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What's the cheapest option to cross the Channel to UK?
Gergely - 14/5/08 at 08:56 AM

Hi,
We are picking up our kit in about 2-3 weeks time. We will take a car with a trailer to do so. What are the options to cross the sea to get to the UK?
Eurotunnel seems very expensive and I have checked Norfolk Line, which is cheaper, but both require a pre-booking. I have no idea how long it will take me to travel 1500km with a trailer to get to either, so judging the time is very tricky...
Any suggestions? What options do I have other than the two mentioned and any ideas for the booking?
Thanks!

Gergely

caber - 14/5/08 at 09:06 AM

Swim! get some truck inner tubes to float the car and pull it behind you ! Job done!

Caber

clutch_kick - 14/5/08 at 09:10 AM

Gergely.

I will at some point have your problem, hopefully!! lol.

You have the advantage of being located on the mainland already, i'm on a forsaken island. (Anybody in the UK wants to offer me a job? lol) Wouldn't it be cheaper for you to find a company who can load it on a trailer taking goods back and forth from UK to Hungary? I'm pretty sure MNR can palletise the kit for you.

r1_pete - 14/5/08 at 09:14 AM

The ferries usually have a 4 hour loading window, I use Hull - Rotterdam quite often and can get on the ship from about 16.30 for a 20.30 sailing. So you have a fair margin for arrival at the port.

andyps - 14/5/08 at 09:17 AM

Speedferries are generally about the cheapest, they cross from Boulogne to Dover with a catamaran, not sure if they take trailers though. Alternatively choose your time carefully and go for someone like P&O. For MNR your shortest drive would be to do Hull - Rotterdam, but it isn't cheap. It does cut down on fuel costs and cuts out on the need to book overnight accommodation however.

Mr Whippy - 14/5/08 at 09:25 AM

wonder how fast you'd have to be going to jump the distance?

Theoretically off course unless your car could break the sound barrier…

Yes I’m bored

BenB - 14/5/08 at 09:25 AM

Price also depends on when you go. Night-time trips are often very cheap (for obvious reasons!!)..

02GF74 - 14/5/08 at 09:41 AM

have you looked into shipping the chassis over to you in Hungary? That may be a cheaper option?

Guinness - 14/5/08 at 10:08 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
wonder how fast you'd have to be going to jump the distance?

Theoretically off course unless your car could break the sound barrier…

Yes I’m bored


What about taking the tyres off the wheels and driving through the Tunnel? Obviously you'd have to pick the right track, as playing chicken with an oncoming Eurostar is only going to end badly!

Mike

[Edited on 14/5/08 by Guinness]

I love speed :-P - 14/5/08 at 10:36 AM

Last few times we have been with Norfolk Line and have never paid more than £19 return, but as you say you need to book beforehand.

Bob C - 14/5/08 at 10:47 AM

I remember going on eurostar. There were loads of day return deals UK-france & back in a day, really cheap. There was nothing going the other way. Says something about rip- off britain dunnit...
At the time I think day return was < £20 but a return over a week was ~£80. Yes they WERE on the lookout for folk buying 2 day returns a week a part & only using half....

vinny1275 - 14/5/08 at 11:02 AM

Most of the ferry companies seem to charge per person on top of the vehicle - tunnel may be cheaper once you take this into account - again, you end up at the wrong end of the UK when you get here then! Hook of Holland - Harwich or Rotterdam - Hull might be quicker / cheaper in the long run.

the Wellington at Darley, just round the corner from MNR is pretty cheap accomodation, amazing full English breakfasts as well! just what you need for a long drive home with a van and trailer!

HTH


Vince

Agriv8 - 14/5/08 at 11:03 AM

Back to earth woth a bump.

get a quote from

http://www.norfolkline.com/ferry/

As they are usually cheep ( and go from dunkirk - closer to you i suspect )

Used them at least 3 times ( oh they are predominantly freight / wagons ) but dont let this put you off.

regards

Agriv8

Gergely - 14/5/08 at 11:22 AM

Thanks all!
We want to take the kit ourselves, therefore the transport company option is not good. Also, we have a free trailer and a company car with a fuel card.
I have checked P&O, Norfolk Line and Eurotunnel, and strangely enough, Eurotunnel is the cheapest, quickest and most flexible. It still costs around 120 EUR, but that's acceptable...
It will be the Eurotunnel then it seems...
Thanks!
Gergely

clutch_kick - 14/5/08 at 11:36 AM

So will it be the first MNR to go on the Euro Tunnel ??? lol

RK - 14/5/08 at 12:51 PM

I haven't done this since way before the tunnel was built, but I always like ferries - stress-free. I grew up on an island.

andyps - 14/5/08 at 01:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Bob C
I remember going on eurostar. There were loads of day return deals UK-france & back in a day, really cheap. There was nothing going the other way. Says something about rip- off britain dunnit...
At the time I think day return was < £20 but a return over a week was ~£80. Yes they WERE on the lookout for folk buying 2 day returns a week a part & only using half....


It wasn't just rip off Britain - the same thing happened from the other direction. I used to cross quite regularly for work and would buy a day return here and get someone from the French office to get me a day return for coming back. Trouble was once they realised what was happening the rules changed and if you only went one way they reserved the right to charge your credit card for the difference between the day return and normal single fare - and you could only book with a credit card.

Still a good way to cross though for the speed and flexibility, but generally too expensive now I pay myself rather than on a company expense account!

LBMEFM - 14/5/08 at 07:00 PM

With out a doubt the cheapest way is Dunkirk to Dover on Norfolk Line in the eary hours.