 Poster: A snowHead
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@acute_angina, that sounds like fun but I feel my Edinburgh-London, London-Paris & then Paris-StG might take a very long time & cost a small fortune.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fair point @Jonny996, - especially the Edinburgh to London bit. Works better for us down here in Kent.
If things work out, I reckon I can get me and junior angina from London to Briançon and back again at half term week next year for a grand total of £306. Yes it'll take a long time, but for most of that we'll be asleep, so who cares.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@acute_angina,
But for four, that becomes £612, and for six, £918. That's why people drive 
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@Chamcham, of course - that is *one* of the reasons people drive. The train remains an alternative as per the query in the thread title.
And having driven a couple of times and winced at the tolls and the fuel stops, I'm not sure there'd be a huge difference in overall cost for 4 people anyway.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@acute_angina, For four people, you're right. The trip's around £500 return for tunnel, maybe £100 less for ferry
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We don't travel at peak times and have used it twelve times in the past three years, never encountered a problem whatsoever. Not even a sniff of the slightest problem.
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I usually work off £700 for the car, to be honest flights without luggage are still cheapest option if you don't need a car while in France but the car lets you take so much more stuff
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@acute_angina, my son's have used the sleeper Briancon to Paris a few times, but usually fly the final leg back to Newcastle.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Chamcham,
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@acute_angina, For four people, you're right. The trip's around £500 return for tunnel, maybe £100 less for ferry
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Yes but then you have to start accounting for transfers to and from the airports / stations or hire car costs.
Our experience is:
low-season, week +, 3 or 4 in the car - driving is a bit cheaper but not much. Fewer people, shorter trip - fly and hire a car.
high-season - almost always cheaper to drive
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People often fail to take on board the cost of transfers - sometimes a lot more than flights, at times when cheap flights are available. For some resorts a hired car or a private transfer from the airport are the only practical options.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ok this is the third time I've written a reply to this thread!! Caravan site internet is shocking!!
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for all the replies. Some good alternatives to have a look at there. It's also good to read that generally people don't have much trouble with the tunnel. And that I may be over reacting based on very limited experience. It's certainly an easy and very direct way to travel.
So I have another question. We tend to travel from South Wales on a Friday afternoon and stay for the night in folkstone then get an early crossing on the Saturday morning. We have two kids who won't sleep in the car (unless it's about 11pm and they've hit the wall). We were wondering if we'd be better crossing on the Friday night and staying somewhere about an hour into France. The safety of driving out of Calais at night worries me a bit but this is only based on one Internet report I have read that may not even be true! We travel at peak weeks. Would this work better do you think? Less chance of delays due to volume of traffic? Not sure how we would sort out coming back to avoid the worst of it but I'll have a think about that.
Thank you again., x
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@breeze11, Once you have factored in and expect there to be at least a 1 hour delay at the tunnel it isn't too bad. We usually leave home about 8 pm and drive straight to Les Arcs and have never even seen any safety issues driving out of Calais at night. It costs about £400 return once fuel, tunnel and tolls are taken into consideration. As for coming back we leave Les Arcs after skiing on the Saturday and get an early hours crossing on the Sunday morning. Sometimes the ferry is cheeper than the tunnel and in my experience less prone to delays, but the hassle of waking our son up or carrying the sleeping body up the stairs put us off some time ago.
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@breeze11, I would get myself into France. If it is half-term, south of Reims toll booths is a good option, but that might be a bit far for you. Otherwise, this place is a good one for a stop and close to A26 http://www.lepotdetain.fr/en/ /
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You know it makes sense.
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@breeze11,
I don't think you've mentioned where you're heading. We have stayed in Ypres or Ghent on the way to the Tirol on Friday nights,
I'd also like to recommend Holiday Inn Express as it has 24hr check in so there's no stress about when you turn up. There's handy ones at Lille and Ghent about an hour from Calais. They have family rooms and the prices are good in winter, breakfast included.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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We've crossed on a Friday night and then stayed just outside St Omer, about 40 mins from Calais. No problems with safety driving out of Calais.
http://www.good-night-hotel.co.uk Is where we've stayed. Basic, but comfortable enough to get to sleep in.
We did the stay in Folkestone once and I think it's the worst night in a hotel that I have ever had.
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Poster: A snowHead
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They gave been reporting on Futch & German TV that the highway keading to Calais between Midnight & 05:00hrs is being block with trees by armed masked people smugglers on a nightly basis.
Thr Mayor if Calaus is asking for Military support.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Having taken tunnel on 8 legs to and from the Alpes in the past 12 months I simply can't put a car ferry in the same ball park. The ferries take forever to load and unload and then take an extra hour to cross from Dover to Calais . The facilities are way better both sides of the channel with the tunnel. Sitting at docks in Calais rates as one of the most miserable places in Western Europe - the toilets are unutterably awful and nowhere to get food and drink beyond vending machines. I will never take ferry again the tunnel easily shaves a couple of hours off the journey time. Don't even have to drive into Dover and its interminable roadworks. If euro tunnel want to send me a voucher then pm me!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Might be a struggle to get to the ferry today!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| stanton wrote: |
They gave been reporting on Futch & German TV that the highway keading to Calais between Midnight & 05:00hrs is being block with trees by armed masked people smugglers on a nightly basis.
Thr Mayor if Calaus is asking for Military support. |
Oh this is it! This is what I've heard about. My husband also found a video about it on the bbc news website.
