Cross Channel ferries vs Eurotunnel

[jbm]

Hi,

My wife and I are planning a trip to France later this year, and are looking for advice on taking our 997 across the Channel. I've used Eurotunnel in the past with other cars, and it seemed very 'car friendly', so I would be very grateful for any thoughts on the ferries (both good and bad!)

Thanks very much! []

 

[oceancarrera]

The Eurotunnel is very car friendly, but it is also quite expensive. I prefer to take the ferry option as it is often less than half the price and the journey only takes 30mins longer. You don't get any further inland taking Eurotunnel so any savings in petrol are almost nil. Boarding the ferry with the GT3 (89mm front lip clearance) is fine as long as the ramp is taken at an angle; any other 911 will have no problem mounting the ramp to board the boat.

That asides, there's something quite nice about going up on the top deck and saying farewell to the white cliffs of Dover that you don't get staring through the black porthole window of the tunnel breathing vented fumes...

 

[RSGulp]

I've just booked a crossing in August with Seafrance. Just to give an idea of prices available:

Outward 18 Aug (8am), return 27 Aug (6pm).

Eurotunnel £287
P&O Ferry Dover to Calais £230
Speedferries Seacat Dover to Calais £238 (less crossings so no flexibility if late)
SeaFrance Ferry Docer to Calais £190
NorfolkLine Seacat Dover - Dunkerque £148 (less crossings so no flexibility if late)

I would have preferred to travel by Eurotunnel as usual, but we thought it better to break the journey with a ferry crossing (1hr15mins ferry compared to 40mins tunnel) with SeaFrance - and spend the extra £100 saved on even more wine.

I've never experienced problems boarding a ferry in a Porsche (and have seen many Ferraris and Lambos boarding without problems en route to Le Mans). They do park you very, very close together - I've never had a problem with dents either luckily.

I believe with most crossings you can pay a little extra and get prioritised boarding and 'club lounge' on board. I guess a call to a booking office will tell you whether you can ask to be parked in a safer position on the car deck away from other cars.

Bon voyage,
Rich

 

[Rob Edwards]

Hi

We nip over pretty often - Ferry is a nice relaxing way to start the holiday, with a nice strong coffee (and hopefully a calm sea - if it's crummy weather I'd take the Eurotunnel!).

As mentioned when approaching the ramp if it's a bit steep, just put one front wheel on the ramp before the other (approached at an angle not perpendicularly) and that will help. My 997S occasionally 'grounds' the underneath momentarily, but it sounds worse than it is. Remember to take it as slowly as possible! - if it looks like you really wont make it, advise the deck hands and they sometimes have some aids to help you get on (bits of flat iron or wood to help reduce the angle).

When parking your car, my wife generally gets out before we finish parking (as quite often they don't appreciate how wide the doors have to open to allow a person out/in!). I then stay by the car to ensure others don't ding it while getting out of their cars.

Don't take any kind of radar detector or camera device as they are illegal in France (even if not plugged in) and carry a fine and confiscation.

Most static camera sites (hmm, wonder where they got that idea from?) are well signposted on french (autoroute) roads and keep and eye out for little blue cars at the side of the road (Gendarmes with portable speed cameras) especially on the approach to towns and villages where the limits are (quite rightly) enforced.

For an up to date listing of radar static sites, go to:

http://www.controleradar.org/en.html
Which also carries some very good tips on driving in France.

Enjoy your holiday, I still rate France as one of the best countries for motoring and just got back from the Languedoc 10 days ago and still wish I was there!

Have fun![]
Rob

 

[RichardLW]

If you do a bit of searching you will find seacat fares around the fifty quid each way mark.

 

[drummerboytom]

I usually go over four or five times a year and always use the tunnel .
It's just so easy , much quicker , and so much safer for the car.
Have you seen how close they park the cars on ferries and the people pushing between them []

Advertised crossing times for ferries don't include the loading and unloading delays which can often nearly double your "tarmac to tarmac" time .

 

[Bull996]

I just got back on the ferry with no probs. I paid for priority boarding and it was worth every penny. First on both trips and ehough space to open both doors fully..loads of space! I was well happy. £20 each way extra and that includes the Club Lounge with a free drink (or 2 if you smile) Not very posh but nice and quiet compared to the chaos everywhere else on board.
The other bonus with the ferry is that if you are early they just pop you on the earlier crossing! Great.

