# Using the Channel Tunnel



## Friant

Is it easy to use the tunnel with a motorhome?
Are there restrictions on height/length/bike racks?
I have got to the booking stage on their website and not been asked for this information (unlike the ferry) Is it really that simple?


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## badger

As I understand it, you just have to give your height, as you will be on a single "storey" carriage as opposed to a double stacker for cars. No restriction on length. or weight.


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## Bob45

Just your length needed and turn the gas off at the bottle.
We have used the Tunnel many times and highly recommend it. We book using Tesco vouchers so "costs" nothing, often arrive early and get straight on. Fast service and off immediately the other end.
Easy to drive on and off (slowly) as the gap on the coach is very wide.
You will love it.

Bob


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## DABurleigh

I enjoy both ferry and the tunnel, for their respective advantages. The tunnel is cheaper with Tesco, quick and convenient, usually once I've done the headlamps and had a drink and a snack it's time to get going again. The ferry I like for its "holiday" feel and a more relaxing meal, though we are finding the food increasingly poor.

I think LPG tanks have a 47kg limit from memory. Seems a lot to me, maybe 47l.

Dave


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## Caggsie

I too had your worries, we booked for the first time in July using the tesco voucher route. It was great. The gap is big enough to get a v large coach through so no worries on that score. It takes 35 mins, as Dave has said, by the time you get on settle in a bit it's time to get moving again.

I also thought I might feel a bit claustrophobic, but being in the van you hardly realise that it has gone dark outside. I would certainly use again and throughly recommend it.

Karen


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## loddy

I always use the tunnel with RV, trailer and dog, easy squesy

Loddy


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## Stanner

The only requirement is that you MUST tell them you are a high vehicle and whether you are towing a trailer (I think) or you may find they haven't allocated you to the full height part of the train and as said space there is limited.


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## orian

I have used the tunnel for a number of years and agree with the advantages listed previously.

After having my indicator light broken on a ferry whilst I was away from the vehicle I vowed not to use the ferry again. Although I was compensated I spent the first day of my holiday sourcing and fitting a replacement part.

On the train you stay with, and enjoy the comfort of your own vehicle. Gets my vote every time.


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## rayrecrok

Tunnel a piece of cake, and when I go at daft O'Clock in January the thing is nearly always less than half full with plenty of room.

Summer?.

The dog loves it she is sat in the van and she knows its moving but we are stood still inside the carriage, she never can get her head round it.


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## GerryD

If you book as a campervan it is automatically assumed that you are a high vehicle. No other details are required.
Gerry


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## drcotts

Hi Yes very easy.
And quick too.

You can get there up to 2 hrs before your official time and if theres space on the next train they will give you the option of going early which i have done most times.

very easy and effortless.
You will be last on becasue of the gas bottles so dont be surprised if you find yourself waiting with no one else there. they put anyone with gas right at the back so just wait. You will probally board 5 mins before the train leaves but your on in a flash.

You will be in the double heigt carraged with coaches etc so no heinght or weight issues

Phill


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## brockley

Fantastic, every time we have used it. They are also meant to ask you to roll down a window so that you can hear any emergency instructions, although last time I was more interested in reading about the Blossom Hill offer and thinking about how I could fill the van on the way back. £2/bottle :wink: Pity the offer ends before we go back on 20th September.


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## Friant

Thanks to everyone, it really is simple then.
I too want to use my clubcard vouchers for a "free" trip.

Now this is going to sound a very silly question for those of you that know but ..... do you stay in your van then?No getting of,going down a corridor and sitting in a carriage? Please forgive me as this is what I'd assumed you did.


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## MeFeinMcCabe

Came back this morning on it

Realistically if you are interested in time the Shuttle wins everytime. Easy to use and deposits you on the Motorway either end.

One thing I would say to watch out for is if you dont show up for your allocated time they tend to hammer you.

They wanted an extra 140 yoyos to go on the 05:20 crossing, I was booked on the 08:40

Anyway parked up and had a snooze.


