How To Get The Cheapest Ferry Prices

How do I get the cheapest ferry prices? A question we get asked a lot here. Everyone wants a bargain and no one likes paying more than they have to. Just like planes and trains, ferry prices vary on when you are travelling and availability. The busier the route or the time of sailing the less likely you are going to be getting the “from” price.

So how do you get that cheapest ferry prices? Here is our top tips.

• Book as far as in advance as possible. The earlier you book the better the deal you are likely to get. Last minute deals are rare on ferries, so don’t be hoping prices will fall, they are more likely to rise.
  • This is really important on overnight sailings that require a cabin – The cheapest cabins tend to sell out the quickest.
  • Some operators offer a 10% reduction on sailings book 60 day in advance.
• Choose your route wisely. The most direct route may offer the quickest travel time, but by choosing a ferry port slightly further away from your destination, then driving to it, may save you more money. Plus you will get to explore a little more of the country at the same time!
• Sail during the week. Generally a Tuesday is the cheapest day to sail, closely followed by Wednesday and then Thursday. Some routes will throw a curve ball and the weekend may be cheaper, so always check other days.
• Sail in the afternoon. Most people tend to book ferry crossings either first thing in the morning, or last thing at night. On the busier routes, these are the ferry times which will fill up the faster and often sell out the quickest. So book a crossing in the afternoon when its less busy, and you are more likely to bag yourself a bargain.
• Avoid peak times. Sailing between October to March is usually the cheapest, excluding Christmas and New Year.  Avoiding the peak summer season is the easiest way to get the best rate. April, May and September will again likely be cheaper than the main summer season June through August. As a general rule of thumb, avoid school holidays if possible.
• Travel in packs!
  • The more you fit in your car, the cheaper the price per head.
  • Overnight sailings work out cheapest when four are travelling and you all share a cabin, the difference between a two berth cabin and four berth cabin is usually only a few pound.
• Don’t book a cabin. Most overnight sailings require you to have a cabin, some though allow you to just book a seat, which is usually cheaper.
• Look out for Special Offers. Most companies run their best offers in January, so is often the best time to book, especially for getting a good deal on a summer sailing.

Why not check out our Special Offers page to see what special offers are running. We are sure you will find an offer that will help you get the cheapest ferry prices.