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So, what is it?
I have had a look at the website, and read all about it and now I know more than I did just by travelling along it, so in short, Euro tunnel is a long tunnel that goes under the sea joining France to England. There are three tunnels, the English end starts in Folkestone, ... Read review
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Advantages: Quick, Easy, no walking or stairs for the disabled. Disadvantages: I can't think of any.
Well, the Channel Tunnel. Lets start with a bit of history here. Apparently they had been digging it or trying to for far far longer than I can remember, or even my mother who is my travelling companion. According to my mum the original idea was Napoleon's.
So, what is it?
I have had a look at the website, and read all about it and now I know more than I did just by travelling along it, so in short, Euro tunnel is a ... ...England. There are three tunnels, the English end starts in Folkestone, Kent and the other end is in Coquelles, France, that is near Calais.
I didn't know there were three tunnels, usually they only use two single track rail tunnels and the trains go in one direction only, which means you go along one tunnel on the way there and come back on the other tunnel. The third tunnel is between the two and is used if there is an emergency ... more
Well, the Channel Tunnel. Lets start with a bit of history here. Apparently they had been digging it or trying to for far far longer than I can remember, or even my mother who is my travelling companion. According to my mum the original idea was Napoleon's.
So, what is it?
I have had a look at the website, and read all about it and now I know more than I did just by travelling along it, so in short, Euro tunnel is a long tunnel that goes under the sea joining France to England. There are three tunnels, the English end starts in Folkestone, Kent and the other end is in Coquelles, France, that is near Calais.
I didn't know there were three tunnels, usually they only use two single track rail tunnels and the trains go in one direction only, which means you go along one tunnel on the way there and come back on the other tunnel. The third tunnel is between the two and is used if there is an emergency and everyone needs evacuating, it is also used for maintenance. There are four crossover points so that the trains can go from one rail tunnel to another while work is carried out on a section at a time. This allows an uninterrupted service, not like the ordinary trains here where they seem to close sections at the weekends mostly and ferry people to the next bit by bus.
How do you get there?
Follow the signs of course. It is signposted 50 miles away and a pretty straight-ish road, well signed and easy to follow, unless you are like me and are always in the wrong lane of the motorway as the turn off comes up with lorries either side so you can't read the signs anyway. Anyway, you need to follow the M20 from west to east and it is really easy to find.
When you arrive?
There are tollbooths for you to show your ticket, you need to book in at least half an hour before the time of your train. Usually we get there a bit early because of leaving extra time in case of heavy traffic. If you do get there too early and there are spaces on the train you could be offered an earlier train at no extra cost which is nice. You need to show your booking ticket which has a reference number on it and the card which you used to book with. I generally use a debit card but you can book with a credit card also. Here you collect your return ticket with the time and date on it, and a letter that you hang on your driving mirror. All trains have a letter and you go down to the train itself only when your letter comes up on the screen inside the terminal building.
Then what?
You drive through customs and security. Customs barely glance at the passports most of the time but you do need to have a valid passport just in case they decide to look closely. As you drive away from the passport check you will see some customs and excise people and they pull the odd car out of the line and ask a few questions and sweep it with some sort of hand held machine. This is to check there are no drugs or explosives on board. We were security checked only once and they were very polite and it didn't take long. This is the French security, you get to go through the English ones on the French side just before you come home again.
Then?
Follow the signs that say France, park in the car park, go into the terminal and wait until your letter is called or comes up on the screen.
The terminal.
Well, it is a little like an airport terminal, there are a few duty paid shops, a few places to buy a magazine like W.H.Smiths, and a few places to have a drink and something to eat. It is lots smaller than an airport like Gatwick, and the choice is more limited. There are very good clean toilets that have little poesies of fresh flowers between the wash basins, a nice touch that.
What we do.
After a trip to the ladies, we generally go to the Pret coffee place, order a drink (mum has cappuccino, tea for me) and buy a delicious sandwich for the journey.