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## loddy

Stay in your vehicle and have a cuppa, boil some water and put into flask before loading, have a snack, last time we used the shuttle it broke down, 8O we were under the sea for 2 hours, no probs just had a sleep 

Loddy


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## Stanner

Friant said:


> Thanks to everyone, it really is simple then.
> I too want to use my clubcard vouchers for a "free" trip.
> 
> Now this is going to sound a very silly question for those of you that know but ..... do you stay in your van then?No getting of,going down a corridor and sitting in a carriage? Please forgive me as this is what I'd assumed you did.


Nope your vehicle is your carriage and in the case of motorhomes the toilets as well - last few times we went almost all the toilets seemed to be out of order.

Make a cuppa before you board though as the gas has to be off all the time you are on the train.


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## GEMMY

Recently I mixed up the dates, and turned up 21 hrs.late instead of my 3hrs early that I thought. 8O  

They chaged me £20 to sort it out, and was placed on the next train.  

tony


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## clemmo

*Tesco Vouchers??*

Whats this Tesco Vouchers lark?

hows it work?

(Ive just got a clubcard this week)

Clemmo


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## greenasthegrass

I love Eurotunnel here is Russell's how to:

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopict-47967-tescos.html+eurotunnel

Have never paid for a crossing yet. I use about £33 worth twice a year its almost all the tokens I receive but its worth it. I don't shop there all the time either I think its quite expensive but fill up with fuel occasionally although have found Shell to be cheaper lately.

But considering tokens are given free a crossing for us is around £130 then its a free crossing.

HTH

Greenie


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## machilly

Bob45 said:


> Just your length needed and turn the gas off at the bottle.
> We have used the Tunnel many times and highly recommend it. We book using Tesco vouchers so "costs" nothing, often arrive early and get straight on. Fast service and off immediately the other end.
> Easy to drive on and off (slowly) as the gap on the coach is very wide.
> You will love it.
> 
> Bob


This will be our first time using the Tesco vouchers for the Tunnel, tickets arrived by email today, cost me absolutely nothing for my return journey.
My business takes me into Pubs and Clubs, so I have been bumming all the empty coke cans, just got 300 points today on the next statement......(I have used the tunnel before, but never for free)

Thank you Tesco

regard


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## rugbyken

it really is as simple as everyone say's booked on again for sept 23 £35 of tesco voucher's "thank's again russel"
there is a sliding section like a giant cockpit screen, with a side ramp probably a 50ft section then you drive down an elongated carriage, they shut this up in section's as they fill and almost as soon as it's full & chocked, your off, an hour from french motorway to english motorway last year , by far the most stress free crossing of all the method's i've used .


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## adonisito

Use the tunnel, brilliant. When you get off go to CitiEurope Carrefour carpark, stay the night, next day, first thing, do all your shopping and off you go, no problem. Also very good if you have a dog like us, you stay with him/her in the van. Have fun!


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## AndrewandShirley

Yes its that simple.

Its the only way we travel.

Norfolk lines is also very good and cheap.

Enjoy and take a flask and sandwiches and watch the motorists look at you in awe!!!


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## hymerowner

Tunnel is the only way!

Hw is Geraldine's replacement shaping up AndrewandShirley?


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## TDG

Before it opened I said I would never use it - I believed it was a death trap :evil: 
However, about a week after it opened I HAD to get to Rotterdam pdq and couldn't get a flight and the ferries were stopped because of... ????? so the tunnel it had to be  
Since then I have been hooked and have used it at least 100 times, mainly for cars but also a couple of times with a van and never have any problems.
For me the great attraction is that if you time it right, it can be only 1 hour from the M20 in the UK to the A16 in France
A couple of weeks ago I got from North of Amsterdam to Southampton in 6 hours 10 minutes which, with all the faffing around flying these days, is quicker door-to-door than I could do it by plane. Yes I know........ a totally irrelevant comment for this forum  Sorry


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## drcotts

greenasthegrass said:


> I love Eurotunnel here is Russell's how to:
> 
> http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopict-47967-tescos.html+eurotunnel
> 
> Have never paid for a crossing yet. I use about £33 worth twice a year its almost all the tokens I receive but its worth it. I don't shop there all the time either I think its quite expensive but fill up with fuel occasionally although have found Shell to be cheaper lately.
> 
> But considering tokens are given free a crossing for us is around £130 then its a free crossing.
> 
> HTH
> 
> Greenie


Hi
In rapides post in the link above he states that the tesco card can be used to get points at asda. Have i read this right?

