Eurotunnel or ferry?

[bobb]

If your going on the Hull ferry make sure you catch the act in the bar on an evening. It's usually spectacularly bad.

Speaking of which.....

On a trip to Austria a couple of winters ago we all went by various modes of transport from various parts of the country - a mate of mine (actually he's a mate of a mate and a complete tosser) took his van from Hull and on arrival in the continent was immediately breathalysed as he'd been in the bar all night. He was locked in a cell until he passed the test and they let him go. He was the last to arrive. The twat...

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

If your going on the Hull ferry make sure you catch the act in the bar on an evening. It's usually spectacularly bad.

I went Hull-Zeebrugge once and the "entertainment" was the worst thing I have ever seen in my entire life. We loved it.

[bobb]

If your going on the Hull ferry make sure you catch the act in the bar on an evening. It's usually spectacularly bad.

I went Hull-Zeebrugge once and the "entertainment" was the worst thing I have ever seen in my entire life. We loved it.

It wasn't 5ive was it? I know you're a big fan....

[Tourist Tony]

One small point about ferry v tunnel. With the Dover ferries, a five day return works like this: you take a boat at, say, 1200 hours on day 1, and you must set off to come back by 1200 on day 6.

With the tunnel, you take your trip out at 1200 hours on day 1, and must be back by midnight  on day 5. Even if you leave at 2355 hrs on day 1, it is still midnight day 5.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

It wasn't 5ive was it? I know you're a big fan....

No, it was nowhere near as good as 5ive.

[NHRC Chris]

LD Lines Portsmouth to Le Havre does cheaper rates than Brittany Ferries and you can get sleeper seats or cabins. 11pm sailing gets you in France for 8.30 next morning. Used if for last 3 years to travel down for La Marmotte.

[Panoramix]

Going OX-P'mth-Caen does appeal, but unfortunately a Brittany F. single O/N journey with family cabin = £389, or reclining seats instead is £310. 

    

Remember his first Brittany ferry ticket for 100 French francs. 

Ferry tickets keep going up and up, is it oil prices, or may be Brittany Ferries is disadvantaged by the weak pound?

[wwatts]

What if you are crossing the channel with only a bicycle--is a  ferry or Eurotunnel better?  I have made the crossing from Le Havre to Portsmouth, and it was okay, but I was a bit surprised to be directed to th,e lower hold with the lorries.  On the other hand, though, crossing via the Eurotunnel sounds cumbersome.  Do you actually have to book and then load your bicycle into a minivan?

Bill Watts

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I use the tunnel quite a few times a year and I have never seen anyone turn up on a bicycle!    And thinking about it, the roads leading up to it are simply not bicycling roads so I've no idea how you'd reach it other than with a motor vehicle.  As far as the French are concerned it is simply a bit of toll road or peage.

Am going through again on Weds so I will look out for cycling facilities with no great hope.

[pcolbeck]

That's because you don't ride your bike to the Eurotunnel terminal. They pick you up outside the Holiday Inn Express Folkestone and drop you at Ciffco, Boulevard de l’Europe Coquelles. Return trip is the reverse. You must book 24 hours in advance as well no turn up and go tickets.

[wwatts]

But isn't it possible to take a train through the Eurotunnel, and store the bike in the baggage room?  And I wonder how that compares to taking the ferry.

Bill Watts

[Greenbank]

But isn't it possible to take a train through the Eurotunnel, and store the bike in the baggage room?  And I wonder how that compares to taking the ferry.

Eurostar (the passenger trains that use the Channel Tunnel) require you to book in advance (for £30 one way).

If you don't book in advance, either:-

a) drop your bike off 24 hours in advance if you want it there when you get there
b) drop it off before you board and it'll be guaranteed to be at the destination within 24 hours, but usually the train after the one you're on.

If you can bag it up to be less than 120cm at its longest then it can go as extra luggage with you for £10/€15.

http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-information/travel-preparation/baggage/bikes-on-trains

[Biggsy]

But isn't it possible to take a train through the Eurotunnel, and store the bike in the baggage room?

I didn't realise non-folding bikes were allowed from St Pancreatitis.

Anyway, I took my Brompton for a spin in Paris and returned on the same day.  Nice it was.  Might do it again.  Or shall I go to Brussels instead?  What is there to see outdoors in Brussels (besides that pissing boy)?

[pcolbeck]

But isn't it possible to take a train through the Eurotunnel, and store the bike in the baggage room?  And I wonder how that compares to taking the ferry.