Watch the screens and when our letter shows, it's back to the car and drive down to the train.
This is well signposted once again, because we carry a wheelchair and have a blue disabled badge we need to follow the disabled signs, people with blue badges board the trains first. This is because in case of an emergency disabled people need to be near the front to be able to get off.
Once driven on the train you slowly drive as far as you can go, there is a person to show you how close to get to the car in front, they are pretty much packed solid and almost bumper to bumper. There are metal sliding doors that close between carriageways for the journey. The train is very long and there is an upper deck as well as a lower one, but it only seems to take just over fifteen minutes to load.
You sit there wondering if you are every going to move off, check the time, each train goes off exactly the time it says it will, and suddenly you realise that the landscape is sliding past the window and you are off. Very quickly you are in darkness, can't see a thing out of the windows, and although you hardly feel a thing you are travelling at something like 70 miles an hour. The first time it is a bit daunting suddenly realising you are under the sea!
The safety announcements come over the loudspeakers in both English and French, there are a few posters on the walls to read, and some music plays while you are travelling. Oh, and toilets if you need them. Altogether it is quite boring, not scary and the time passes quickly.
We eat our sandwich, drink our drink, check the time every so often and before we know it there is light outside the windows once again, 35 minutes later, and we are in France.
They do their safety checks and then slowly the cars start to leave the train……
And that is it!
The first time I went I was really scared, don't know why but I was, but now I have been quite a few times it is really easy and simple and as the actual journey is only 35 minutes not even time to get bored.
My opinion.
I don't much like boats, ferries or whatever, I like driving and having my car with me so I can go wherever I please, when the tunnel was first built I really wanted to travel on it. I think it is the best way to travel, no steps for my mum to struggle up or down, no where that we have to stand and wait, it is all done sitting in the comfort of your car. I absolutely love it and am still fascinated by the concept of travelling to another county under the sea with such ease. We go three or four times a year, it is mum and my special day out, it wouldn't be the same with anyone else. We have a great day and buy all sorts of fruit and cheeses and meaty things that are so much nicer and tastier than we can buy in England. We look forward to going and talk about it after we have got home. Whoever was the mind behind that tunnel has my thanks because it has allowed us to do this.
Apparently the people who own/run the channel tunnel are in financial difficulties, I just hope they don't price it out of the market, there is only the one and it would be a shame if it became too expensive for ordinary people like us to use.
An afternoon trip costs £29.00 that is car and however many people it holds. A day trip after 12 noon cost £34.00 as above A whole day is more leaving before noon, but I have never left that early. We leave home at 9.30am to get on the 12.15pm train and that suits us. There are different prices for single trips.
I can't comment on the toilets on the train because I have never needed to use them. They are located near the stairs.
There is a lot of information and booking form on the website: www.eurotunnel.com
I have regular emails from them after booking the first time with special offers. There is a travellers club that you can join and get slightly discounted prices but I think it would only be worth joining if you go more often than I do.
You need to book at least one day in advance and there are several different options, with insurance, without, etc.
What you need!
Your passport, your driving licence, your car insurance (check if you are covered for European trips) A first aid kit and one of those kits that has a red triangle and torch and stuff in case you break down.
A tip, don't break the French speed limit, otherwise it will ruin your day, I don't because I have heard horror stories.
But, this review is about the tunnel itself, so thanks for reading and I hope it helps someone to decide to travel this easy way.
Advantages: Could be good value, frequent, simple to book and travel, comfortable, fast Disadvantages: Price strategy, the unnecessary waits, the width for some vehicles, no scenery, nothing to do on the train
This opinion is on the Le Shuttle service operating between Dover and Calais. There are two services that operate through the Channel Tunnel, the Eurostar and Le Shuttle. The Eurostar is a passenger service operating between London Waterloo and Paris or Brussels and Le Shuttle (it may be called Eurotunnel now, but it says Le Shuttle on the trains, so there!) is the service for passengers with cars.
