Terms and Conditions

Vehicle length, height limits and weight limits

Vehicle lengths, for calculating fares, are taken as in the manufacturer's specifications. Modifications or attachments may be subject to a surcharge.

Maximum overall limits per vehicles are:

Please note that all scheduled departure times are local.

Generally, the time on the continent is one hour ahead of that in the UK.

We regret that we are unable to carry children under the age of 16 unless an adult, parent or guardian accompanies them.

The Company is participating in the current PETS passport scheme. Separate terms and conditions apply to all bookings involving pets. Please contact the Company for further information.

All passengers and their vehicles must check-in not less than 30 minutes before departure time specified on the Dover-Calais route and 60 minutes before departure time specified on the Newhaven - Dieppe route. Arriving later than this may result in you being unable to board. In the event of this occurring, whilst we can not guarantee being able to offer an alternative crossing, we will endeavour to change your booking to an alternative departure; we reserve the right to make a surcharge in these circumstances.

We are pleased to make arrangements for anyone who requires assistance at Ports or on board our vessels. Please let us know 24 hours in advance by contacting the Port of departure.

You are strongly advised to take out adequate travel insurance, including protection against loss of or damage to baggage, personal effects, travel disruption, and lost or stolen booking confirmations as well as medical and vehicle cover.

i) Passengers, their luggage, and vehicles and goods are carried on services subject to the Company's current Conditions of Carriage of passengers, luggage, vehicles and goods by ship.

These conditions are available on request or may be inspected at Hoverspeed offices and check-in desks.

All contracts for the carriage of passengers, luggage, vehicles and/or goods on SeaCat and SuperSeaCat services are subject to the Athens Convention of 1974.

Further details of the protection and exclusions applicable due to these Orders are contained in the full terms and conditions of carriage, which are freely available upon request.

ii) On services operated by other carriers: passengers, their luggage, effects and vehicles and goods are carried on other transport subject to the regulations and conditions of carriage of the carrier or carriers involved. Any ticket issued for or used on such other transport shall be issued by the Company as agents only for the carrier or carriers concerned.

Confirmation of booking can only be issued against payment in full. Telephone bookings can be held on request for up to seven days on option and all bookings can only be confirmed by remittance of full fare. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more passengers. For group bookings, a 10% deposit of the full fare can be held against that booking with the balance payable at least 6 weeks before departure. Deposits are non-refundable. Balance of fare is payable at least 6 weeks before departure. Where the total value of a group booking is less than £25.00 the full fare is payable immediately and deposits cannot be accepted. Special terms and conditions apply to all group bookings. Please contact the Company for further information. Bookings include all port charges.

Whilst reservations may be made for specific crossings, under exceptional circumstances the Company may have to alter travel arrangements.

When reservations are issued on an 'open' basis, travel arrangements will be confirmed subject to availability of space. The return price quoted on an 'open' booking is based on the return crossing being the same pricing/tariff banding as the outward journey.

Incorrect information submitted to the Company at the time of booking may result in fares being amended at time of check-in.

We would remind you that confirmed bookings can be amended but will be subject to space availability and may incur additional costs.

A record of passenger names, ages and gender are required by law, together with information of any special care or assistance needs. Incorrect details or failure to provide such information will result in boarding being refused.

Specific terms and conditions may apply to advertised special offers or promotions at any time, and will prevail if they conflict with these general conditions.

It is often a condition of a promotional fare that the travel must be on particular services, days of the week and between specific travel dates. A request to amend a booking outside of the promotional conditions will result in a standard fare amount being charged. (i.e. full standard fare will be charged less the cost of the promotional value).

A promotional fare in pounds sterling is only valid for departures commencing from the UK, similarly a promotional fare advertised in a Continental currency is only valid for departures starting from the Continent.

UK residents only, are permitted to purchase promotional fares starting from a UK port. Continental residents (i.e. residents of the continent of Europe excluding the UK) only, are permitted to purchase promotional fares starting from the continent. Persons with dual residency can purchase promotional fares travelling in either direction, but must be able to prove their dual residency at the port, and, if and as required by Hoverspeed, that they don't intend to use the travel document for a single journey.

If there are a different number of passengers travelling in each direction, then those not travelling both ways are to be charged the standard single additional car / foot passenger fare.

No refunds will be made on unused portions of promotional offers unless there are circumstances outside the passengers' control, and then, refunds will be entirely at Hoverspeeds' discretion.

Standard return bookings, unless specified, are valid for 12 months from date of commencement of travel. Open dated bookings are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Customers using 5-day special fares must return on or before the first crossing, 120 hours after arrival on the Continent.

• Day Trips: Defined as: Outward and return travel taking place on the same calendar day. Travel documentation will only be valid if both inward and outward travel is completed as specified. Vehicles will not be permitted to contain amounts of luggage inconsistent with being abroad for one-day i.e. loaded roof racks or trailers.
  
  
• Only hand baggage (i.e. shopping bag / trolley, small rucksack or holdall) will be permitted for Day Trip foot passengers. Bags containing amounts of luggage inconsistent with being abroad for a day-trip, i.e. suitcase/holdall containing items of clothing indicating overnight stays are not permitted. Hoverspeed reserves the right to charge a supplement equivalent to a standard single fare where these conditions are not adhered to, or if there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that these conditions are not being respected. If the customer can provide evidence that the day trip conditions were complied with, then a refund may be granted.

