Under the sea to France - by car (Euro Tunnel)

Member Name: grahamt

Product:	Euro Tunnel
Date:	18/11/07 (1045 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick and reliable

Disadvantages: A little more expensive

As a reasonably frequent visitor to mainland Europe I have crossed by various means that strip of water that to Europhiles like me is just an inconvenience and which to Europhobes like just about anyone in UKIP is the last bastion against the end of civilisation as we know it (The English Channel – La Manche - whatever). Since the coming of Eurotunnel, Eurostar and Le Shuttle, all of the other methods of crossing to the rest of Europe have had to get their act together, most especially the ferries, such that now there is little to choose between any of them in terms of convenience or price. Only flying seems to have the winning formula as far as price is concerned and then only for individual travellers.

Our most recent trip, a long weekend to Paris, brought up the question once again of how best to get to and from our destination. There would be two of us travelling. I examined all options but in terms of meeting our travel requirements at a reasonable cost, driving to Paris via Le Shuttle from Ashford to Calais had the rest beaten hands down. The ferries were very close, it's true, but at this time of year, with the weather as unpredictable as it is, Le Shuttle is definitely the preferred choice.

Booking a trip is most conveniently done via the Eurotunnel website (http://www.eurotunnel.com). The Home page is very simple and lists various possible activities such as “Book now!” or “Latest travel information”. Mostly you will want to book a trip and the link so selected asks you for the proposed dates for your outward and return journeys, details of the vehicle you will be driving and the country in which you live. They also want to know if you will be towing a caravan or trailer, because of length and height restrictions, and whether your car uses LPG or CNG. If it does then currently you can't use Le Shuttle although LPG canister for camping equipment are OK.

Clicking Continue takes you to the next page where the various fares are displayed from midnight to midnight on the days selected, for Short Stay Saver, Standard and 5 Day FlexiPlus tickets. Short Stay is for 5 days or less whilst the FlexiPlus tickets allow you to vary your crossing times according to last minute requirements. Short Stay is cheapest.

Once you've decided roughly when you want to travel, you click the prices indicated for those periods and at the bottom it tots up the total cost. Clicking Continue then takes you the the page that shows the precise crossing times available within those periods. Any greyed out are already fully booked. You click your preferred times and then are asked if you are carrying pets or a guide dog. They also ask if you want to take travel and/or breakdown insurance as well. Travel and breakdown insurance added £33 to the cost of our trip. After our experiences with our MG some years ago in France (read the review), I wouldn't travel in Europe without breakdown cover ever again.

The final page confirms the cost, asks for your details (name, address...) and payment method. Here is the only real problem. Yes, you can pay by credit or debit card but it has to be a real one. You cannot use an “E-card” such as Cahoot's Webcard, as the actual physical card must be presented at Check In as proof of identity. This I find a real drawback although one I have to live with if I want to use Le Shuttle. With Identity Theft becoming more and more a problem I am cautious about revealing financial details to anyone who may then keep them on record. I do it as little as possible and always pay with the Cahoot Webcard wherever I can.

Clicking “Make the booking” completes the transaction and presents you the details in a form that you can print off. You will also get an email confirmation.

So, that's it. Now all you have to do is get there.

The Eurotunnel terminus is located on the M20 to Dover. You come off at J11A and follow the signs. From our home in Surrey it takes about an hour and a half with a clear run. The slip road takes you to a row of ticket booths where you can select to use the automatic check in or to talk to a real person. This is where you need your credit/debit card. You can, of course, just turn up and take pot lock on getting a crossing but I wouldn't advise it. You have no idea how long you are going to have to wait.

Assuming you, as we do, use the automatic check in then you approach the marked lane. Make sure you choose one where the check in machine is on your side, unless you have a passenger who can do it for you. Machines are for both left and right-hand drive cars but only one for each lane. I find that the machines are not entirely conveniently placed, a bit like the ticket machines on the French motorway tolls. Eurotunnel obviously realise this as well as there is usually someone to help you even on the automatic lanes. Mostly it will be to put the card in the slot for you, if you can't reach it from the car.