I traveled on Le Shuttle on my way to Spa-Francorchamps ... ...best way to get to France by car.
>>Destination
This service operates between Dover/Folkstone and Calais/Coquelles (sorry for any typos), basically it brings you a few miles inshore or both countries and these are the only options. The signs are clearly marked on the M20 and it’s not too far off the motorway. It also is not too difficult to find off France (and even Belgium) follow the clear signs to “La tunnel sur le manche”.
...
Modena 05.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel
Advantages: Very Quick, easy and the smoothest way to cross the channel Disadvantages: None apart from cost
Le Shuttle is a delight. It couldn't be easier or faster to cross the channel by car. If you've not tried it yet, read on. Le Shuttle is the name given to the train that transports vehicles between Folkestone and Calais via the channel tunnel. HOW IT WORKS
You enter the tunnel complex from the M20 motorway, driving south almost to Folkestone. The tunnel has its own exit ramp off the motorway. As you drive down the entrance road you come to a row ... ...number through your car window to the operator who confirms your details on their system and gives you a tag to hang from your windscreen mirror. They will ask how many people are in your party, and may ask whether your car is fuelled by LPG or if you have animals on board. They may ask if you have your passport.
The tag you are given has a large letter of the alphabet on it. This indicates the train departure. You now follow the road and park by ...
Pinotage 05.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel
Advantages: Quick, clean, cheap food and booze Disadvantages: You can spend loads of money
Note to self: If you work in an off licence the last thing you need to do is go to France and purchase more of the stuff!!
Ok reminder over, I have to keep telling, myself this otherwise I might just find myself eloping to France; not only for the cheap booze, but the relaxed life style to accompany this!
A couple of weeks ago I had the need to have a spending splurge and what better way than to get the neighbours together and the favourite family ... ...and filled the boots with copious amounts of alcohol, and enough cheese you could smell from Folkestone.
Having travelled on Eurotunnel on many occasions we decided this would be the easiest option as the children are all penned in like caged rats and could not escape, even though we lost our little darling in the hypermarket but that is another story.
We booked our tickets over the internet, and my husband being a little tight nearly passed a ...
Zoe30 24.09.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel
Advantages: Fast,affordable and good service Disadvantages: Possible delays
...to cross from France to England without use or need for boats. It was an incredible dream and one that even in my own lifetime was felt impossible.
***The history***
Closely following the first evidence of the concept of this amazing tunnel, English designer Henri Mottry developed his own design for the tunnel.
Following the advent of steam train construction of the British railway network gave rise to ideas of the tunnel being designed for the ... ...for a rail tunnel came about,Thome de Gramond would go on to work on the design for it for 7 years.
However, it was 1880 before the first ever constructions began on the project, using the Beumant and English boring machine, but the project was abandoned within a few years.
Between the 1880 and 1945 many more projects attempted to realise the dream but none of them were to elevate beyond the drawing board.
1955 saw the British defence minister ...
babajane32 25.05.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel
Advantages: easy to use, quickest Disadvantages: Nothing to do during journey , lacks personal touch
It is getting to be that time of year again. I do travel regularly to Europe on business outside of the Summer peak period and enjoy touring the continent by car for a couple of weeks. All this cannot be done without crossing the Channel and this means about 12 channel crossings a year. I do tend to prefer the Eurotunnel service for my business trips when time is the most important factor and of course as my company picks up the bill the higher fare ... ...also used the Ferries frequently and over Easter 2001 we used the new SeaCat service which has replaced the discontinued Hovercraft service. As I am a relatively seasoned Channel crosser I thought I would take the opportunity to share my views on the different services and justify my preference for the Tunnel.
So for my review the question is this, if you are driving over to France or Belgium from the Dover area which is the best service. I am comparing ...
polydeuces 24.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel
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