 Poster: A snowHead
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It's years since I've been on the tunnel though I used it a great deal in the past. I'm looking at booking a return in early April - driving down to Genoa to pick up my Italian grandson, then back up to the French Alps for a conventional Saturday/Saturday week's family holiday, then taking him back and driving home. There are no convenient flights, really, and although it seems mad, this way is cheaper. I won't have to travel on peak weekend days. I looked at Eurotunnel this morning and fares were around £74, which seemed reasonable. Then I looked again, two hours later, and they were around £100. Did I dream the £74 tickets?? Do they get a lot more expensive as the dates approach? Will they be £120 next week? Do they put the price up if you look twice within a few hours?
Seems a long-winded way of doing it, but flights to Genoa are inconvenient and even with cheaper Italian car hire prices (I've looked at flying to Pisa from Gatwick) it's cheaper to take my own car. And it's a long time since I did a road trip. The thought of being in my own space, with my own music and audiobooks, is more appealing than a logistical nightmare of the flights and the inevitable car hire hassles. I've driven to the Alps lots of times, and done the Alps/Genoa/return in a day. Going straight to Genoa from home there is the possibility of a completely new route, down through Switzerland and Milan, which would make a change.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@pam w, I've had the same thing on Eurotunnel so went back cleared Cache etc and higher price remained! Only thing I think it could be that I put in date wrong and got the cheaper 5 day return or even same day price.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I haven't seen that low a price for a long time. My standard mid morning mid week out has been about £124 all this year. Lucky I've still got loads if tesco vouchers
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@pam w,
Algorithm could play a factor.
Sell higher when site traffic is likely to be higher! Likely to be on certain days of the week as well as certain times.
They do not need cookies anymore!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@pam w, There's stories aplenty of dynamic pricing and seems that way sometimes when researching things, but not usually confirmed as happening. Getting a friend to do same search for you on their connection to see if there's anything different in pricing may show you something. I've not booked independently for a while though but through people like peak retreats as so convenient.
Sounds a nice trip to plan though, giving a relaxed family ski trip at your own schedule and direction rather than jumping through air/car hire hoops to fulfil.
Euro tunnel used to display the different time slots in form so you could look through odd hours (all in one form rather than specific journey details in isolation) as even swapping into a previous or later hour bracket could significantly change price but essentially be on the same train at the join of two abutting hours.
I've often booked a slot and arrived at earliest time or before to be put on "previous" service if it's not a busy period.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Check out what happens over New Year, over-night Calais/ Folkstone when all are on the booze it's super cheap then goes through the roof on new years day.....consequently we'll be cracking a bottle of fizzy pop on the tunnel at daft o'clock am this year as we head back!
Same with Easy Jet re flights midweek for nowt, weekends millionaires prices!
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Tue 22-11-22 12:55; edited 1 time in total
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Dynamic pricing or could it be that there were not many tickets at £74 (like one !!) and they have now been sold..?
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I havent seen that sort of price for a while on ET but when you pick the day, they give you the time slots and the unsociable ones tend to be cheaper and things like friday and the weekend are more expensive plus they are always more expensive at peak times such as start of ski season, christmas, half term etc
Having used ET a lot over the last 5 years, the prices do tend to increase the closer you get to departure and if you are there early enough, they try to fill the trains so you may get a better timed one than you book
I also expect that their IT system will increase prices if they see searches for specific days and times
I've given up on flying as we now go for longer so saving a few hours on a plane isnt a factor. Having the car allows us to look at other areas as well plus the flexibility of leaving the resort a day early to stay somewhere on the way back to see something different
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@pam w, make sure you delete all eurotunnel cookies, but I suspect the £74 ticket has really gone.
It’s been years since I’ve seen eurotunnel tickets that low and have been using the ferry more as it has been over £100 less expensive. Even the £100 ticket looks a lot less than I’ve seen recently. Snap it up.
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It's strange - because ALL the tickets I looked for on that Thursday were around £74. Right across the page. I was pleasantly surprised!! Maybe I did dream it. Having had the problem of reading on the BA website all about their regular flights to Genoa, then searching hopelessly for flights or even schedules. I now find via their "chat" that BA have flights, but only with Vueling and via Barcelona! Driving my own car down there is beginning to seem like a supremely restful alternative.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@pam w, the only way I can get anywhere near those fares is with a short stay saver. Anything over 7 days has been a single fare of £111 ish since the end of travel restrictions.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Hells Bells, yes, I'm beginning to realise there was something amiss - and it was 5 am!!
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Just paid £310 for refundable return for an e class with roof box 10pm 31/03/23 - 5 am 08/04/23. £110 more than last Easter with no refundable. I did notice slight fluctuations in price throughout the day I was considering it.
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You know it makes sense.
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We had a couple of trips via the tunnel last year and two booked for this year and each leg has been at least £100.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Just looked again - 30 March to 10 April. Lots of £90 fares. I wonder how much the ferry is. Though I do like the tunnel. So much less hassle.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The second time I looked, this morning, there were dire warnings that this was a very busy day (Thursday 30 March?) but those warnings disappeared now, and prices dropped. It's hard to take it seriously.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ferry for my dates was £160 return with Irish ferries, which was recommended as the better one to me by someone. I used dfds to Dunkirk at half term 2020. Never again.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Only warnings were Friday and Saturday when I booked, my crossings were about £15 cheaper than the others those days due to the time but they were the times I wanted anyway.
