 Poster: A snowHead
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First April trip to Les Coches since 2019. We have previously always had Flexiplus for the tunnel with our aparment booking (Erna Low) this time we have booked accommodation via Booking.com and were going to try the Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry as friend’s preferred that. However the tunnel works out around £400 cheaper, but not Flexiplus.
How busy is the tunnel likely to be on that Friday night? Driving from Scotland so looking around a 6pm tunnel.
Other option would be ferry from Dover to Calais or Dunkirk. How chaotic are either (tunnel and ferry) likely to be from experience?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I wouldn't have thought it would be too bad, and Flexiplus is extortionate. I'd be inclined to turn up early and be prepared to pay a supplement to get on an earlier train. I have the same dilemma for travelling out the evening of 22 December - which WILL be busy.
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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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@Gilly28, it is Good Friday. When I try to make a booking for that day,there is a warning message that it is a 'very busy day'.
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Yes, I got the same for 22 December. But I just can't justify Flexiplus. Hope for the best, and don't fret if delayed, is my philosophy..
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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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Tunnel is so much less hassle than ferry - I've not been on a ferry for yonks.
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@Hells Bells, ah we are not getting that message….
@pam w,” tunnel less hassle than ferry “ yeah this is what I was wondering. Just wondered if you can sometimes wait hours to get train slot, don’t mind say an hour wait but was worried it was ridiculous at times
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@Gilly28, if there's a breakdown then yes it can be hours, I've had 3 hour delays this year but also straight on
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@Gilly28, we also drive from Scotland, sometimes take the Newcastle boat, sometimes the Eurotunnel; usually decision made by ultimate destination in alps. Not used Dover ferries in many years.
On Good Friday however I would definitely prefer the Newcastle-Amsterdam boat. Nothing could induce me to drive through England (other than border to Newcastle) on a bank holiday weekend if at all avoidable!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yes, coming from Scotland does make a difference! I live on the south coast, though getting to Dover is still via the M25.
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28th/29th/30th March are all classified as very busy days in eurotunnel and you should be seeing a warning to that effect suggesting you look 2 days either side for better prices and availability
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We've been the past 2 years over Easter and took the ferry. Found the customer service to be great. They recognised its going to be busy and always put out a message a week before advising you to turn up 2 hours before your sailing and they would put you on the next available ferry. No problem at all
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Tunnel is so much less hassle than ferry - I've not been on a ferry for yonks. |
If you haven't been on a ferry for such a long time how do you know what you are missing?!!  They can be enjoyable if you book with one of the better companies.
If I lived in Scotland I'd be inclined to give the Newcastle ferry a try.
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@snowymum, yeah we were going to give the Newcastle ferry a try, i wasn’t so keen as it’s then nearly a 12 hour drive to Les Coches without taking into account supermarket and fuel stops, so would probably do an overnight between Amsterdam and Les Coches. However it is also around £400 more expensive than the tunnel. We have done the tunnel a couple of times, always same two weeks, however we have always had flexiplus included with our accommodation. It has always been great.
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You know it makes sense.
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I did a LOT of ferries in the olden days, @snowymum, mostly when I could get a western Channel crossing from Portsmouth free with Tesco club card points. All that trailing up and down stairways, failing to sleep if it was a night crossing, kids running around if it was a day crossing. Just drive on a train, have a snooze for 35 minutes, drive off. No contest for me. And I got lots of eurotunnels free with Tesco points once upon a time, too. The drive to Dover though - and even worse, home from Dover at the end of a holiday, is a bummer. But I never travelled at peak times in the olden days. This Christmas, no choice.
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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 did ferry a bit when the kids were young because after an hour in the soft play area and a picnic they would sleep well on the overnight drive down to the Alps. But as they got older the speed and convenience of the tunnel won over. Did revert to a ferry (one way) a couple of years back when the tunnel was really pricey.
Never paid the hefty Flexi premium, never seen the need tbh.
In general never had too much of an issue even on busy days - apart from snowmageddon one time but Flexi or ferry wouldn't have saved anyone then.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Newcastle-Amsterdam on a Bank Holiday weekend might not be the best option for families though. It does have a bit of a reputation as a party boat.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Personally I wouldn't expect the tunnel to be too bad at 6pm on Good Friday.
Accomodation will still mostly be Sat/Sat and while at Feb Half Term school break up on the Friday and everyone flocks to the channel, either for an early crossing/overnight stop or later crossing/drive through the night at Easter they break on the Thursday. That means people are spread across the whole of the Friday, not just 'post school'.
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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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and it is not a bank holiday in France either.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| Newcastle-Amsterdam on a Bank Holiday weekend might not be the best option for families though. It does have a bit of a reputation as a party boat. |
The “kids” will be 17 and 19, they may be up for a party boat  However think we have ruled out the Newcastle ferry due to price as it is £400 more than tunnel.
Also to throw a spanner in works, looking at Newhaven Dieppe crossing, booking a cabin and hopefully get a few hour’s sleep and therefore not requiring an overnight north France.
