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I am hoping to take all the camping gear to France in a trailer next year (two young children have arrived since our last French camping trip!) and have been investigating ferry prices.

P&O Dover to Calais in July is currently quoted at £163 return for car only, but £475 for car and a small trailer.   How on earth can they justify charging three times the fare for taking a trailer?   It doesn't take up the space of three cars!

Does anyone have any recommendations for the most trailer friendly ferry operator, regarding price?    I need to leave Dover around 8am and return from France about lunchtime so can't take advantage of the middle of the night offers.

Just think if you take a 15 foot caravan you might get it on free.

BUT NOT A TRAILER LOL.

you can get trailer free if you go in the early hours of the morning , otherwise at the times you are wanting to go you will get mullered on the price im afraid.

try speedferries.com , believe they will take trailers next year..

Hi

In may we went with p&o dover to calais, car&trailer 5am sail  we booked it at christmas and paid £164 got the free trailer offer cause of the early morning sail . the advantage of the early sail is when traveling down to dover the kids sleep and you have not got that constant question  ARE WE THERE YET? our sail home was 12.30pm

wardy

Hi just got back from France they charged me an extra 36 pounds sterling for the trailer and specified that it must be three metres or under including the tpw bar. I decided to risk mine at 3.4 metres and play igmorent if stopped but no probs. at no time did anyone ask about the trailer, They were so busy getting us all loaded in the short turn round time. (we went sea cat). We booked on line. I think you shouls shop around. It also made a big difference 'cause we were willing to travel at aukward times IE 7.30 out and16.30 home. but coming home we arived early and they shoved us straight on an earlier one. Great service too. they asked if we needed help with the wheelchairs and put us on first so that we could get off first, even fetched our drinks etc for us on board.

bruce 

Hi Bruce, where did you sail from/to?

Chris

Hi Chris

We sailed from Dover to Cal by sea cat

bruce

hi again

we also told them that two of the party were disabled (the reason for the trailer with two electric wheelcjhairs on) and they put us on priority in front of the first class passengers so that we were near to the stairs and first off at the other end.The even offered to supply wheelchairs and push us on and they would load our vehiucle if necessary. couldn't fault them or the loaDERS FOR THEIR SERVICE AND HELP

brucie baby

Just got a quote for my dates in July 2005 with Speedferries.   £88 return!   That beats P&O's £450 and it's an outward crossing at 0745 and return 1400.    Speedferries told me that as long as the combined length is less than 7m, total height less than 2.9m and width less than 2m, then any car + trailer is OK.   This would even include a roofbox or bikes on the roof.     

I travelled Dover Calais in the peak time of July August this year. left Dover at 7.45am on 22nd July and returned 13th August on the 12.30pm from calais

Cost was so reasonable for a car and 6 metre caravan that I can't recall exactly what I paid. but it was about £135 on P&O.

The price you are quoting AndyR is the regular return fare. As others have suggested shop around on the internet and look out for cheap offers in the press. I checked the Internet and initially only got offered very early morning (a No! No! with v. young children) but then went via the caravan club who were able to offer me the cheap rate but at more reasonable times.

Hope this helps

john Henry