France Ferry & Campsite info (use Search function) mod warning post 1

Micky 32

Going by how things are going ( and of course if they continue this way) I’m thinking of booking the ferry to France for September. What are peoples opinions here , am i mad? Or worth the risk to book it?

Ladylouth

France supposed to be opening borders to other European countries next Monday, 15th. Wait and see what happens then - we are still hoping to book the ferry for late July. We cancelled our holiday for late June and hope we can rearrange a different holiday. I reckon by September, things should be well stabilized. I'd still prefer to be able to book a holiday with travel insurance, so we are waiting and watching what happens in Europe next week.

Pretzill

Micky 32 wrote: »

Going by how things are going ( and of course if they continue this way) I’m thinking of booking the ferry to France for September. What are peoples opinions here , am i mad? Or worth the risk to book it?

I'm booked for September after postponing early April and as much as I hope all will be ready and normal (new or otherwise) I think I'll be deferring until next year - I may be the first here who could be trying to do that - and I wonder will IF transfer my booking (paid in full) a second time.

Micky 32

Pretzill wrote: »

I'm booked for September after postponing early April and as much as I hope all will be ready and normal (new or otherwise) I think I'll be referring until next year - I may be the first here who could be trying to do that - and I wonder will IF transfer my booking (paid in full) a second time.

Is the irish ferries website buggy? Can’t seem to finish a booking.

Pretzill

Micky 32 wrote: »

Is the irish ferries website buggy? Can’t seem to finish a booking.

I have no idea. I booked in January pre covid

spockety

For anyone still going this Summer and wondering about social distancing on board and how they're going to manage it.. Irish Ferries have said they're going to colour code everyone's boarding card, and the boat will be boarded slowly colour by colour. Similarly when disembarking at the other end they are going to call colour by colour so everyone isn't ramming in the hallways and stair wells waiting to get down to the cars.

josip

spockety wrote: »

For anyone still going this Summer and wondering about social distancing on board and how they're going to manage it.. Irish Ferries have said they're going to colour code everyone's boarding card, and the boat will be boarded slowly colour by colour. Similarly when disembarking at the other end they are going to call colour by colour so everyone isn't ramming in the hallways and stair wells waiting to get down to the cars.

They'll have to consider the Dwaynes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcLlq4Lml7A&t=15s

54and56

spockety wrote: »

For anyone still going this Summer and wondering about social distancing on board and how they're going to manage it.. Irish Ferries have said they're going to colour code everyone's boarding card, and the boat will be boarded slowly colour by colour. Similarly when disembarking at the other end they are going to call colour by colour so everyone isn't ramming in the hallways and stair wells waiting to get down to the cars.

I know this will likely delay things but IMHO this is way overdue. The crowding to get off is always insane.

Beanybabog

spockety wrote: »

For anyone still going this Summer and wondering about social distancing on board and how they're going to manage it.. Irish Ferries have said they're going to colour code everyone's boarding card, and the boat will be boarded slowly colour by colour. Similarly when disembarking at the other end they are going to call colour by colour so everyone isn't ramming in the hallways and stair wells waiting to get down to the cars.

Oh that’s great! Never mind the coronavirus, I HATE that bit of the ferries, I get anxious going down and wondering will be in the car deck for an hour

Peckham

All the more reason to pay for speedy exit!

Heroditas

I'm considering just doing a booze cruise to France in September with a mate to stock up on the stuff we would have bought anyway if we'd headed over on holidays.

First Up

Heroditas wrote:

I'm considering just doing a booze cruise to France in September with a mate to stock up on the stuff we would have bought anyway if we'd headed over on holidays.

You will fit even more if the family and luggage aren't taking up valuable space!

IF and Stena used to sail to Cherbourg on alternate days, which made it easy to have a nice night ashore and a leisurly shop. I don't know if that will be the schedule in September; if they sail the same days, it can be a tight turnaround.

My preferred wine shop in Cherbourg is Auchan, who take orders in advance and have them ready for payment and collection. Worth checking out. They have a Wine Fair in September.

