HEY MUM WE'RE ON A SUBMARINE TRAIN! (Euro Tunnel)

Member Name: manicmum

Product:	Euro Tunnel
Date:	12/08/01 (211 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fast, user friendly, helpful staff

Disadvantages: none

We have used the Eurotunnel trains several times now to travel to France & onto Belgium.
When visiting our friends in Antwerp it takes us just 4 1/2 hours from door to door as we live in Kent.

Our 3 small children really enjoy the journey as it is quick, taking only 35 minutes & they think fun as the car goes on the train too!

We returned from France on Friday & our eldest son who is 5, suddenly shouted out "Hey Mum we are on a submarine train-that's cool!"

The other two children wave goodbye to England & say hello to France as we go in & then out of the tunnel.

You can book online or by telephone or just turn up & go. Check in is only 30 minutes before departure, but turn up earlier if you want to buy snacks or browse the ex-duty free shops which still offer good promotions & are very cheap on the French side.

There are up to 4 trains departing each hour so if you miss one it is not long until the next & there is no problem if this happens.

Carriages are either single or double decker, the single ones are for high sided vehicles or if like us you are carrying bikes on the roof rack.There is no extra charge for requesting a single decker carriage & often you can just take the appropriate lane to that carriage.

The journey is very smooth - no chance of sea sickness which is one less thing to worry about when traveling with small children. We usually buy them a 'Happy Meal' or equivalent & by the time they have finished that it is nearly arrival time.
Another 'fun thing to do for easuly pleased children is to take them to the toilets as this usually means walking from carriage to carriage & opening the air lock doors - our son finds this great fun.

The one down side to all of this is when the tannoy announces that you should return to your car & proceed to the passport control area. When you book in you are allocated a letter which you hook onto your drivers mirro
r so the announcement tells you which letter should proceed.
Unfortunately people seem to leave it far too late to return to their cars & then they try to push into the queues causing bottle-necks delaying everyone.

So overall we would highly reccomend this way to cross The Channel.

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