Bill Watts

Yes but then you would need to book in advance anyway and get on at Ashford or St Pancras, not all trains stop at Calais usually it's Lille or Paris first stop.
If you just want t o cross the channel then its EuroShuttle and its the pickup drop off thing I mentioned.

Bikes on Le Shuttle

[wwatts]

Many thanks for your explanations; I hadn't grasped the difference between the Eurostar train service and the Eurotunnel roadway until now.

Bill Watts

[pcolbeck]

It is a bit naff that they didnt create a bike and pedestrain friendly route to the actual Shuttle termini.

[Ham]

It is a bit naff that they didnt create a bike and pedestrain friendly route to the actual Shuttle termini.

Here you go: http://goo.gl/maps/sb9UO

(caveat, I have no personal experience - just looking at the map. There must be an entrance for workers.

[mattc]

That link is just a streetview (for me anyway) - no route.

[Ham]

Should have a map and streetview (otherwise just zoom out) and shows the non-motorway entrance to the terminal buildings.

[mattc]

 

[andyoxon]

We're trying Eurotunnel this year - used Tesco tokens (not cheap £170 rtn, about the same as P&O ferry).  Planning to do Oxon to Chamonix in one day; have to set off at about 4.30am, but at least the M25 should be quieter.

[robgul]

My 2p - the Eurotunnel Bike Service (le Shuttle) is brilliant - £16 each way per person, incl bike.    As stated up-thread - you meet the driver at the Holiday Inn Express and and he drops you off by the Designer Outlet place near Cite d'Europe (and vice versa)

We used it last year, both ways, for 9 of us - they dropped us at Folkestone West Station on the return journey - this year we were 13 for just the outward journey and got the driver to meet us at Folkestone West as we arrived by train from London.   The official transport figure is 8 per trip - if you ask they're very flexible - this year bikes were packed carefully in a van, with blankets over them, and we rode in a 16 seat minibus.   Excellent.

... for the Eurostar (i.e. passenger train) we checked bikes in at Gare du Nord - just wheeled them in, no bag - last Tuesday - and picked them up at St Pancras (we were a group of 13 and got a special rate of £20 per bike + the group rate passenger fare)   The trains take a max of 8 bikes so we had 6 on one train, 7 on the next, which we also travelled on.   Absolutely no problems at all.
NOTE : The 120cm luggage/bagged bike rule is now about 85cm for carry-on ... that means that even a Dahon folder only just scrapes into the size.

... and Calais/Frethun has very few trains stopping there ... and fares tend to be very, very high (London - Calais is much more than London - Paris)

If you've been by car through the tunnel you'll realise that riding to the terminal, loading the bike in the train etc is not realistic - hence the off-site pick-up.

The tunnel is the ONLY way!

Rob

[LEE]

The tunnel is the ONLY way!

Rob

I use the Eurotunnel to take our Car and folding camper to France now but it's not the only way, it's certainly not the nicest way.
I'd always choose a ferry if feasible.

For our annual cycling trips to France we, "the Faccombes", use Portsmouth ferries.  Crossing water on a boat instantly elevates your trip to an adventure.  Even the IoW Cowes chain-link.
Ferries are the best way in my opinion.  They have restaurants and bars.  You get to sleep in a proper bed and have a shower in the morning.

Actually I don't remember the cabin and didn't have a shower this year because I got too pissed in the restaurant/bar. 

However, if I could remember it, I bet it was better than the Eurotunnel.

[Russell]

For us, the tunnel is too far and involves too much driving.  Strangely it is only minutes further than Newhaven on this side but 2 hours further on the French side.  It is quicker in overall journey time as the tunnel is 35mins compared to 4 hours on the ferry.  But a drive too far.

LD Lines (now DFDS) only operate the overnight out of Portsmouth which does not allow enough sleep time to be safe the following day.  By the time they have stopped the announcements and so on and then woken you up an hour before you dock you are lucky to get 5 hours shut eye.  Their prices have gone up considerably as well.  Annoying as P'mouth is only 50 mins from us.  The return is spoiled by the grid lock that is a regular occurrence trying to exit P'mouth. They are the 3rd of the ferries to dock in the evening.

Brittany Ferries is just too expensive.  It always amazes me how busy their ferries are given the cost.

So our preferred route is Newhaven-Dieppe (very cheap on Mondays and Tuesdays - £90 if memory serves).