Unused standard fare bookings are refundable, subject to the following cancellation fees only:

Apex (Advance Purchase) Fares: Separate conditions apply. Please contact the Company for further information.

All refunds must be applied for in writing (containing all booking details) to the refunds department at the registered company address.

• Standard Fares: At the Company's sole discretion unused bookings are refundable upon application in writing to the Company. A cancellation / 'no-show' fee will be calculated as above. Refunds made on partially used bookings are calculated by deducting the appropriate single journey tariff from the total booking price before applying cancellation/'no-show' charges.
  
  
• Special Return Fares: Fares are conditional on both outward and return journeys being made within the specified time. Passengers who fail to return by the time specified will be liable for the full standard fare applicable to the return crossing. No refunds will be made on unused portions.
  
  
• Inclusive Tours (MITX/ITX) bookings: No refunds will be made on unused portions of these bookings when issued by the tour operator as part of an inclusive package holiday.
  
  
• Apex (Advance Purchase) Fares: No refunds will be made on unused portions of these bookings when the standard return fare exceeds the special offer fare.
  
  
• Certain promotional fares and offers will be non-refundable and individual terms and conditions to these bookings should be noted.
  

Any increases in fuel costs to the Company occurring after acceptance of booking and before the date of travel may be passed on to the booking holder in the form of a fuel surcharge payable to the Company before commencement of journey. All bookings are accepted on this basis and any fuel increases over and above 10% may be levied on passenger and/or vehicle bookings by the Company.

It is the responsibility of the passenger to make sure that they have all the necessary documents for admission, and subsequent re-entry where applicable, to all countries to be visited or passing through that comply with the requirements of immigration, customs, health and other relevant regulations of the countries concerned. Hoverspeed reserve the right to check and record details of such documentation and to refuse you permission to board if such documentation is not produced to our satisfaction. Any compensation payable in such circumstances shall be limited to a refund of the fare paid to the Company.

Certain countries including the UK and France impose penalties if a passenger does not have the correct documents to be granted entry/re-entry into the country. Where such penalty is imposed on either the passenger or the Company, the passenger may be liable to reimburse the Company for any such penalties and ancillary associated costs.

Passengers are strongly advised that to avoid spillage, vehicle fuel tanks should only be filled to within one gallon of maximum capacity.

Foot passengers are restricted to two pieces of luggage. The Company reserves the right to make excess baggage charges for excessive, bulky or very heavy baggage.

Only hand baggage (i.e. shopping bag / trolley, small rucksack or holdall) will be permitted for Day Trip passengers. Bags containing luggage inconsistent with being abroad for a day-trip, i.e. suitcase/holdall containing items of clothing indicating overnight stays, will render the passenger liable to a supplement equivalent to a standard single fare. If the customer can provide satisfactory evidence that the day trip conditions were complied with, then a refund may be granted.

No claims for lost or damaged baggage will be considered unless reported a Company Representative at the time of baggage reclaim at your arrival port. A company claim form should be completed, with the full details of the losses incurred. This form should be submitted to Company for consideration.

Dangerous goods are not accepted for carriage.

Passengers, their luggage, effects and vehicles may be subject to search for prohibited materials or substances. Any such materials or substances may be seized. Passengers refusing to be searched will not be permitted to travel.

In the event of passengers and/or vehicles being transferred to another operator, passengers are not liable for any fare cost from the other operator - provided they present themselves for check-in and that their ticket/travel documentation has been validated by the Company for such transfer. The Company accepts no responsibility for any other costs incurred as a result of such re-routing and no refund will be due for passengers and/or vehicles conveyed by another operator.

Schedules are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice.

The Company does not undertake that services will depart or arrive at the scheduled times or be operated by the scheduled vessels. Services may be suspended or discontinued at the discretion of the Company. The Company shall not be liable for damages suffered as a result of cancellation, diversion to another route or service, or delay in departure or arrival of the vessel.

Complaints are to be put in writing giving full details within 28 days of the return date of travel. Correspondence should be forwarded to the Customer Relations Department, Hoverspeed, International Hoverport, Marine Parade, Dover, Kent CT17 9TG. Alternatively, send an email to: [email protected]

The Company and its selected partners may wish to contact you from time to time with offers or information which we believe may be of interest to you. If you do not want to receive this or similar information then it is easy to opt out. Please send your full name and address details, including postcode, to: Marketing Department, Hoverspeed, International Hoverport, Marine Parade, Dover, Kent CT17 9TG.

If you receive marketing communications from the company or its selected partners by e-mail, every correspondence will feature instructions on how you can unsubscribe from receiving future e-mails.

The company's web site contains links to other external web sites which we feel may be of use or interest to our visitors. The company is unable to accept responsibility for the update and accuracy of any content within these sites or the security of any information that you may divulge to these sites.

Content of this website may not be modified, copied, distributed, transmitted, displayed, reproduced, or published. You cannot transfer or sell any information, or publish the services obtained from this website without our written permission. This website is for your personal and non-commercial use only.

Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.

The information that you submit to us, including your personal and financial information, is transmitted in encrypted form. This ensures that all information is coded to securely transfer it across the Internet.

The fares contained on this website are applicable to bookings paid for in the UK. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that information is correct and current, all information (including fares and schedules) is subject to alteration (in whole or part) without notice.