Why would anyone use the Ferries?

A

alfraits

Guest
I had a look at Brittany Ferries yesterday and calculated that a three week return trip to Roscoff with a car and two passengers at the end of June would cost over €1300. An Aer Lingus flight to Sevilla on the same dates, and the hire of a family car for three weeks would cost less than one thousand. Are the ferry companies pricing themselves out of the market, are people prepared to pay so much to get their own cars across the sea, or are the airlines being subsidised with cheap fuel or other concessions which allow them to undercut the boats?
 
Are the ferry companies pricing themselves out of the market, are people prepared to pay so much to get their own cars across the sea, or are the airlines being subsidised with cheap fuel or other concessions which allow them to undercut the boats?

IMHO, it's down to lack of competition - we are the only significant island nation in the EU. UK has a tunnel linking to mainland Europe, so the UK traveller can choose between driving via the Chunnel to France, flying and renting a car, or ferrying. As a result, the car ferries are cheaper. Another reason they are cheaper is because the journey is quicker which probably leads to increased efficiencies in terms of fuel, more ferries per day, etc.

There are also more flight connections to France from Heathrow, Stansted etc. that we have out of Dublin or regional airports.

In Ireland we have three choices - fly or get a ferry to UK or ferry all the way to France. There is not enough competition to make any of these options very cheap.

Another problem with flying to France compared to takin ga ferry with a family is the baggage weight restrictions and inability to bring back a boot or carfull of wine!
 
Low Cost Ferries

I think the "low cost revolution" that's happened in the Airline Business hasn't really happened in the considerably less "sexy" ferry industry.

Interesting programme on the BBC lately about these guys [broken link removed] and how they are trying to be a low cost operator on the English Channel

Quite interesting and reminiscent of the early days of the low cost airlines.
 
re

There are a few reasons
(1) People like to drive their own cars in Europe even though there own cars are right hand drive.
(2) Irish people are not great lovers of driving LHD cars
but the most important one
(3) You can't bring the same amount of WINE back on a plane!
 
"You can't bring the same amount of WINE back on a plane!"

But you would get a fair amount of wine here for the €300 or more that you would save
 
You can go a lot, lot, lot cheaper off season.......

Yes, but that is not the time of year when children are off school.
 
Re: You can go a lot, lot, lot cheaper off season.......

That principle applies with flights, too (and is one downside of the standardisation of school holidays). I was looking for 7 cheap flights to Spain, in or around the Easter break. To get back in time for the first Monday back to school, no matter what combinations of routes or airlines I tried, I couldn't get it for less than €2,100. In the end I decided feck it, the kids can miss two days of school! I got 7 return trips Shannon/Stansted/Jerez and back for €678, flying out on the Wednesday and getting back on the Tuesday afternoon.

For a €1,422 saving I'm not too pushed about the kids missing two days of primary school (one of them will probably be a half-day for the teachers to have a vital staff meeting, anyway...:rolleyes )

I'd love to take my car to France in the summer, but the Car(tel) ferries just make it unviable. I can invariably get flights and a month's rental (of a 7-seater) for less than the Rosslare-Cherbourg fares alone. :\
 
Re: You can go a lot, lot, lot cheaper off season.......

Went over on the boat last year (3 kids).

For me, a big plus is that with a reasonably sized car with a roof box attached, you can bring so much of your own stuff over - and so much wine back :) .

For example, we were renting as house with another family and we could bring over kids scooters, games etc.. even a small TV and a DVD player for the evenings.

Add to that the fact on reaching your destination, you don't have any messing waiting around for your hire car - you can just drive off and onwards to your destination (in the familiar surroundings of your own car).

When the kids get older, we'll probably have a go at flying and hiring but until then, I'd definitely recommend the boat..
 
Re: You can go a lot, lot, lot cheaper off season.......

I used go to France every May with the young kids, on the Ferry and saty in self catering. This year however, school had started and I didn't want him to miss 2 weeks.

I normally paid €1300ish for ferry and two week accommodation. In July it was €3500. Feck that!

So instead I am going to Scotland in July. I'm gettign the Ferry and 2 weeks accom for €1400.
 
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