Port Tax Tickets

[d1672]

Hi,

Does anyone know if I can buy port tax tickets at the Birkenhead ferry terminal for Belfast. I'm travelling using my staff travel card.

Many thanks

Thomas

 

[Jonfun]

They say that you need to get them in advance - whether it's physically possible to do it on the day I'll be honest, I don't know. When I went across it was easy enough - just give them a quick ring (I rang them a couple of days before), they take payment over the phone, and give you a booking reference which gets emailed to you and you just turn up at the terminal and give them the number and your name. Apparently there is a set quota per sailing, so whether they only say book in advance so you're not left sitting outside the terminal for 12 hours until the next sailing in the unlikely event there isn't room, I'm not sure :P

 

[d1672]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply.

Thomas

 

[TUC]

Stupid question time. What is port tax?

 

[30907]

It's what you have to pay if you are using your rail staff travel facilit basically.

 

[reb0118]

Stupid question time. What is port tax?

No, not stupid at all.

There is a tax for the use of port facilities for every passenger carried. It is normally included in the fare charged for every ticket issued - as those of us lucky enough to get free travel on certain ferries don't pay a fare we have to pay the tax as a separate charge. It is normally £5 e/w per adult on Irish Sea routes.

I'm not sure if it goes to the port authority or the government though?

 

[30907]

It's not a govt tax like APD, more like one of the "fees charges and taxes" that show up as part of an airline fare.

Hadn't occurred to me that us "normal" pax pay it too, as ferry fares aren't itemised normally. Thanks @reb0118 for clarifying.