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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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Driving from Edinburgh my preferred route is now Portsmouth to Caen, now that Hull to Zeebrugge is no more. Portsmouth is closer than Dover and don't need to go near the M25. Caen is closer to the Tarantaise than Calais. Its a short overnight crossing that breaks the journey nicely. Maybe worth looking at.
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Just looking at the options for my trip back to the UK this Sunday. €198 for the train or £90 for a DFDS ferry. Think i'll be taking the ferry on this occasion.
Trip back over to the continent will be with the train though regardless of price difference. So much move convenient as i'll have the dog with me then, and we'll be trying to get all the way back to Austria without stopping over anywhere.
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I used the ferry in the summer for a trip , from Edinburgh, i've been tunnel as well before a couple of times and on balance if times not of the essence then the ferry was quite nice - I think we left here about 1:30pm, boat was at 5. Got on, had dinner and a couple of drinks, amazing nights sleep, got off and drove to Les Gets that day. Last tunnel trip getting to Folkestone was fraught as Dartford Crossing a nightmare and was shattered by the time i got on the train. Slept for the 30 mins but we ended up stopping for a night as we were all battered from the UK side drive !
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If you take the tunnel just be prepared for delays and have drinks, snacks etc in the car.
While I would chose train over boat, following Eurotunnel on Twitter I don't think there has been a day in the last 6-months where they haven't been reporting delays of some sort. They never say what the delays are, however it's obvious to anyone that the trains are increasingly tired and I think they're suffering increased number of breakdowns.
Once there's been a delay it stacks up very quickly and of course all the Flexi PLus bookers will be given priority
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Gilly28, We know of someone who regularly uses the Newhaven Dieppe ferry as they own a property in France and it is good value. However I think the crossing is only 4-5 hours long so you would get some sleep but not a lot! If you are looking to save money it probably is the best option for you this time.
For future reference Peak Retreats do self drive packages with the tunnel or ferry. We have found that if we book Brittany Ferries (eg Portsmouth to Caen) through them it is quite a bit cheaper than booking direct with Brittany Ferries. The Brittany Ferries prices are also a lot cheaper in the winter than the summer.
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@Boris, Do you know how many trains an hour Eurotunnel are running at the moment, or are planning to run during peak holiday periods? Pre covid Brexit it used to be 4 an hour I think, whereas last year it seemed to be 3. I wonder if this is what is causing the delays.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@snowymum, On their App they are currently showing 2 trains an hour, which seems to be the norm off-peak now. Not sure on peak times but it's certainly less than when they started, at peak times then they'd be running every 7-minutes if needed.
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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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I'm always of the view that what's cheaper wins. And the cost opportunity of what you can do with the savings??
Personally, why don't you knock the back out of a good chunk of the drive on Thursday night? Use some of your savings and stay in a cheap hotel half way instead of driving to the tunnel on Good Friday (think Travel Lodge are doing a discounted rooms promo??). Or, with friends??
I've crossed with the tunnel on 'very busy days' and it seems no busier than the normal school holiday bustle. I've also never done Flexplus and, from what I hear and have experienced, it doesn't always pan out in your favour!
My tip....when you check in, go to a 'human' window if you can as I've been offered earlier crossings at no extra cost. Auto check in is literally that.
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Auto check in does offer earlier crossings if not busy - taken advantage of that several times
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You know it makes sense.
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| snowrider wrote: |
| Driving from Edinburgh my preferred route is now Portsmouth to Caen, now that Hull to Zeebrugge is no more. Portsmouth is closer than Dover and don't need to go near the M25. Caen is closer to the Tarantaise than Calais. Its a short overnight crossing that breaks the journey nicely. Maybe worth looking at. |
Having a look at that now! Thanks!
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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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[quote="kettonskimum"]I'm always of the view that what's cheaper wins. And the cost opportunity of what you can do with the savings??
Personally, why don't you knock the back out of a good chunk of the drive on Thursday night? Use some of your savings and stay in a cheap hotel half way instead of driving to the tunnel on Good Friday (think Travel Lodge are doing a discounted rooms promo??). Or, with friends??
Yeah we are considering travelling down a bit on Thursday and staying with friends in either Liverpool or Leicestershire , would still be tunnel on Good Friday and probably busier hitting it midday?
The Newhaven Dieppe is the cheapest option just now. The Portsmouth Caen looked ideal but it is as expensive as the Newcastle Amsterdam
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Gilly28, Yes I think it would be busier midday - it'll move and clear you just need to prepare for it!
I've travelled on Good Friday before, however have always aimed to get earliest train we can, usually around 7am, and it's been fine. That's leaving home (Banbury area) at 3:30am.
If in Leicester personally I'd be opting for an early start, also miss the worst of traffic on M25 etc
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Boris wrote: |
@Gilly28, Yes I think it would be busier midday - it'll move and clear you just need to prepare for it!
I've travelled on Good Friday before, however have always aimed to get earliest train we can, usually around 7am, and it's been fine. That's leaving home (Banbury area) at 3:30am.
