Dover to Dieppe feries: do they still exist?

[Chris71]

Hi,

Does anyone know if you can still get a ferry crossing from Dover (or anywhere in that area) to Dieppe?

The only ferry to Dieppe I can find leaves Newhaven and that's a bit further round (adding time to the UK leg of the journey) and only sails once a day.

ETA Does anyone have any general advice on finding cheap channel crossing (ferry or tunnel)? Ideally don't want to set off any further west than Newhaven (preferably Dover) and don't want to land any further north than Calais.

Cheers,

Chris

Edited by Chris71 on Tuesday 4th May 14:52

[ewenm]

www.ferrysavers.com

[Chris71]

Thanks Ewen, will take a look.

[Bluebarge]

The A16 autoroute makes the Dieppe crossing a lttle pointless, IMO, although I'm not sure that there ever was a Dover-Dieppe crossing. There is a Dover-Boulogne crossing with LD Lines, but that only saves you 20 minutes on the autoroute, and I'm pretty sure you'll spend longer than that at sea. Calais - Dieppe takes 2 hours on the autoroute. If you want to break that journey up, there is a rather good service station called La Baie de Somme just outside Abbeville (just over an hour south of Calais) which has its own nature reserve and observation tower.

[Chris71]

Yep, best option balancing price and journey times seems to be Dover-Calais with Sea France. £60 return at more or less peak times.

[Puggit]

As per Bluebarge, Dover-Dieppe has never existed.

[Chris71]

Puggit said:

As per Bluebarge, Dover-Dieppe has never existed.

[pedant]
It's shown on Google Maps, and more compellingly one of the ferry firm's websites stated it'd discontinued its service on that route. So I think it used to at some stage, but it doesn't appear to any more...
[/pedant]

Seafrance Dover - Calais looks like the way forward.

Le Mans here I come!

[rlw]

Dieppe - Newhaven was the only route with Dieppe on it in 1981 and ever since.

[F i F]

Bluebarge said:

There is a Dover-Boulogne crossing with LD Lines, but that only saves you 20 minutes on the autoroute, and I'm pretty sure you'll spend longer than that at sea.

Plus you will waste a wedge of time in fighting your way through Boulogne if it's anywhere near school kicking out time as I discovered on Friday afternoon.

SeaFrance? :shudder: I refuse to travel with the communists in case they go on strike at the drop of a croissant, or set fire to some fluffy lambs or such like.

[Bluebarge]

If you're only going as far as Le Mans, you could look at the Dover-Dunkerque ferry with Norfolkline. It will add 20 mins to your journey on the A16, but is an infinitely nicer ferry than SeaFrance, and without their bolshie union/financial problems.

[F i F]

Bluebarge said:

If you're only going as far as Le Mans, you could look at the Dover-Dunkerque ferry with Norfolkline. It will add 20 mins to your journey on the A16, but is an infinitely nicer ferry than SeaFrance, and without their bolshie union/financial problems.

Yes agreed, that is the route/operator I would and now do use after a flirtation with Speedferries as was. Very reasonable prices too. See below*

Didn't mention it as OP said no further than Calais but it really is only a few minutes up the autoroute.

• The one complaint I have about Norfolkline is the extortionate cost for adding on the First Class Lounge, £12 (£9.60 online) per person each way. Makes a £27 return ferry crossing into thick end of a hundred notes for three of you. Does anybody here book this? Is it really worth it?

[Tom_C76]

F i F said:

Bluebarge said:

If you're only going as far as Le Mans, you could look at the Dover-Dunkerque ferry with Norfolkline. It will add 20 mins to your journey on the A16, but is an infinitely nicer ferry than SeaFrance, and without their bolshie union/financial problems.

Yes agreed, that is the route/operator I would and now do use after a flirtation with Speedferries as was. Very reasonable prices too. See below*

Didn't mention it as OP said no further than Calais but it really is only a few minutes up the autoroute.

• The one complaint I have about Norfolkline is the extortionate cost for adding on the First Class Lounge, £12 (£9.60 online) per person each way. Makes a £27 return ferry crossing into thick end of a hundred notes for three of you. Does anybody here book this? Is it really worth it?

I did the first class lounge on Stena to Belfast last year, and will be on P&O to Calais in a couple of weeks. For me it's worth it as I suffer from an allergy to coach parties, particularly schoolkids. Plus I think last year we easily got our money back in the free snacks and drinks compared to onboard prices. Stena include free wine and beer, P&O only soft drinks plus a free glass of champagne each.

TC

[4F6]

Puggit said:

As per Bluebarge, Dover-Dieppe has never existed.

Actually it did. Albeit rather briefly. LD Lines subsiduary Transmanche Ferries operated a Dover - Dieppe service for about three months either last year or the year before but closed it pretty quickly and moved the ships employed to other routes.

For Dover - Calais I'd use P&O personally. SeaFrance are generally cheaper but I'd rather spend an extra £5 and know that they will actually be operating the service and not laid up in Calais arguing with the management. Norfolkline to Dunkerque are generally good but does mean you are a bit further north if that bothers you.