Jeffm587

54and56 wrote: »

I know this will likely delay things but IMHO this is way overdue. The crowding to get off is always insane.

[ree

100% agree never understand the point of crowded stairwells

Micky 32

Has anyone tried booking a sailing on irish ferries site/app? Doesn’t seem to be working properly.

Heroditas

First Up wrote: »

You will fit even more if the family and luggage aren't taking up valuable space!

IF and Stena used to sail to Cherbourg on alternate days, which made it easy to have a nice night ashore and a leisurly shop. I don't know if that will be the schedule in September; if they sail the same days, it can be a tight turnaround.

My preferred wine shop in Cherbourg is Auchan, who take orders in advance and have them ready for payment and collection. Worth checking out. They have a Wine Fair in September.

That's the plan anyway. Two lads in a people carrier.
It's a tough job but someone has to do it

beggars_bush

Looked up the weather where we were meant to be going in France next week.
It hasn't been good and forecast to continue that way!

Schrodingercat

Hi

I couldn't see this anywhere on the thread but apologies if its in here somewhere. Do Irish ferries take the balance from credit credit cards automatically?

My balance is due tomorrow for a sailing at the end of July, and I can't see a way to cancel on irishferries.com. I'm having difficulties getting through to them to cancel. If I do nothing will the booking automatically cancel?
Thanks

edit - Have just checked my confirmation emails and it states

"Where you have booked online and this reservation has not been paid in full by the balance due date, we will collect the balance using the details secured by our bank for the card used to pay your deposit. "

Stone Deaf 4evr

Schrodingercat wrote: »

Hi

I couldn't see this anywhere on the thread but apologies if its in here somewhere. Do Irish ferries take the balance from credit credit cards automatically?

My balance is due tomorrow for a sailing at the end of July, and I can't see a way to cancel on irishferries.com. I'm having difficulties getting through to them to cancel. If I do nothing will the booking automatically cancel?
Thanks

try contacting them via twitter or facebook, others on here seem to have had success via that route.

Ladylouth

Schrodingercat wrote: »

Hi

I couldn't see this anywhere on the thread but apologies if its in here somewhere. Do Irish ferries take the balance from credit credit cards automatically?

My balance is due tomorrow for a sailing at the end of July, and I can't see a way to cancel on irishferries.com. I'm having difficulties getting through to them to cancel. If I do nothing will the booking automatically cancel?
Thanks

edit - Have just checked my confirmation emails and it states

"Where you have booked online and this reservation has not been paid in full by the balance due date, we will collect the balance using the details secured by our bank for the card used to pay your deposit. "

Had the same issue. Contacted via FB Messenger and got a speedy response.

PCX

Schrodingercat wrote: »

Hi

I couldn't see this anywhere on the thread but apologies if its in here somewhere. Do Irish ferries take the balance from credit credit cards automatically?

My balance is due tomorrow for a sailing at the end of July, and I can't see a way to cancel on irishferries.com. I'm having difficulties getting through to them to cancel. If I do nothing will the booking automatically cancel?
Thanks

edit - Have just checked my confirmation emails and it states

"Where you have booked online and this reservation has not been paid in full by the balance due date, we will collect the balance using the details secured by our bank for the card used to pay your deposit. "

I was in the same position myself as we had booked for 12th July and the balance was due to be taken at the end of May.

I called them a couple of days before the balance was due to be taken and they extended the date that the payment would be taken on by a week. During that week they extended the enhanced flexibility for bookings so I was able to call back and cancel the sailing and take my €100 as a credit note against travel before the end of 2021.

I recommend you call them today and ask them is it likely they will extend the enhanced flexibility to your sailing date. Ask for an extension on the date the balance of payment will be taken on.

If they won't give you an extension then cancel today.

Both times I called I had to wait on hold for approx 15 mins before I got to speak to a human.

Schrodingercat

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

try contacting them via twitter or facebook, others on here seem to have had success via that route.

