cheapest way to drive to France?

[logfiresspit]

What's best? Eurotunnel isn't cheap; nor are the ferries. What's the best way to go?

Depends where in France you plan to be. Also from where you set off.

If you are going to the west of Brittany it could be more economical taking the Portsmouth to Chedburgh, Caen ferry.

But if you plan to go to Paris, Loire or the east side then do Dover calais ferry or tunnel.
The ferry is often cheaper than tunnel, but tunnel is faster and for that price you can transport up to 9 passengers. Good value per head :)

If you sign up to receive emails from the ferry companies and eurotunnel they send out regular offers and discounts.

I just Booked eurotunnel for August. 160 quid. I disagree that it's not cheap. We have flown to Spain/Balearics the last few years and decided that last year was the last year I would pay over £1000 for 4 of us just for flights. We can go abroad for nearly a tenth of the price with eurotunnel.

If you have any tesco clubcard vouchers they can be used on the eurotunnel and triple in value.

really, £160 both ways? that's way better than I've seen. We don't drive long distances at all happily (everyone squabbles) so it does have to be quite a saving. We can get to the middle of France for £500 return flying, tho of course we do then need to pay car hire etc. Heading for the Vendee. From London.

how long for and when? Week in august now max £162 return on chunnel. One night this weekend £60 return.

Yes £162 return in August. I still think that's a cheap way to get abroad. I am very interested in your £500 flights though - how many people and where from/to?

I am struggling to find anything under a grand return in August to med type places like Spain, Portugal, Balearics, Greece etc

(Am assuming you are talking August if you have kids. The price difference between school holidays and not is painful these days.)

We've been to the Vendee lots of times and we think the Dover-Calias ferry or tunnel (similar cost) works out much cheaper than any other way. Even including an extra night or two at a B&B. The longer ferry crossings are very expensive.

I have a code which gets you 10% off Brittany Ferries crossings if it helps anyone.

Tunnel can be very cheap you need to look for offers and book early / late crossings to get the best prices - we went last in November and it was less than £100 return .

Ryanair has 4 adults London Stansted to Porto on Sat 6 august for 1 week for £580 return.

Think it depends if you're prepared to travel to a different airport. All the best deals seem to be in the south east I've found. I'm in the North west and cheapest Porto flights on 5 August would be £908 return for 4. That's a massive difference.

I lost this! sorry...
French flights - I think to Nantes? or Angers? DH looked them up. 2 adults, 3 kids, from SE.

Thanks for tunnel advice: that does sound the best idea tbh. Have also been toying with Brittany Ferries holidays - where you get house and ferry together. Small chance we'll be around Plymouth just beforehand, so it'd make masses more sense to get the ferry across, rather than drive the whole way around. Still all up in the air...