January
Off-peak£59 to £119
Quietest month. Day Trip availability is excellent and Standard fares often dip below £100. Crossings rarely full.
Watch out for: New Year, post-Christmas lull
Jan
£59 to £119
Off-peak
Feb
£59 to £135
Off-peak
Mar
£75 to £165
Shoulder
Apr
£89 to £229
Shoulder
May
£89 to £199
Shoulder
Jun
£99 to £249
Peak
Jul
£135 to £299
Peak
Aug
£145 to £329
Peak
Sep
£89 to £179
Shoulder
Oct
£75 to £165
Shoulder
Nov
£59 to £119
Off-peak
Dec
£89 to £299
Peak
Off-peak: cheapestShoulder: moderatePeak: dearest
Month by month
The 2026 calendar in detail
February
Off-peak£59 to £135
Still cheap outside the half-term peak window. Half-term itself jumps 20–35%.
Watch out for: February half-term, mid-month
March
Shoulder£75 to £165
Prices climb as Easter approaches. Mid-week early March is excellent value.
Watch out for: Spring rugby internationals, late March Easter
April
Shoulder£89 to £229
Easter weekend is one of the most expensive periods of the year. Mid-month outside Easter is cheaper.
Watch out for: Easter, Paris Marathon weekend
May
Shoulder£89 to £199
Two bank holiday weekends drive price spikes. Mid-week mid-month is reasonable.
Watch out for: Early May bank holiday, Spring half-term
June
Peak£99 to £249
Summer season opens. School holidays in the last week push prices up sharply. Book six to eight weeks ahead.
Watch out for: Le Mans 24 Hours, end of school term
July
Peak£135 to £299
Peak summer. Friday departures are scarce and dear. Book eight-plus weeks ahead.
Watch out for: Tour de France, summer holidays start
August
Peak£145 to £329
Busiest month of the year. Last-minute Friday departures can hit FlexiPlus money even on Standard.
Watch out for: Peak summer holidays, August bank holiday
September
Shoulder£89 to £179
Sharp drop after the school term restarts. Mid-September onwards is excellent value for a quiet trip.
Watch out for: End of summer holidays, French wine harvest
October
Shoulder£75 to £165
Half-term spike, otherwise shoulder pricing with good Day Trip availability.
Watch out for: October half-term week
November
Off-peak£59 to £119
Cheapest month tied with January. Christmas market trips begin towards month end.
Watch out for: Christmas markets in Lille, Bruges, Strasbourg
December
Peak£89 to £299
Mid-December is moderate; 22–27 December is peak. Christmas market weekends to Lille and Bruges fill up.
Watch out for: Christmas, New Year, Christmas markets
School holidays 2026
English / Welsh school holiday calendar
Le Shuttle pricing tracks English term dates because they generate the dominant traffic spike. Scotland is one to two weeks earlier for summer holidays.
| Holiday | Dates 2026 | Typical price impact |
|---|---|---|
| February half-term | 16 to 20 February 2026 | +20–35% |
| Easter holiday | 3 to 17 April 2026 | +30–60% |
| May half-term | 25 to 29 May 2026 | +15–25% |
| Summer holiday | 22 July to 1 September 2026 | +40–80% |
| October half-term | 26 to 30 October 2026 | +15–25% |
| Christmas holiday | 21 December 2026 to 5 January 2027 | +20–50% |
Cheapest travel windows
Five cheap-to-cross windows to target
- 1. Mid-January (post-New Year): The cheapest window of the year. Fares from £59, terminals quiet.
- 2. Early February (avoiding half-term): Watch the half-term dates and book around them.
- 3. Mid-September (post-summer): Schools back, families gone, weather still warm. Wine harvest season in France.
- 4. November (pre-Christmas markets): Until late month, fares are at off-peak levels. Bonus: Christmas markets in Lille, Bruges and Strasbourg open mid-November.
- 5. Mid-week, any month: Tuesday to Thursday is consistently 30 to 50% cheaper than weekends, even in August.
Common questions
Seasonal pricing FAQ
January and November are tied as the cheapest months. Day Trip fares from £59 are widely available, and Standard tickets often sit below £120 each way. February is also cheap outside the half-term week (typically mid-month). The very cheapest individual crossings tend to be a Tuesday or Wednesday morning before 06:00 in January.
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