Thanks. Got it sorted in a couple of minutes via a twitter DM. Loss of 100 deposit. They said once I was traveling after 12 July normal rules applied.



I had Spent 50 minutes on hold on the phone before being transferred to a voicemail which was full.

I transferred my eurocamp booking to next year.

Ladylouth

Interesting update - IF seem to be preparing for normal travel to resume from 12 July. Sounds good for us, still thinking of heading off around the 16th. At this stage, I am considering travelling even if Travel Insurance isn't possible. It would be the first time I ever did that.

54and56

Ladylouth wrote: »

Interesting update - IF seem to be preparing for normal travel to resume from 12 July. Sounds good for us, still thinking of heading off around the 16th. At this stage, I am considering travelling even if Travel Insurance isn't possible. It would be the first time I ever did that.

What are they doing / planning from July 12th that's different pre July 12th?

Schrodingercat

54and56 wrote: »

What are they doing / planning from July 12th that's different pre July 12th?

Lockdown in France is lifted a bit I think. Campsites are opening. If you were traveling before July 12 they were allowing you take your deposit as credit to use up to December 2021, which was pretty fair.



They are sailing and I suppose the point of a deposit is you lose it if you choose not to travel. I'm glad I was with Irish Ferries rather than an airline, so only had to lose a deposit. Our circumstances changed this year so it suited us to postpone for a year, but otherwise I would have considered traveling.



The site we had booked in Vendee is opening on June 27th, and the pools are going to be open.

54and56

Schrodingercat wrote: »

Lockdown in France is lifted a bit I think. Campsites are opening. If you were traveling before July 12 they were allowing you take your deposit as credit to use up to December 2021, which was pretty fair.



They are sailing and I suppose the point of a deposit is you lose it if you choose not to travel. I'm glad I was with Irish Ferries rather than an airline, so only had to lose a deposit. Our circumstances changed this year so it suited us to postpone for a year, but otherwise I would have considered traveling.



The site we had booked in Vendee is opening on June 27th, and the pools are going to be open.

Thanks, we're due to sail with IF from Dublin before July 12th. Still unclear whether it'll be possible and even if it is whether we'd travel.

Would like to but difficult to objectively weigh up the risk Vs reward.

kampik

Schrodingercat wrote: »

Lockdown in France is lifted a bit I think. Campsites are opening. If you were traveling before July 12 they were allowing you take your deposit as credit to use up to December 2021, which was pretty fair.

Lots(not all) of campsites should be opened since 2. June
Lockdown is lifted since 15. June with open borders to visitors apart of arivals from UK and Spain.

54and56

kampik wrote: »

Lots(not all) of campsites should be opened since 2. June
Lockdown is lifted since 15. June with open borders to visitors apart of arivals from UK and Spain.

Seems like the last official barriers to holiday travel to France are:-

1. The DFA advisory against all but essential travel to France.

2. The requirement to self isolate for 14 days on arrival back into Ireland from another country.

If they are removed before we are due to travel (July 4th) we'll have a decision to make.

kampik

Anybody with experience of availability of tent pitches only for bicycle touring around D-Day beaches?
Would most camp sites accept tents only without caravan?
Thanks.

Dublin Mum

kampik wrote: »

Anybody with experience of availability of tent pitches only for bicycle touring around D-Day beaches?
Would most camp sites accept tents only without caravan?
Thanks.

Did the D Day Landing beaches last year and there were plenty of tents in the campsites we stayed in. We’ve been travelling around France in our motorhome for 10 years and any campsites we’ve stayed in have always had tents there too. You’ll have no issue at all.

Boscoirl

BF have issued us RCNs for our planned trip at the end of this month, have been able rebook return trip for Sept using just the RCN for the cancelled out bound trip, so have another one to use.

Asked if a family member could use it, as the parents travel to france a few times a year, but they said no and we wouldnt be planning to go back for another few years.

does anyone know if it is possible to change the lead passenger after making a booking? even if there is an amendment fee? or what happens if the trip was booked for 3 and the lead passanger "couldnt make it" last minute? the voucher is for over €600.