Going via Tunnel

jennyp19

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After checking prices of Dover to Calais ferry and discovering how prices have risen decided to pay a little bit more and go via Chunnel. What’s the procedure when you get on there and hw long does it take?
 
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Just follow the signs off the motorway. Most of the kiosks on arrival recognise your number plate and then you touch screen to get issued with a rear view mirror hanger with a letter. There is usually one manned booth. Drive into the car park - high vehicles are the far end. Watch the large screens until your letter is called. Then follow the signs to France. You'll go through two passport points - usually only one may look at them. At some point you'll be asked to show your gas tanks - I switch them off at this point. Follow the high vehicles signs and somone will tell you which lane to wait in before boarding.
Green arrows direct you to you the correct train. Drive on and through the carriages ... as you are long, don't enter the next carriage until there is space for you. Staff will inch you forward. Park with hand break on, in gear and windows open. Go for a nanny nap for 35 mins 😴.
No checks on arrival ... just drive.
Dead easy - really quick and painless compared to a ferry. I came back to UK on 15th and out again on 27th and noticed the queues for passport checks longer coming back to the UK.
Enjoy your trip.
 
Cheers - couldn’t get a more comprehensive answer than that ��
 
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runnach said:
One point to add to the above, you will be asked to open gas locker to ensure gas is switched, OFF, at cylinder.
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Is that only if you have an external access gas locker. Or will someone squeeze into my little van and get down on their knees to check?
 
jennyp19 said:
After checking prices of Dover to Calais ferry and discovering how prices have risen decided to pay a little bit more and go via Chunnel. What’s the procedure when you get on there and hw long does it take?
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There was another thread about advantages of the tunnel recently . Most tunnel users were happy to pay more for the ease of use etc . I did a price comparison at the time and , in general , the tunnel was almost double the ferry . Curious about what price you are paying , using Tesco vouchers etc ?
 
carol said:
Is that only if you have an external access gas locker. Or will someone squeeze into my little van and get down on their knees to check?
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We have an underslung gas tank and they havent been on board to check the isolating valves (yet). One poked his head in the sliding door and said he was not coming in as his shoes werent clean. Otherwise I just point to the valves in the cupboard (they cant see them unless they come on board) and they seem happy with that.
Coming back they have so far just asked me if the gas is off and I say yes and if it isnt I turn it off whilst waiting to board.

Also when coming back try to keep to the right at the booths as the Motorhome passport control is on the right hand side as you go through. We also give ourselves a little extra time as there have been quite a queue for passport control which means they sometimes stop you checking in while the backlog clears. Having said that its only about 15mins or so delay.

We use Tesco Vouchers so rarely pay much "real" money.
 
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Main problem Alcam, was, ferry was coming up at £90 - next week- tunnel £116 - both one way. Maybe classed as short notice or is it schools’ half term? When we came back in June only cost us £58 and we’d only booked the previous day. The last time I paid that was a couple of years ago when I wanted to come home quickly after breaking my wrist. Not used Tesco vouchers - use other cheaper supermarkets.
 
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Like everything else the ferry seems to be getting more and more expensive with no one off deals such as the £20 food voucher (and a cheaper crossing) from a couple of years ago.
 
jennyp19 said:
Main problem Alcam, was, ferry was coming up at £90 - next week- tunnel £116 - both one way. Maybe classed as short notice or is it schools’ half term? When we came back in June only cost us £58 and we’d only booked the previous day. The last time I paid that was a couple of years ago when I wanted to come home quickly after breaking my wrist. Not used Tesco vouchers - use other cheaper supermarkets.
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Think with that price difference I would opt for tunnel . Comparison I did was for later in October
As I said tunnel was almost double
 
carol said:
Like everything else the ferry seems to be getting more and more expensive with no one off deals such as the £20 food voucher (and a cheaper crossing) from a couple of years ago.
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Crikey is it 2 years ago when we all went. Someone put about a £15 fuel voucher on (didn’t see it until after I’d booked). Pay full fare - fill up when over there, send in receipt later - meal deal was better idea.
 
Fixed market

carol said:
Like everything else the ferry seems to be getting more and more expensive with no one off deals such as the £20 food voucher (and a cheaper crossing) from a couple of years ago.
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A couple of years ago there was real competition.
They got that removed through politics.
It would have been too obvious to immediately increase prices steeply but they are getting to where the two remaining companies want them.
Once they get the prices nice and high the little offers will come back again.
 
I always have a great nap on the train, must be the gentle rocking and the clickety clack of the rails.
 
we're booked for monday evening tried using tesco vouchers for return crossing now only allowed from uk as a single crossing so couldn't book the return with the vouchers & too late for the outward bound ( tesco vouchers must give 14 days ) but as said cheap enough were tight on time on monday so ferry would have to be tuesday or very late night tunnel will allow us mon night at our favourite Baie de somme clean start tuesday morning,
 
jennyp19 said:
Main problem Alcam, was, ferry was coming up at £90 - next week- tunnel £116 - both one way. Maybe classed as short notice or is it schools’ half term? When we came back in June only cost us £58 and we’d only booked the previous day. The last time I paid that was a couple of years ago when I wanted to come home quickly after breaking my wrist. Not used Tesco vouchers - use other cheaper supermarkets.
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You don't need to shop at Tesco ... we get most of our Tesco points from using a Tesco MasterCard. Free to get one. We hammer it whenever we are back in the UK.
 
Just a quick update- I now understand why people like the tunnel - so easy and quick.
 
carol said:
Ooo, you're there you lucky things! Are you coming back for Christmas?
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Probably back sometime in December- booked for New Year at Henley. John wanted to wait until February- life’s too short to put things off - we can always come back again then.🤞
 
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