I do think this is quite worrying.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@boredsurfin, Hmmm 38-tonne truck versus a few migrants 
Came back Sunday - one of the busiest days of year I suspect - was busy, trains running an hour late but was all manageable. To address the concern of attacks they now have a bigger Welcome Area - basically a large secure area prior to check in where traffic is diverted to when busy to prevent it queuing on main road where attacks could occur.
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There are firm plans for a Lorry Blockade by Truckers in Calais Port. This is to force the French Gov. to deal with the problems. The French Police will not join in, but will be participating in their own way.
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Migrant activity blocked the A16 at Calais midday today, the first time during daylight hours. French police resolved the issue using tear gas.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Hells Bells, Not on national news, but local BBC carried an article. The Mayor of Calais plans to join in.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@BergenBergen, this is really bad news for tunnel or ferry users, who wants to carry or use tear gas?
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@snowbunny, I love the concept of a rolling blockade of shopkeepers
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Poster: A snowHead
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@johnE, Apparently there is a "Human Chain" of unhappy Calais shopkeepers, residents and the Mayor in addition to the Tractors and Lorries. Rolling Blockade is a much better description 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@pam w, I wouldn't put your understanding of the ticket validity to travel upto 24 hrs beyond your departure to test. I turned up at the tunnel ( Calais side ) for the Sun evening 23:00 pm departure. Unfortunately i arrived Mon 01:20 (2 hr and 20 mins late). Original ticket return leg price was £79 and i had to pay again another £ 79 because as it was explained...'You are over 2 hours late sir...and it is another day!' Yes the ticket after 2 hours is still a valid ticket BUT only after an additional hefty surcharge - in my case a doubling of the original cost. Had i just turned up, without any reservation, it would have been £~240.
Mental note to self - check prices and don't assume Tunnel is always best...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Was that a very busy and expensive crossing? You do always have to pay the difference between the current price of your booked crossing and that of your new crossing. For that reason I always choose the most expensive time of day for my original bookings - it's usually not a big difference, and means I rarely pay any surcharge. But then I never travel at busy times. I did once face a big surcharge having made a very time consuming detour via Paris to pick up my daughter, who had been taken ill whilst on a training course. The machine asked for something like £70. I spoke to a voice in the box and he said "How about £6.25" or something of the sort. Done.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@pam w, Very early December, originally a Sun 11 pm ticket but being 20 mins over the allowed 2 hours, i then took the 2 pm crossing from memory. Machine asked for another £80 confirmed by voice in Euro tunnel box, 'You are over 2 hours late sir...and it is another day!' and that's a verbatim quote. It was not busy at all and IIRC the prices all day (24 hrs) ranged between £75 ~90. It might be so sort of policy difference between 'freight' and 'private car' as i travel in a small van - i don't know.
On another matter, Euro Tunnel website thinks 1.85m is the same as 6' ( as of booking Nov '15) The question ...'Is your vehicle under 1.85m or 6' and the and my answer was/is, Yes, under 1.85m by over 1cm but also over 6' by 1cm to. Doh.... 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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After Snowmaggedon we arrived circa 12 hours late for the tunnel. I think they charged £30. Sunday evening crossing rather than very early Sunday morning.
I've done ferries and tunnel lots of times. It's no worse than any other form of transport. Chill.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Tim Heeney, my vehicle, with roof bars and ski carrier, is right at the limit - the bar they swing just touches it. So I always go overheight. No more expensive. I have no idea whether there's a difference between private cars and commercial vans - I don't think so, as never been asked.
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@acute_angina, my son has travelled back by train in the past,but not sure it would be an option for us.
It's easy for you, I see your location is in Kent, and it's also easier if you're travelling without kids. I've got Durham to King's Cross, St Pancars to GDN, then Gare d'Austerlitz overnight to Briancon to negotiate. Not to mention they don't allow dogs on the Eurostar portion of the trip, and that is one of the reasons we drive.
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I have mostly done the drive to and from the Alps in one hit. Sometimes I have a car full, sometimes I drive alone. I have not found either crossing more reliable than the other. I have had delays on both routes, ferry and tunnel. My preference is tunnel southbound, and ferry northbound. After a full day's driving across France I am ready to sit in the brasserie and have a meal. One of the disagreeable aspects of driving in December or January is the darkness. You drive in the dark before dawn, and you drive in the dark at the other end of the day. Last Christmas we tried something different. We crossed in the tunnel at about 9 pm and immediately checked into a hotel in Calais. We then had the whole day's daylight for the drive to the Alps, instead of wasting daylight on the crossing (or in a holding park.) It worked really well. It did not really use up an extra day, as we had the whole day at home before setting off in the evening.
I have looked at the other Channel ports, but none of them make sense. Even if you can shorten the driven distance you cannot recover the extra cost of the crossing. And you also take a time penalty because of the length of crossing.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I suppose I'd better come back soon Calais situation is a bit worrying atm. Also talking to my mate about whether we will book another 10 frequent traveller trips, I think we probably will, only £43 each way.
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I do the tunnel all the time, normally with dogs and often on my own and normally find it much easier and more hassle free than the ferry, maybe thats luck. The last time though I did Flexiplus for the first time as it didn't work out much more (I had left the booking till last minute) and I must say I was glad I did as the queues were horrendous, but I wouldn't pay for it going over to France as I generally book the same crossing and I don't think the much larger price difference is worth it.
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FAQ
