It depends whether your villa contract means that you HAVE to book ferry crossings with them. Most travellers would be happy to have this element included as it saves hassle of booking the ferries directly. It would be incredibly rare for a company to offer accommodation only unless specifically stated in the terms and conditions. Don't 'Just France' contain a shipping company? I don't think that they are an accommodation only provider, though I admit I might be wrong. You might need to look VERY carefully at the terms and conditions in the small print area of the brochure.

My son has just paid £160 Dover-Calais return to bring a Ford Transit Short Wheel Base over here to 'dump' his affairs after leaving Uni, and he left on Monday and returns today - Thursday.

In all ferry bookings, it is the car element that is the most expensive, rather than the number of passengers. If you are taking 2 cars next summer, I think that £283 for both cars and their passengers next July is not an unreasonable price. Just my opinion of course. You might like to cost it individually by making a dummy booking with the ferry company to see if there is any significant difference in the price you are being offered as this 'supplement' and an individual priced journey for the two cars and their passengers .............

Incidentally 25 July would certainly be considered as peak season, and if you are travelling at a weekend - sorry I haven't got my calendar handy, let alone 2009's one - that would also make the crossing more expensive ..............

That seems expensive to me. Shame you can't use a cheap deal that ferry operators sometimes offer? I also agree that it's always the car that costs the money as it takes up space on the car decks whereas foot passengers travel cheaply.

Perhaps the supplement is to cover the cost of the time travel?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

But early, on a Saturday (assuming you meant 25th July 2009) at the beginning of the school holidays (most of England will break up in the week before) will quite possibly be the most expensive fare of the year! When they quote the prices they include the minimum fare to make the holiday seem good value.

Have you tried booking the sailing yourself. Speedferries are just about the cheapest. Last year even their peak fares were well below £100 each way. You have to get in quick though as spaces are very limited.

I am sure that I read that SeaFrance sometimes do £59 crossings? but I could have misread? Nor do I remember what time of year it was. I have only being a footpassenger on P and O though.

Tarry, P&O and SeaFrance do offer some very good fares, but I think that you would be unlikely to find one that applies to a Saturday during Summer peak period! They are also likely to be for specific time period ie 72 hours or 120 hours (5 days) and not the full week that Ston will need for his/her holiday.

I have only being a footpassenger on P and O though

Foot passengers are the 'cheapest' fares across the channel! The companies usually make more of a profit margin on lorries and cars/

I would still like to hear from Ston which ferry company are being used for his crossings, and then a like for like booking could be tried as a dummy. Incidentally I should like to reiterate that when one books a villa, the lead in price is for the villa only unless VERY clearly stated and the cost of the ferry is often either in small print or at the back of the brochure!

So, Ston, it's over to you!

Ok I didn't really realise as per only trying to help

Alsacienne

We are doing P&O from Dover to Calais at 8am on a Saturday - pretty much peak time! Villa price includes ferry crossing but supplements were added, which I knew would be but wasn't expecting them to be so high!

Ston

Ah. OK!! Yes, if these are supplements, I am 100% in agreement that you should find out what they are covering ..... perhaps the second car? (Sometimes only one car is included with a villa booking, even though the occupancy of the villa is greater than one carload!)

Sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick.