Cheapest ferry/eurostar route from UK

Cheap ferries generaly are only on the Dover - Calias route others routes often tie into length of stay tom be cheap. The Chunnel is my prefered option as it is quick and only a few quid dearer. But why are you worrying over a few quid when that sort of distance is involved, surely ease of access, and time are more important factors.

We travel to Alviano in Umbria every year and use theHull/Zeebrugge route with P&O Ferries. The price this year worked out at £268 return, going out May returning October. From Zeebrugge we normally travel through Belgium and Switzerland to Italy, but this year we are going Belgium and Germany. Hope this helps. Regards Roddy Buchan

Rachel, if I were you I'd go Chunnel to France then A1 Reims/Nancy/Basel through Switzerland to Milan then Bologna, Firenze and depending on where you want either via Sienna and Grosseto or Arrezo Orvieto on the A1. All in about 16-18 hours driving time from Calais.....Good luck!!

Dover Dunkirk by DFDS seaways - the cheapest - as low as around £60 return Dunkirk - lille - Belguim [Charleroi, Namur] - Luxemburg - Metz - Nancy [All free motorways, and cheap petrol in Lux.]     Only about 15 miles longer than the 'pay as you go' french motorway Normal road to Mulhouse [great scenery]  On to German autobahn and turn left before Basel to avoid jams [search 'Basle Bypass on this site] Lucerne, Gotthard Tunnel [or pass]  Only cost swiss carnet for all of Swiss motorways - then on into italy

My partner and I have driven from Newcastle to the Venice region many times. The Dover-Dunkirk ferry is the cheapest (DFDS - used to be Norfolkline). We have followed the route through Basle, but found this took longer than our preferred route from Dunkirk to Dijon for an overnight stop. After driving from Newcastle to Dover before the ferry crossing, a rest is essential. After a good breakfast you can then drive through Lyon to the Tunnel Frejus and straight onto the A4 in Italy, through Turin, Milan, Verona and on to Venice. You have to pay French and Italian tolls on the motorways and the Tunnel isn't cheap, but this is the quickest route. I don't know which part of Italy you're going to, but the A4 is good for the northern cities.  This year we're trying something different. We're getting the Newcastle-Amsterdam overnight ferry (not cheap, but it saves the overnight hotel cost and the petrol from Newcastle to Dover), then will have only one day's driving through Germany and Austria. I'll report back after we've been!