What do I need to know before booking a ferry ticket?

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Buying a ferry ticket may seem like the simplest procedure that does not require preparation. Practice often shows the opposite: travelers cannot get on board for reasons they didn't even know about. 

In this article we will answer the most popular questions about how to buy a ferry ticket correctly, not to stay overboard and at the same time save money. 

Questions and answers 

How not to overpay for a ferry ticket and when is it better to book it?

According to current statistics, the cost of ferry tickets is rapidly increasing on the eve of the holiday season, as well as during the Christmas and New Year periods. In order not to overpay for a ticket, try to choose day tickets for a long ferry and do not book a ferry on the weekend. It is also worth avoiding the school holidays period. By the way, some ferry operators can offer a discount on a ticket at the most unexpected moment - for example, in the midst of holidays. In order not to miss the information, subscribe to the carriers' newsletters.

How to book seats for a different number of passengers in each direction? 

Not every carrier provides such an opportunity. Theoretically, you can specify the data of another person when booking a ticket. And yet, in most cases, you will have to book a one-way ticket for each direction.

Is it possible to book a ferry ticket with an open date? 

Ferry carriers offer to book return tickets with an open date for certain destinations. In the process of booking a flight, you will be offered the option of booking for an open date, which will include your travel dates. 

Is it possible to return a ticket booked on an open date? 

It all depends on the rules of the ferry carrier. If you can't select the option to return with an open date on the website, most likely it's not possible on your route. We recommend that you clarify this information by calling the hotline.

Why are there no flights on the carrier's website for dates that suit me? 

There are several possible reasons why ferries are not available in the direction you need. Most likely, this is due to the lack of free tickets. It is possible that there is no timetable for the route you need, or the ships, in principle, do not go on the days you specified. Often the absence of flights on certain dates is caused by the fact that there are not enough places for ferries in the port. For reliability, we recommend checking the information on the route you need on the websites of different carriers, as well as on aggregator services.

How do I pay for booked tickets? 

Most companies accept payments by debit and credit bank cards, via PayPal, as well as contactless payments by Apple Pay / Google Pay. In order for the payment to pass, the payment data must be specified during the booking process. As a general rule, the cancellation of the ticket price is made only after confirmation of the reservation.

What should I do if I have not received a booking confirmation? 

This problem occurs quite often. Usually confirmation emails do not reach the recipient for an obvious reason: an incorrectly entered postal address. You can check the information on the website where you booked your ticket. In your personal account, you need to check the order data and, if possible, send confirmation letters again. If the listed actions did not help, it is worth contacting the operator's technical support without delay.

Where is the information about available tickets? 

The relevance of information about free ferry tickets directly depends on how quickly it is updated by the carrier company. Unfortunately, most carriers are in no hurry to update the data on free tickets. The best solution is to clarify the issue by calling the hotline. Most often, operators refuse to be responsible for publishing inaccurate ticket data.

How long do I have to wait for booking confirmation? 

Most operators confirm the booking of a ticket within a few hours, but in some cases the confirmation procedure may take up to 2 days. 

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