Channel Crossing - Peak Times
Discussion
Planning a driving trip through Europe over May half term, which dictates that we need to cross the channel at peak times.
Ideally I want to arrive at Calais or Dunkirk soon after dawn on the Saturday, then a week Sunday cross back early evening.
I'm trying to predict if there are likely to be long delays either way that I could avoid:
Outbound, with a very early start I'm guess I'll dodge the worse of it.
Homebound, I'm concerned that I might experience 5 hour queues in France, particularly if I chose the tunnel.
Does anyone have recent experience of peak time travel?
Chunnel Flexiplus for the return leg is over £200 premium on top. Is this necessary?
Or am I safer using DFDS (perhaps Dunkirk), as the queues will be no longer than a full ship?
Thanks
Ideally I want to arrive at Calais or Dunkirk soon after dawn on the Saturday, then a week Sunday cross back early evening.
I'm trying to predict if there are likely to be long delays either way that I could avoid:
Outbound, with a very early start I'm guess I'll dodge the worse of it.
Homebound, I'm concerned that I might experience 5 hour queues in France, particularly if I chose the tunnel.
Does anyone have recent experience of peak time travel?
Chunnel Flexiplus for the return leg is over £200 premium on top. Is this necessary?
Or am I safer using DFDS (perhaps Dunkirk), as the queues will be no longer than a full ship?
Thanks
I'm in a similar position, travelling to France mid-morning on Saturday at the end of May and I'm equally anxious about getting caught up in horrendous delays, particularly as we have five hours to drive to our overnight stop once we're in France.
Last year we crossed a couple of weeks after the chaos in the middle of July. It was Saturday evening and the Eurotunnel terminal was practically deserted, no more than 20 minutes after checking in we were on the train. On the way back it was a Friday late morning, so I was prepared for the worst. In the end it took around 30 minutes to get through the passport control queue meaning we ended up on a train half an hour later than planned, but it was far from chaotic.
Looking at the reports over Easter it seemed that the issues were mainly with the ferries and specifically coaches - I didn't see any reports of delays at the Eurotunnel so I'm just hoping for the best.
Last year we crossed a couple of weeks after the chaos in the middle of July. It was Saturday evening and the Eurotunnel terminal was practically deserted, no more than 20 minutes after checking in we were on the train. On the way back it was a Friday late morning, so I was prepared for the worst. In the end it took around 30 minutes to get through the passport control queue meaning we ended up on a train half an hour later than planned, but it was far from chaotic.
Looking at the reports over Easter it seemed that the issues were mainly with the ferries and specifically coaches - I didn't see any reports of delays at the Eurotunnel so I'm just hoping for the best.
We drive down to the Med coast on this week.
We travel Friday early evening (after picking up the kids from school) and get a 4.30/5pm tunnel, crossing + hr + time on road puts this at circa 8.30 pm to stay around Paris, then do the rest of the trip in the morning.
If you're looking at a 3am Tunnel you have few issues, & you won't need Flexiplus.
Dover port should not be busy at this time also, DFDS and P&O share the border controls.
Coming back we had no issues getting a mid day tunnel on the Sunday, later in the afternoon can get busier.. the port/s even busier.
From the other thread your heading to Interlaken then returning from Chamonix
(timings with a proper lunch & snack stop and 2x refuel & meet the SIL as her debit card stopped working on the tolls, Chamonix to Calais on the Autoroute).
Its long enough without delays.
On your return its the delay of getting through border controls that will be the issue UK border control in particular, Flexiplus really won't help that much IMO, and the ferries very busy.
Id be tempted to spend the Saturday night some way north of Chamonix on that week, perhaps a blast up the A4 Autobahn to the Black Forest and cut some time for Sunday?
We travel Friday early evening (after picking up the kids from school) and get a 4.30/5pm tunnel, crossing + hr + time on road puts this at circa 8.30 pm to stay around Paris, then do the rest of the trip in the morning.
If you're looking at a 3am Tunnel you have few issues, & you won't need Flexiplus.
Dover port should not be busy at this time also, DFDS and P&O share the border controls.
Coming back we had no issues getting a mid day tunnel on the Sunday, later in the afternoon can get busier.. the port/s even busier.
From the other thread your heading to Interlaken then returning from Chamonix
(timings with a proper lunch & snack stop and 2x refuel & meet the SIL as her debit card stopped working on the tolls, Chamonix to Calais on the Autoroute).
Its long enough without delays.
On your return its the delay of getting through border controls that will be the issue UK border control in particular, Flexiplus really won't help that much IMO, and the ferries very busy.
Id be tempted to spend the Saturday night some way north of Chamonix on that week, perhaps a blast up the A4 Autobahn to the Black Forest and cut some time for Sunday?
Thanks for the help and tips.
The plan is to spend 2 nights in Annecy, prior to the return home on Sunday, so a slight head start vs Chamonix.
I've done the drive a few times from the French Alps on ski trips (St Gervais, La Plagne, Tignes etc), so used to hitting it in 1 day.
I don't want to leave Annecy on Saturday as that spoils the point of being there. (It's supposed to be very nice!)
So, by the sound of it, maybe the Chunnel is the better option.
My only other consideration is whether Dunkirk may avoid the queues as its exclusive to DFDS
The plan is to spend 2 nights in Annecy, prior to the return home on Sunday, so a slight head start vs Chamonix.
I've done the drive a few times from the French Alps on ski trips (St Gervais, La Plagne, Tignes etc), so used to hitting it in 1 day.
I don't want to leave Annecy on Saturday as that spoils the point of being there. (It's supposed to be very nice!)
So, by the sound of it, maybe the Chunnel is the better option.
My only other consideration is whether Dunkirk may avoid the queues as its exclusive to DFDS
Jarcy said:
Thanks for the help and tips.
The plan is to spend 2 nights in Annecy, prior to the return home on Sunday, so a slight head start vs Chamonix.
I've done the drive a few times from the French Alps on ski trips (St Gervais, La Plagne, Tignes etc), so used to hitting it in 1 day.
I don't want to leave Annecy on Saturday as that spoils the point of being there. (It's supposed to be very nice!)
So, by the sound of it, maybe the Chunnel is the better option.
My only other consideration is whether Dunkirk may avoid the queues as its exclusive to DFDS
The drive is not an issue, its blooming UK border control with a half term Sunday LOL!The plan is to spend 2 nights in Annecy, prior to the return home on Sunday, so a slight head start vs Chamonix.
I've done the drive a few times from the French Alps on ski trips (St Gervais, La Plagne, Tignes etc), so used to hitting it in 1 day.
I don't want to leave Annecy on Saturday as that spoils the point of being there. (It's supposed to be very nice!)
So, by the sound of it, maybe the Chunnel is the better option.
My only other consideration is whether Dunkirk may avoid the queues as its exclusive to DFDS
Annecy is lovely!
If you can get to the tunnel in the evening, much quieter.
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