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I've done Newhaven - dieppe, which took ages, and wasn't great. The tunnel seems a comparative bargain at £180 return and 40 minutes.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| pam w wrote: |
| The second time I looked, this morning, there were dire warnings that this was a very busy day (Thursday 30 March?) but those warnings disappeared now, and prices dropped. It's hard to take it seriously. |
Thursday 30 March -- people getting off early for Easter holidays?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I don't think I'd want a long crossing so soon after setting off. Some people who have had a long drive beforehand might do but I can get to Folkestone/Dover in 3 hours from Gloucester in the evening. 30 min nap is all I need and then another half way. Helps that I worked 12hr nights in my 20's I think.
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@albob, I expect a certain amount of schools will have an inservice day on the Friday and some people will just take kids out. My Wife works at the same group of schools my daughters are at and sticks to the rules. So I have to put up with the crowds and expense unfortunately. 
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| Quote: |
Thursday 30 March -- people getting off early for Easter holidays?
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I doubt it. Good Friday is the next week. The road south over night on Maundy Thursday is often very busy as Belgium empties but the week before?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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29th is the start of Easter Hols for most UK schools (so Dr Google tells me... )
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31st unless inset days for state schools.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@pam w, I would look at DFDS ferries. Surely they are cheaper than £180 return and if you are driving on your own it will give you more of a rest than the tunnel.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Ive been looking at 16/12 out. return 23/12
Flexiplus was £300 plus EACH WAY!!
Insane.
Fortunately, Im a P&O unitholder, so will take the relaxed option - Circa £200 return!
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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DFDS Dover Dunkirk, save 40% or more and enjoy a free drink and hot meal for all onboard using your meal vouchers....
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Poster: A snowHead
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Had a look at Dover Dunkirk - but limited times available on those same days, and only saves a few quid. I don't find short car ferry trips remotely relaxing - and when I did Newhaven-Dieppe I just kept thinking I could have driven 200 miles in that time. And if it's rough I'll feel seasick unless I take Stugeron - which risks making me drowsy to drive. The tunnel, for me, is really relaxing - tip my seat back and doze for 30 minutes. No standing in queues to go down to the car deck. Nobody else's kids being irritating.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Priced ours up for the Christmas trip:
Eurotunnel £406 inc dog
Ferry to Calais £251 inc dog
Ferry to Dunkirk £283 inc dog.
Tempting to take the ferry to save the £150, but, as we'd be looking at c.7pm ferry/train, that extra hour on the boat is an hour further south we could get, and an hour closer to resort for the Saturday morning drive, and i'm not sure about leaving the dog down in the van for the 1.5 hours crossing vs just sitting in the van with him on the train.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@userscott, where do these "hot meal for all onboard using your meal vouchers..." come from? I did Dunkirk - Dover last month and didn't find any mention of them. We had booked Dover - Calais but were early for the boat so took the one to Dunkirk instead. OK it takes a couple hours longer than the tunnel, but others using the tunnel that evening were held up by over 4 hours anyway.
@pam w, Did I read this correct - you suffer from seasickness!
Over many many years crossing the channel, the north sea and the Irsih sea by ferry I have only ever encountered one rough crossing - Stavanger to Newcastle in late October. I thought modern ferries were so large and equiped with such good stabelisers that you couldn't feel any movement at all.
Having said that I will be usng the tunnel at Christmas - leave home 4:00 (it'll be 4:30 before we get moving), get to tunnel at 8:00 get out at calais at 11:00 get to Les Arcs about 20:30 to 21:00 in time for a pizza.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| johnE wrote: |
@userscott, where do these "hot meal for all onboard using your meal vouchers..." come from? I did Dunkirk - Dover last month and didn't find any mention of them. We had booked Dover - Calais but were early for the boat so took the one to Dunkirk instead. OK it takes a couple hours longer than the tunnel, but others using the tunnel that evening were held up by over 4 hours anyway.
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Ah actually, I've just had a look and the vouchers have stopped now. Shame as we had dozens of them!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I've just booked the tunnel for a long weekend in Jan. £238 for the times required (9.20pm out, 10.20pm back) on weekdays. Unfortunately for us, the weekend is just over the 5 days to get the saver offer!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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well I have just booked DFDS to Dunkirk..£85 the tunnel is £141 and as I am leaving london at 7am this means we can have a relaxed breakfast on the boat and get to Metz by evening .. I am not in a great rush ..I want to enjoy my holiday but then I am a pensionata and have the time 
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5 hour plus delays on the tunnel yesterday according to their Twitter feed - apparently a freight train stopped/broke down in the tunnel.
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@boredsurfin, these things happen, unfortunately they now are happening more frequently.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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We have also just booked DFDS Newhaven to Dieppe so I am told. We have plenty of time.
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We had a really horrid time with ET in July where we spent hours on the M20 trying to get into their terminal to then find they had 4 booths working for a friday night in the summer holiday period.
They showed no regard whatsoever for their customers and as the traffic was moving forward every 10 mins by half a car length, it made having a sleep impossible. we caught the train over 12 hours after our booked trip.
Since then we use the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen which is a better drive down to the ferry and back than the tunnel for us, as from home, we need to cross at Dartford which is always carnage coming north.
We have a meal in Portsmouth and board 9.30 ish to land in Caen around 6.30 am, having had a good sleep on the boat.
Its then only a bit longer in the car to get to Bourg St Maurice
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FAQ
