England to France - Channel Tunnel

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 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 ...

solamarie 31.05.2005 (30.06.2005) · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

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 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

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 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

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 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

...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 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

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 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

I have crossed the Channel on many occasions, both using the ferries and the Channel Tunnel. I prefer to use the Tunnel but I think that it is better to buy the tickets before you travel as I have found it cheaper than buying them at the terminus. Unfortunately there is no where to buy food and drink on the train and so it is advisable to buy a take-away meal/drinks/snacks from the tax-free shops in the waiting area before you board. Both the English ...
...Channel, therefore when you disembark there are no customs to go through. I have found it quite easy to drive on and off the train, as you are marshalled to a compartment for the duration of your journey. You can however, walk along the train using access doors . Toilets are available on the journey. In my view it is faster than using the ferries (35 mins compared to over an hour on the ferry). I have not found it at all claustrophobic and is similar ...

MAGIC8602 01.06.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

Eurotunnel - it sounded so good, didn't it? Now the majority of opinions on Eurotunnel on this site give it 5 stars - the odd one giving it 3, and then one giving it 2. That guy's opinion didn't get a good reception, mainly because he didn't show enough points for not using Eurotunnel. I'm here today to give you the minus points, because really, all the good points have been covered on this site. I have used the Channel Tunnel quite a few times now, ...
...worse by Coach than by car. Not that I'm saying it's actually any good by car either. Now I think the whole Eurostar, London to Paris thing was an excellent idea, and I'm using that on my holiday this year. But the Folkestone-Calais train is a different story. I remember my first trip on the tunnel, feeling excited. The fact is if your impatient and have to get somewhere quickly, and you don't mind uncomfortable conditions Eurotunnel is for you. ...

monkfeesh 10.11.2002 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

***INTRO*** I live near Kings Cross-station the site for the international Eurostar terminal, succeeding Waterloo station its temporary site. So I decided to write a piece concerning the project and its service. There are 3 main operations: 1. Eurotunnel who are the operators who control the trains. 2. Le Shuttle the name of the train service between Folkestone & Calais. 3. Eurostar the train service between London & Paris - Brussels. I tried ...
...to relate this experience to you. Before then some history and background to help you make your decision as to whether to travel and if yes how to make it more enjoyable. ***THE PRODUCT*** From the introduction you can see the package falls into 3 distinct products. The main stations for the package are Waterloo, Ashford/Kent and being developed Kings Cross, Stratford on this side of the tunnel and Paris, Lille, Brussels on the continental side. ...

JeffreyB 14.08.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

as a frequent traveller to france, i generally look for the company that offers the best travel deals. of late eurotunnel has been offering one of the best deals for a day trip. despite numerous problems in the past, and i have to say, all at the french side, i still persist in giving the company 'one last try'. yesterday tho' 12/7/01 i think was the one last try too many. after checking in on the french side at 19h21 - was told that it was too ...
...for 20h04. the check in counter was efficient and advised that boarding would take place in 20/25 minutes. great time to go grab a coffee and a quick bite to eat. inside the terminal building, the announcement was made that boarding would now commence for the 20h04 train. grabbed everything and headed off to passport control. this was not 19h35 giving us almost 30 minutes to spare. no problems getting to the french passport control but then some ...

geoffo 13.07.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

My partner and I decided to take a short break in Eurodisney recently. We found the cresta brochure in our local travel agents. Cresta holidays is a subsiduary of eurotunnel.We booked the holiday and paid for it and awaited until time had arrived.We were due to depart on eurotunnell at 06.06am on the sunday or so we thought.At about 8pm on saturday evening, he did a final ticket and passport check and noticed that the tickets were for 06.06am on ...
...were given and spoke to an operator. She phoned Eurotunnel on our behalf and said that if we let immediately and got to the port by 11pm we would be able to go without incurring extra charge. She also phoned ahead to our hotel just outside of paris to let them know we would be late. The following morning in france she called us again to check all was ok.thanfully we had our mobile phones with us.on the last day of our holiday we left for calais ...

tabbetha12 15.07.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

Having travelled on the Shuttle quite a few times now, i would highly recommend it, especially if you want a short, sharp trip over to France to do some shopping. I can't stand Ferries very much, i tend to get sea sick, even if the sea is still as still can be!! Living in Kent, is an advantage to Le Shuttle travellers, it is quicker for me to go to France than it is to travel to London sometimes!! The check in at Folkstone is quick and efficient, ...
...cost a little more, works out better as you can always get on the next available train without having to pay extra most of the time. They tend to have a wide range of cheap day fares, which is ok if you just want to shop and come back. It can be an expensive mode of travel for longer trips though, as i found out when holidaying in Paris this year. Although the trip is short, it can seem quite long, as there is nothing to do, but then it is only ...

kwanzaa 19.12.2004 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

i have been through Euro Tunnel twice and i must say it was a strange experience. Not a bad strange experience just the whole idea of being so deep down in the ground beneath the sea was a little daunting at first. The only way i can describe actually going through the tunnel is that its like being on a normal train in the dark and your ears pop a little. Alot of people compare it to being on an airplane but i can't because Ive not yet been on an ...

punkessy 02.02.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

Our journey was conceived after our children watched a trailer about the channel tunnel and were amazed at two things. Firstly, that a car could drive onto a train and as if that wasn't incomprehensible enough, that a train could travel under the sea. Our half-term holiday destination and method of transport was decided! We booked easily on the internet, using the availability chart was a good way of making sure we didn't have a wasted journey nor ...
...after using the automated booths - as first timers, it was reassuring that these were staffed - although we didn't need help as the instructions on screen were simple and clear. Once through the check in and into the terminal itself, we went into the predeparture buildings, where we were kept updated on when we needed to board. Again this was child friendly as the tickets have karge capital letters on them. Our 6 and 4 year olds were able to tell ...

puppenay 15.05.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel

Although the channel tunnel is one of the quickest ways to travel to france, it also has its disadvantages. If you travel on it by car, then you are very likely to get very board. it is a half hour trip and there is absolutely nothing to do. You are not allowed to leave the vicinity of your car, execpt to go to the loo!if you decide to travel in the morning, then it is advisable that you get some breakfast before arriving as there is only a cafe ...

Pete 19.07.2000 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of England to France - Channel Tunnel