to detour via the UK to save (for example) €200???? The hassle of all the extra driving, staying in a $h1thole motorway/cheap hotel etc Vs spending that time at your destination is a complete false economy unless there is a major saving.


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