How "last minute" d'you think we can leave it to book a Dover-Calais ferry crossing?

[FredWorms]

We'd like to travel on 3rd aug but may have to leave it until 4th.

Don't hold me to it - but it's relatively easy to change a booking if you can't make the orignial time. I guess that implies that ferries are not full, so last minute bookings should be OK - though they might charge more.

Tip - book DFDS Dover to Dunkirk - much the cheapest ferry by far, and Dunkirk not too far from Calais.

We find that if we turn up for the "wrong" (usually earlier) ferry we can change there and then with no change of booking charge. However changing booking before you travel incurs a fee. (that probably only works if you roll up for an earlier booking though, not a later one!)

We are travelling in just over 2 weeks and still haven't booked yet. The fare on the way out has been coming down in price over the last few weeks so going to leave it for a few more days before booking. Don't take as gospel but I'm sure these ferries never get full. DFDS now do Dover-Calais as well as Dover-Dunkirk which is a shorter and therefore slightly cheaper crossing. P&O is not that much more expensive. Both companies will put you on the 1 earlier or the 1 later than you have booked for if there is space, it's in the small print online which I always print-off and take with me. But I have never had to quibble on this matter when we have been early, they just put you on the next ferry that leaves after you arrive without a murmur.

We have turned up in the past and paid there and then! Better if you go on the antisocial times for this though, early morning or late evening?

Yes, we used to turn up and buy a ticket there and then but it seems to be more expensive to do that now than booking in advance. Also gone are the days when you could buy a day trip ticket for peanuts, throw away the return then do the same on the way back after you had had a jolly 2 weeks away.

And that super cheap website Ferrysale.com seems to have stopped to

Personally I've found DFDS far more expensive than P&O, partly because we're a party of 6 so they charge extra compared with a family of 4.

Has anybody ever tried booking two day-trip returns (Dover-Calais and Calais-Dover) This seems to be a cheaper option for us.

Sorry just seen this "Also gone are the days when you could buy a day trip ticket for peanuts, throw away the return then do the same on the way back after you had had a jolly 2 weeks away."

Why not?! Do they not let you travel back even if you've got a Calais-Dover return or single Calais-Dover trip booked?

Thanks all.

The thing is, you see, we'd like to travel on 3rd aug, we've booked a fast-track appt with passport office and they say the passport should be with us by.....3rd august (at the latest) ! So we're cutting it all terribly fine, and I was hoping to book the ferry and then change it at the last minute if the passport hasn't turned up.

DaisySteiner, of course you are right about DFDS charging extra for more than 4 passengers. There was only ever 2, and now 3, of us so never had to consider that.

Ferry companies used to sell day trip tickets really cheap on the understanding that you would return within 24hrs. When computerisation really kicked in they could tell if you had not used the return ticket and threatened that if you did not then they would charge you for the full fare using the credit/debit card details you had originally paid with. Didn't know they still did day returns.

Just checked P&O's conditions and yes, the do still charge you if you don't use the return portion. Cheeky fuckers

DFDS also more expensive if you have a longer than average car, they charge a supplement for being over their standard length (but i can't remember what it is!).

For our Audi A8 it is cheaper to go P&O as their standard length is longer than DFDS.