You are presented with your tickets and with a label to hang from the bracket of your rear-view mirror, which indicates which crossing you are taking. You then drive, assuming that your crossing isn't immediately leaving, to the terminus to wait your turn. There is a load of parking available and the terminus building has all the usual amenities as well as shops for anything you've realised you've forgotten to bring. All the usual suspects are there and there are various outlets for food and drink.

All around the terminus there are video screens indicating when crossings are ready and you should keep a close eye on them. When your turn comes you return to your car and follow the signs for the trains. There are many security measures including a video vehicle inspection where you drive over a glass panel set in the roadway. This is obviously checking for “illegals” under your car. You can't miss it, it's very soon after you start off. You are instructed not to cross the inspection device until the vehicle in front has left room for you to do so in one go without stopping half-way.

From there you line up as directed until called to go to the train. At this point you pass through both UK and French passport controls. The UK customs people do pull cars out for further inspection. We had it done to us once. I think the problem was that the Merc we then had was looking a bit tatty because of rust problems on the bonnet. Mostly we've just been waved through.

You then proceed to board the trains. You may be asked to queue again for a short while until they are completely ready. Following the signs to your platform leads you to a ramp that runs down to the train. You will drive off of the platform straight into an entrance in the side of the train. As you will gather, you do NOT have to “Mind the Gap”; there isn't one!

You will then either go straight on down the carriage or up a ramp onto the top deck; the trains carriages are double deckers, except where you are towing a caravan, for instance., where you will be directed to single deck trains. This can be an unnerving experience for first-timers. You drive down the carriages, which are linked together in a single deck from one end of the train to the other, following the car in front. An assistant will direct you to move forward to you stopping point so that they can get as many vehicles as safely possible in each carriage section, once the safety doors are closed.

You stop with the hand brake on and the car in gear. Once the carriage is full the safety doors at each end will be closed. However, you aren't sealed in. There are passenger doors on each side of the safety doors, through which you can walk to get to the next carriage. Also, half way along each carriage there is a stairwell between decks. There are toilets in each carriage.

Eventually your journey will begin and often you don't even realise that the train has started moving as the movement is so smooth. There are small windows all along each carriage through which you can see a bit of the outside world although, once you are in the tunnel you won't see much except the tunnels lights. The actual crossing takes a little under half an hour, during which you can sit in you car and read or eat and drink or listen to “Tunnel Radio”, or walk around, if you wish. There are no other amenities on the train though.

When you arrive in Calais you simply drive off of the train at the other end and onto the platform. You follow the signs for Calais and you are now on your way. Don't forget that you are now driving on the other side of the road. You will get reminders.

Coming back from France is just the reverse procedure. There is little difference. If you have time then there are copious shopping opportunities available, either at the adjacent Cite Europe shopping mall or in the various hypermarkets in Calais and Boulogne, something you don't get at Ashford. However, do please be aware that this is not true on Sundays. The French don't do Sundays. If you are hoping to get all your cheap booze on your way back on a Sunday then you are going to be sorely disappointed. Just about the only place you will find open is the Sainsburys drinks store next to Auchen (which is closed) and the shop in the Eurotunnel terminal itself.

I have to say that I love Le Shuttle and will usually choose it even if it is a little more expensive for the trip I want to make. That is not to say that I won't use the ferries, and I do so but usually only during the summer when the weather can be relied upon a little better. Certainly the ferries do offer better amenities during the actual crossing but the time taken to cross is a bit longer though not dramatically so. However, they are susceptible to the bad Channel conditions to which Le Shuttle is entirely immune.

If you haven't used Le Shuttle then give it a go. The only people for whom it probably isn't suitable are those who suffer badly from claustrophobia. There really aren't any other drawbacks.

Summary: The weatherproof way to get to France with your car