 

[graham m]

I much prefer to use the Eurotunnel - as generally the waiting around time is much less and if you turn up early the ticket is flexible meaning you can hop on the next train. Also the advantage of being with the car all the time is more reassuring. A couple of years ago on the way back from the 'Ring we took the overnight ferry - Hull-Rotterdam. Alongside my car was a 'classic' VW Karmann Ghia, whose handbrake either failed or didn't work. In the morning the sight was not a pleasant one as the car had been pitched back & forth between the car in front & rear,until the ferry staff realised and strapped it down.[]!!! Fortunately it didn't 'yaw' sideways into mine[&:]
So i'd always select the tunnel for the channel crossing!
Graham

 

[jbm]

Hi,

Thanks very much to everyone for the very informative and thorough replies - lots of food for thought there! Graham's post reminded me of an incident on a ferry many years ago - the crew dropped one of the upper car deck access ramps without checking underneath first, thereby crushing the VW Golf parked below it!! (Fortunately the Golf was unoccupied at the time).

Best wishes, John

 

[Melv]

One more vote for the ferry here. Found the one time I did Eurotunnel singularly unimpressed -waited one and a half hours on the tarmac between booking in and train......

Have been using the ferries for over twenty five years and have never been delayed -one cancelled in all that time due prop strike and they put us up overnight and fed us!! (St Malo)

Usually catch the 08.00 and have a leisurely breakfast in Langans Brasserie (P&O). Then straight out to the Elf garage to top up cheap fuel and Beers R Us for some cheap booze and then it's right for the south of France or left for Belgium and Germany via Auchan supermarche in Dunquerque.......or Carrefours in Berk-sur-Mer.

Shocked at your prices though!!! We are paying eighty quid return for motorhome in August with P&0 (thru Camping and Caravanning Club.....[])

Of course, you do realise that Peter Skelton has negotoiated 10% discount with Sea France, don't you?? Ref: 'PORSCHE' to 08705 711711 or wwww.seafrance.com

Have fun!!!

 

[oceancarrera]

ORIGINAL: Melv

(thru Camping and Caravanning Club.....[])

[][][] I don't remember this sticker on the LEICHTBAU!!!! [][][]

 

[Mark_Bennett]

ORIGINAL: oceancarrera

ORIGINAL: Melv

(thru Camping and Caravanning Club.....[])

[][][] I don't remember this sticker on the LEICHTBAU!!!! [][][]

It's next to the Saga one... []

 

[Melv]

And next to the fastest time for a motorhome around the 'ring....[]

(Oh, BTW, 19m 57secs)

 

[JCB..]

ORIGINAL: Bull996

The other bonus with the ferry is that if you are early they just pop you on the earlier crossing! Great.

They do the same on the train and you don't have to worry about some git whacking their door in to the side of yours.

 

[TISPKJ]

All depends on time and price .................

I am a big fan of the tunnel especially for daytrips when time is in short supply but they have outpriced themselves for anything longer now.

Used Seafrance a fair bit recently (half term and a long weekend) and just booked up for prime time July / Aug dates at £140 return, tunnel wanted approx double that which pays for fuel and tolls to the south !!!

As said above stay until one of the last when you park up and be the first back in order to keep an eye on the car and you will be fine.

Regards

 

[THX911]

When using the ferry try and park away from the front and rear as that sea water is not good for your paintwork. I think there was a post here, some time ago, where an individual's Porsche was splashed around with sea water on the ferry and it left permanent stains on the paintwork...

 

[burrow01]

ORIGINAL: THX911

When using the ferry try and park away from the front and rear as that sea water is not good for your paintwork. I think there was a post here, some time ago, where an individual's Porsche was splashed around with sea water on the ferry and it left permanent stains on the paintwork...

This was the thread

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=206819&mpage=1&key=sea%2Csalt&#206819

Pete

 

[Rob Edwards]

This is a new one to me - sea salt causing paintwork problems!

I live about 80ft from a small beach and we often get the house encrusted with salt, as well as both cars - I have never had an issue with this - I normally just hose down with freshwater after the spray/winds have died down and have never seen any problems with paint.

I know you can get an 'outline' where salt water has sat and then dried off, but this is really just residual salt/minerals which wash off fairly easily.

Mind you, if you were to try rubbing that salt off then that might abrade the paint surface I suppose. Either that or perhaps it 'reacted' with the wax in the Zymol (mind you I've also used caranuba wax and never had any problems).

However, if the paintwork was dark and the salt residue not given a very good rinse and wash, then the residue might remain visible perhaps giving the impression that the paintwork had been permanently damaged.

Maybe I've just been lucky for the past 12 yrs![]
Rob

 

[John Maddox]

Went via tunnel in March - great with no worries.

Went to classic Le Mans this month via Brittany Ferries and collected dent where car next to me opened door onto my rear wing. Will try and avoid ferries in future !!