Cheapest ferry to Europe?

[Hephebe]

We'd like to go away in Aug and would ideally take the car rather than fly (we're in the Midlands). We're relaxed about where we go so we're thinking we'd base it on cheap ferry costs and then find accomm (like Airbnb or Eurocamp-type places). Does anyone else do this? The Newhaven-Dieppe route always used to be cheaper than Brittany but I don't know if that's still true. Harwich to Hook of Holland looks quite good value but Harwich is a.bit of a slog from where we are. Also not averse to the Eurotunnel although I've never done it before.

Any seasoned continent-goers who can advise please?

Euro tunnel is generally the cheapest for us from Wales. Hate the drive to Folkestone but unless we are planning to stay on Atlantic coast it's more convenient for the drive on French side

Dover Calais will be the cheapest option, a little more is the tunnel. You can use Tesco vouchers for the tunnel.
Newhaven Dieppe was about half the price of Brittany ferries roughly.

Depends where you want to go a little bit as well. Belgium or particularly Netherlands then Harwich makes sense. Newhaven good for Paris. St Malo or Caen from Portsmouth for Brittany. I’d not consider a ferry out of Dover, I’d get the Chunnel. In fact I’d get the Chunnel for much of Belgium too. I’m about 45 minutes south of Leicester, so south locations are all equally close enough and annoyingly far away for that not to really feature. Cheaper ferry that’s a bad time of day and to somewhere twice as far from somewhere actually nice to stay seems a bit false economy to me. FWIW, for about £75 each way, you can get on the Chunnel at 9 in the morning (yes it’s an early start from home) and be on the beers in Brugge by lunchtime. I’d probably do that.

Do you have Tesco Clubcard points? We used to use them for the Tunnel.

I'd do the Tunnel over a ferry anytime. Much easier.

I'm liking your style @JarvisIsland 😁

Thanks all, appreciate this input. We've never done the Chunnel - always enjoyed the ferry and made it into part of the trip - but as our kids are getting a bit older, and are pretty good in the car, I don't want is to be tied to that if there's a better (and cheaper!) option. I'm assuming there's less waiting around to get on and off the Chunnel than on the ferry, generally? Sometimes a good/shortish ferry trip can be ruined by 1h30 in the one bloody Customs queue.

Sadly I don't have Clubcard vouchers - we don't have a nearby Tesco so very rarely use it!

I'd say the tunnel is less likely to have hold ups than Dover. It can still go wrong though.

Tunnel is much more flexible. You rock up and they put you on next train rather than having to arrive in time for a particular ferry (I think tickets say within 2 hrs of booking - and can rebook any time in 24 hrs if late just pay any difference) - but it makes the whole thing much quicker and less stressful.

We used nectar points for the Eurostar recently. I don’t know if they’re good for the Chunnel as well though.