Phill


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## Skar

You get points wherever you use the tesco credit card.


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## mandyandandy

Hi, Came back on tunnel last night, brilliant as always, staff are always cheerful and polite too. 

Went out 28 hours early when we left last Tuesday, cost us £2 extra. 

Came home yesterday (car park was heaving with traffic) offered us 2 options as we were 4 hours early either £128 more for next train or £20 more for the train after, we went for the £20 (as all done by Tesco vouchers in the first place anyway) . 

Ended up being put right on the back of the earlier train as they were trying to fit as many as they could on, guy in front had to pull right up to doors and his bikes on his Hymer over hung our bonnet, very strange feeling but all chocked in and we got home nice and early.   

We also have a Tesco credit card and I use it for shopping anywhere including buying for my company and clearing card each month, we use the vouchers for days out around the UK and the Tunnel at least 4 times a year. 

Next trip for us in the Christmas markets for which we have already booked  

Mandy


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## Friant

Sent for my tunnel vouchers yesterday from Tesco, so will book as soon as they come.

Are there "duty free" offers on the journey?


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## Stanner

Friant said:


> Are there "duty free" offers on the journey?


There is NOTHING on the train except (usually out-of-order) toilets.

There are shops in each terminal the French one sells ****, booze and expensive Toblerone (???).

There is no "Duty Free" within the EU any more - you pay the duty/tax of the country you are in and that varies and it can vary a lot.

Wine beer etc. can be cheapest in France (e.g. Belgian Beer cheaper than in Belgium and no deposit charged on bottles as it is in Belgium) Tobacco cheaper in Belgium than France and even cheaper in Luxembourg and I think Spain, but not been there for years.

As with everything anywhere you have to hunt around.

This
http://www.day-tripper.net/welcome.html
will explain where to buy what.


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## drcotts

Skar said:


> You get points wherever you use the tesco credit card.


HI bit confuzzled
so when I buy £150 of shopping at Asda i can put points on me tesco card. If so i am a happy bunny.

Is this right?


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## Techno100

Its costing me £64 return with sea France. How much more might! I expect to pay by tunnel?


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## drfcchris

hi techno, if you book early depending on time of day the cheapest we have found is around £ 61 / £69 one way,
you have to look at the train times as they do vary alot in price on the day
we are using the tunnel on the fri 24 sept 7am returning 9 oct
return price £144 (good old Tesco)

Rgds chris


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## rayc

drcotts said:


> Skar said:
> 
> 
> 
> You get points wherever you use the tesco credit card.
> 
> 
> 
> HI bit confuzzled
> so when I buy £150 of shopping at Asda i can put points on me tesco card. If so i am a happy bunny.
> 
> Is this right?
Click to expand...

Yes, if you are using a Tesco *CREDIT CARD *you get points no matter where you purchase from. This does not of course apply to a bog standard Tesco Club card.


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## Hymervanman

Use Tesco Vouchers for your crossing-if you book a time-slot at xx pounds and turn up early for what would normally be a dearer crossing ( normally allowed up to 2 hours before), eurotunnel will automatically give you the option of an earlier crossing at no extra charge.
We have just returned from France and were booked on a 1010 train. We arrived at the booths at 0730 and were on our way back to the UK at 0750- straight through customs /passport and straight on the train- only 7 vehicles total in the double-height carriages.
All courtesy of Tesco- every little helps.........


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## Techno100

Thanks Chris. We don't use tesco much and asda fuel is cheaper , potentially the tunnel can be as much as a tank of deisel dearer 8O


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## b2tus

We have just booked for Sept out and back (2 week gap) at sensible hours (not silly o'clock) and thetheoretical cost was £164. We paid with £41 of Tesco vouchers!!

Excellent value but I fear for the future of the Tesco 4X scheme as some ferry operators are closing and it won't be long before Eurotunnel hike their prices and cancel the Tesco scheme.

I hope my pessimism is ill founded.


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## Techno100

Tesco credit card only give 1 point to every 4squid so £16,000 squids to get a mere £40 :lol:


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