Here's a quandry.
I'm planning a trip to Czech sometime around Xmas, I've got a shedload of stuff I need to take with me, and I'm planning on bringing a load of stuff back with me so I'm thinking taking a vehicle is a good idea, and likely to be fun.
However, at this moment I only have a choice of two vehicles to take, the Scorpio or the Rangie (gearbox willing). The Rangie would be the better vehicle because it has a larger boot, 4wd, a towbar, a better stereo, and tyres more suitable to Czech winter conditions (-10 deg C)
So take the Rangie, I pretend to hear you saying (because that's what I'd really like to do...)
Unfortunately, it's likely to average around, um, 16 mpg and it's 970 milesish each way if I use the Eurotunnel. This means spending around £525 on fuel for the return trip - it's near as dammit 300 miles just to the bloody tunnel but the tunnel is £88 return, so say £615.
If I go by ferry from Hull to Rotterdam I can do the round trip in 1400 milesish (the ferry is 222 miles each way) so that's around £380 for fuel (fuel calculated at an average of 95p/litre). the ferry is £288 return. so £668.
According to the Routeplanner thing it'll take around 26 hours (one way) if I use the ferry, but there's 8 hours drinking and sleeping included in that (drinking not factored into costs yet), whereas it'll take 19 hours (no sleep or beer, one way) if I use the tunnel, these times don't include the Rangie breaking down or time taken stopping for fuel.
Advantages of the ferry are booze and sleep with a nice break in the driving for 8 hours or so, not having to go Dahhn Sahhhf, and 600 less miles for the Rangie to break down / blow up in.
Alternatively, using the Scorpio means finding winter tyres, but saving around 10 mpg so if I went by ferry it'd cost £415 return (fuel + tunnel not inc tyres). or £520 by ferry (not inc tyres).
So, there's a theoretical saving of near enough £275 if I use the Scorpio and don't fit winter tyres (probably lethal choice), then again, if I was going to be sensible I'd pay £60 for a return flight.
What would the group do? Please note, this doesn't include buying a beige Passat diesel or some other equally boring solution.