3:49 PM
Starting to plan your summer holiday to France? Here's how to find the best route across the water – and the lowest fares.
It's all change on the Dover-Calais ferry route. Following the demise of Sea France in November, a new service was started by DFDS Seaways two weeks ago (February 17). It's a joint operation with LD Lines (which also runs the Portsmouth-Le Havre and Newhaven-Dieppe routes) and it supplements DFDS' Dover-Dunkirk service. Initially there is only one ship on the route, but launch fares have been pitched very competitively at £58 return for a car plus passengers.
This very competitive opening offer is not the only good news for passengers. The new service ensures healthy competition on a route where fares have been suppressed at historic lows for several years now. It also keeps the pressure on prices on the longer crossings to Normandy and Brittany.
With airfares creeping up because of oil price rises and higher departure taxes, self-drive holidays in France haven't looked so attractive for a long time. So here is a guide to your choices when crossing the Channel this summer. I have quoted the cheapest returns currently available for a car plus passengers (usually up to nine people, but sometimes less – check before booking). Prices depend on demand, and may more than double for peak summer crossings.
For seasonal services I have indicated the month for which the fare applies. All frequencies are the maximum number of return crossings each time in peak season. See below panel for a guide to finding the cheapest fares.
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