If in Leicester personally I'd be opting for an early start, also miss the worst of traffic on M25 etc |
Yeah we are thinking if that’s the case we may stop overnight at Lake Annecy as we don’t get into apartment till late afternoon Saturday, so a wee add on to the holiday, spent a few hours there before and it’s lovely. We are 2 families so an overnight with friends on Thursday may not work if the other family are going to do same crossing as us. They may not be able to travel on the Thursday, still a few variables to work out.
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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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Being a "local" to M25 and regularly using it from M1 Junction round to Kent area, I'd make every effort to avoid it at end of week between 15:30hr & 19:30hr regardless of any schedule. It really is appalling in traffic volume during that heavy time.
I'd have less worries about the Tunnel on your schedule as they are usually planned to gear up for it at peak. Obviously things can go wrong, but generally it does flow through there.
Newhaven, Lord Lucan's favoured route  wouldn't be a bad choice but with a "fuzzy" journey to it in regards to roads, primarily A roads, but meandering also traffic prone at peak times too.
If you aimed to be at either exit of UK in those two, 16:00hr would be probably the latest making traffic sense, then dealing with the transit schedule around that target.
I absolutely love Annecy as approach to the Alps and always try to go through there if possible. So beautiful driving down along the lake there. 1st ever trip to the Alps took us there, has always stuck in my memories of just how lovely it is.
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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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I've used Irish since Eurotunnel stopped the frequent traveller tickets. Been very happy with the service, only once delayed during the recent storms. Prices on board are a bit toppy, but plenty of comfortable seating and good wifi.
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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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| Gilly28 wrote: |
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Also to throw a spanner in works, looking at Newhaven Dieppe crossing, booking a cabin and hopefully get a few hour’s sleep and therefore not requiring an overnight north France. |
We've used this crossing a few times as we live about an hour West of Newhaven - actually live ten minutes from the Portsmouth ferries but the price difference is worth the extra drive. It's not a long crossing but we've always managed to grab enough sleep to get us through the long drive the next day. It gets into Dieppe so early that it is easily possible to get to the mountains in one go.
Check in is usually quick and easy and we've never seen it busy.
It's so much cheaper than any of the other routes and if one of your party is over 60 then the whole booking gets a 20% discount.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Gilly28 wrote: |
How busy is the tunnel likely to be on that Friday night? Driving from Scotland so looking around a 6pm tunnel.
Other option would be ferry from Dover to Calais or Dunkirk. How chaotic are either (tunnel and ferry) likely to be from experience? |
The Tunnel won't be too busy at that time on GF. As others have mentioned most of the traffic will have cleared by midday. We did a half term Saturday crossing around midday a few years ago on a Sun-Sun trip and we went straight onto the train.
The only caveats are the weather, strikes and breakdowns.
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Thanks all, given us a lot to think about.
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We opted for the Dover>Calais ferry this Summer for a Tuscany road trip but ended up regretting it slightly; waaaay cheaper than Eurotunnel (via Canvas holidays) but there's so much time dedicated beforehand to getting there, queuing up and then waiting to load, compounded at busy times of the year like school hols. Only bonus is that it gives us time to stretch the legs, eat etc. and that we had given ourselves 4 days to travel.
We've opted Eurotunnel for our March 2024 trip the week before you so are hoping for a hassle-free journey but have opted for a Friday midday, leaving at 7am from the midlands meaning we can do a stopover halfway to ADH - obvs not possible for you because of your UK leg of the drive, but I've always found the tunnel way easier to deal with. Plus, even when we have arrived late we've always been out on the next available crossing, which (touch virtual wood) has never been more than an hour of waiting.
Definitely worth looking at the other south coast routes though - Caen could be an option, longer ferry journey (maybe overnight, I'm not certain) but same distance on the French side as Calais
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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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It would be the drive through England & M25 that would bother me most, however on Good Friday later on it "shouldn't" be too bad, Maundy Thursday is notoriously one of the busiest on the roads however so I would avoid the M25 like a plague the day before!
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@Gilly28, I know you mention the cost difference of £400 between Eurotunnel and the Newcastle ferry, is this overall for both outbound and return, but does that factor in the additional fuel cost travelling to Folkestone rather than Newcastle from scotland?
if not, would this not take a substantial chunk out of the difference by going via the ferry, without a days slog down to the tunnel and then also gaining a nights kip?
we took the overnight from Portsmouth to Caen last season, and will be doing it again next easter, leaving similar date as you.
it is more expensive than the tunnel, though i have noticed that Eurotunnel prices have crept up recently, but for us (from bath) it saves a few of hours driving either way in the uk, and we get a good rest before heading up to the mountains.
I have also used the tunnel several times before, and will still use it if it suits my destination on the continent, but quite like the overnight ferry journey as we can have a meal and a few beers that night, a goods night sleep and a continental breakfast onboard before driving through France to the alps.
i have also persuaded the bunch of blokes that i go to the le mans 24hr weekend with for the last couple of trips, to do the Wednesday overnight ferry instead of the early Thursday morning ferry, as we can have a beer or 12 on board and manage to get to Le Mans for around lunchtime on the Thursday to set up camp
whichever way you choose, i hope you have a great journey, and a great stay in Annecy if you decide to do this, i also love the town and the views around the lake.
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FAQ
