Channel Tunnel
Discussion
I'm going to be driving to England this August and I would like to use the Channel Tunnel. I would like to ask the wisdom of PistonHeads about using Eurotunnel It's quite a way from Berlin to Calais and it's hard to predict a time of arrival.
If I buy a cheap ticket that is tied to a particular train, what happens if I'm too early? If things go wrong and I get held up what happens if I'm too late? Is the motorway in France full of people parked on the hard shoulder waiting for the right time to go in to get the correct train?
Mike
If I buy a cheap ticket that is tied to a particular train, what happens if I'm too early? If things go wrong and I get held up what happens if I'm too late? Is the motorway in France full of people parked on the hard shoulder waiting for the right time to go in to get the correct train?
Mike
I have booked the tunnel for a set time, and turned up at Calais 2 hours early as I wanted to get there in plenty of time. We got on the next available train for no extra cost. It seemed very flexible to me.
There is a very big car park so if all the early trains are full you can wait there.
Adam
There is a very big car park so if all the early trains are full you can wait there.
Adam
I use it several times a year. Going over again tomorrow.
I've only ever been charged extra once and that was on a VERY cheap day return ticket that I turned up more than two hours early for the return. Cost me about £30 more.
Came over on it a couple of weeks ago and they'd loaded the train and got it on its way 15 minutes early. It is very well organised.
I've only ever been charged extra once and that was on a VERY cheap day return ticket that I turned up more than two hours early for the return. Cost me about £30 more.
Came over on it a couple of weeks ago and they'd loaded the train and got it on its way 15 minutes early. It is very well organised.
One tip - if you arrive early at Calais and want to do anything other than buy a coffee and wait do NOT go through the check-in machines* but go to the City Europe shopping centre next door.
The food in the French tunnel terminal is quite possibly the worst food ever served by man. Put it this way 3 guys, none of us overly familiar with salad having spent all day on the road driving through France with no lunch stop ordered a pizza...and left over half of it. It was THAT bad.
The food in the French tunnel terminal is quite possibly the worst food ever served by man. Put it this way 3 guys, none of us overly familiar with salad having spent all day on the road driving through France with no lunch stop ordered a pizza...and left over half of it. It was THAT bad.
- I THINK if you keep right at the check-in machines you can check-in but still escape, or at least see if you can get on an earlier train and escape without checking-in if not. We did something like that the year after the pizza affair, but was tired, not head of the convoy and just following some else ^_^
Roo said:
You need to exit sharp right before getting to the check in to get to Cite Europe.
One of the trains broke down today after we'd boarded which meant getting off and getting on the next one. Half hour delay so not that bad.
You can do this or get off the autoroute one stop early, left at exit roundabout, right at the net two then left at the 4th will see you on the road behind CdE which has the entrances to the rear car parks along it. If you go straight at the 4th roundabout you can acces the front car parks. WHen leaving CdE to go to the checkin for the tunnel just leave the usual way and there is a small slip road off that is signed which leads you into the forecourt before check in/passport control. One of the trains broke down today after we'd boarded which meant getting off and getting on the next one. Half hour delay so not that bad.
RVIANT said:
get a flexi plus ticket that way you can leave whenever you want, got a normal ticket this year albeit at a busy time Le Mans Classic weekend, arrived 30 minutes late and had to wait 4 hours for a train 
even though there were plenty of slots available on trains leaving
Great tickets and you get a free paper and lunch box with them but IIRC at about £150 not great value if you have time on your side and only worth it if you are on a mission. even though there were plenty of slots available on trains leavingillmonkey said:
I've turned up 8 hours early for a train and we drove straight on the next train, litreally we didn't even stop after our ticket being seen. Didn't have to pay more either.
Yep.This is my experience.
I've booked a train for say 1pm and arrived there at 10:30am or something and drove right onto the next rain that was loading. I was barely there 20 minutes.
Very good.
illmonkey said:
I've turned up 8 hours early for a train and we drove straight on the next train, litreally we didn't even stop after our ticket being seen. Didn't have to pay more either.
If they are busy (weekends in school holiday time) this won't happen - if you turn up more than 2 hours early, you get turned away.Just have the phone number to hand, when you get closer and can more accurately predict your arrival time (if it's going to be outside the +/- 2 hours) give them a call and alter the train time. You'll need your booking reference to hand.
Sometimes if there is a very busy period you won't necessarily get onto the next train, just the next available train.
Changing the time of the train that is closest to your actual arrival time saves that potential issue.
Sometimes if there is a very busy period you won't necessarily get onto the next train, just the next available train.
Changing the time of the train that is closest to your actual arrival time saves that potential issue.
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