TRAVEL TO FRANCE BY CAR

 

 

EURO TUNNEL/LE-SHUTTLE

Normally when I travel to France with a vehicle I choose to take the ferry. There are various reasons that I have chosen this mode of transport, firstly I am a complete fanatic when it comes to anything to do with the sea and will always jump at the chance to hop aboard a ship or boat. Secondly, I find the ferry crossing very relaxing and look upon it as part of the holiday, it is also very convenient to have a meal whilst on board, saving time by not stopping once on the road. There is also the benefit of being able to stretch your legs whilst on board and maybe do a bit of shopping, it is also normally cheaper to take the ferry than travel via Euro Tunnel.

Before my most recent trip to France, I had only been through the Euro Tunnel on four occasions, twice with a car on Le-Shuttle and twice on Eurostar. I chose to cross the Channel using Euro Tunnel on this most recent trip as it is somewhat quicker than the ferry, only 30 minutes as opposed to 90 minutes. For those of you who may not be good sailors, it also means you can avoid any rough seas and the inevitable sea sickness.

Euro Tunnel opened to the public in 1994 having cost almost £10 billion and taking 6 years to build. The tunnel runs from Folkestone in England to Calais in France, a total distance of 31.4 miles. At a distance of 23.5 miles the portion of the tunnel that runs under the sea is the longest under sea tunnel in the world. Total passenger numbers for the tunnel in 2010 was in the region of 17 million, with around 7.5 million travelling on Le-Shuttle and 9.5 million travelling on Eurostar. The train operates for 365 days of the year with up to 4 departures an hour.

For my most recent trip I booked my outward journey on-line via Euro Tunnel’s own website, I booked about 2 weeks in advance and the single journey with car and 4 passengers cost £75 as opposed to £39 - £45 on the ferry. As the train was booked for 10:20 and last check in was 09:50 I stayed at a hotel in the Folkestone area the night before.

When I awoke on the morning of the crossing to the sound of heavy rain and strong winds, I was glad that we were using the tunnel and not crossing by ferry as my travelling companions were not good sailors and it looked as if it could be a rough crossing. Check- in at the tunnel was quick and easy, as we drove towards the check-in the car registration was electronically read and the ticket machine greeted me by name and issued a ticket to be hung from the rear view mirror. The ticket had a letter printed on it which corresponded to the lane in which we had to wait for boarding.

Boarding starts about 25 minutes before the train is due to depart, whilst you are waiting there are places to purchase food and drink as well as a shop at the terminal and toilet facilities. The attendants direct you onto the train, loading the cars in the position best suited for an optimum load, there are two decks and each carriage will hold 4 or 5 cars depending on size of vehicle. Once on the train you are directed to park close to the vehicle in front (this is both for maximum loading purposes and to discourage people walking between the vehicles during transit). Vehicles must be left in gear or with the hand brake on and windows should be left half open. Although it is recommended to stay in your vehicle you can get out and walk about to stretch your legs, there are also toilets available but as with most toilets on public transport these are best avoided unless desperate.

The crossing was very quick and the train does not feel as claustrophobic as you might imagine. There is some motion noticeable and this seems to be increased if sitting in the vehicle (due to the vehicles suspension), so anyone who does suffer from motion sickness may be advised to stand in the train rather than sit in the vehicle. Unloading on arrival in France was as easy as loading in England and once we had driven through passport control we were clear to proceed on our journey.

For our return to England we would book on-line the day before departure at a cost of £83 (compared to £60 for the ferry). We booked on the 13:50 departure but arrived at the tunnel much earlier than we had anticipated at about 10:00. We were given the choice of travelling on either the 10:42 departure or the 10:50, we chose the 10:50 and made our way to the car lanes going through both the French passport control and the English passport control. When boarding started in the lane we were in, we found that we were being directed onto the 10:42 departure after all.

After another quick and uneventful journey we arrived back in the UK a little earlier than expected. The journey with Euro Tunnel had been quick and efficient, albeit a little expensive. Under normal circumstances I would still rather take the ferry but for speed of travel you cannot beat the tunnel.

Prices for Euro Tunnel, if booked in advance, start from £44 for a day return and £39 for a single whilst flexi tickets start from £124 each way.