 Poster: A snowHead
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We eventually made it home around 9.30pm. Fortunately traffic was relatively light, and there wasn't even queuing at Dartford crossing. Contact form completed requesting refund for our delay.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fortunate we had that delay yesterday but still made it home, as this afternoon all services are showing as suspended.
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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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They need to spend some money replacing some of the infrastructure and rolling stock imvho, its all 32 years old in may and getting unreliable
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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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@robs1 . We were just saying the same about the trains being so old now. We were in the double-decker ones yesterday, and most of the loos were either blocked or locked. Fine if you've been in the terminal, and then cross on time, but with a 3 hour delay, it wasn't.
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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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Excellent experience today. Arrived very early for a 7.16pm crossing from Calais to Folkestone. Was offered 5.16 crossing at no extra cost. The terminal car park was virtually empty, fewer than 10 cars, and no queues for French or UK border control. I headed through to the load area at 4pm and I’ve been put on the 4.16 train, three hours ahead of schedule. Travelling on a random Tuesday in January infinitely better than the experience we had on the Saturday before New Year!
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@rob@rar, very similar to our experience Thursday 8th January was as smooth as could be.
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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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@jirac18, our outbound trip on 10th was fine too, and all went well on Sunday until we were 5 minutes from Folkestone.  . We were so close that I thought the train was slowing down as we were coming out of the tunnel.
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Lunchtime crossing today - offered earlier than booked one. Bit slow through French side passport check but OK. Châlons-en-champagne overnight. We take our time now we're older and visit places on way down and/or on way back.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Hells Bells, that must have been agonising to be so close yet so far! I suppose all things are relative there are ups and downs to all our journeys, I think overall though my experience of Tunnel crossings has been vastly superior to ferry crossings and it’s still my preferred route even travelling across from Devon to get to Folkestone.
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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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@jirac18, yes. On the whole ours have been decent. It's been a very long time since we caught a ferry, and it wasn't the best experience.
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Every few years we decide to take the ferry for a change, only in summer mind. There's a few minutes of standing on deck looking at White Cliffs thinking 'ah this is the life', then you realise there's still 90-mins to go!!!!!! Plus how ever long it takes to open the doors and then wind your way out of Calais docks. At this point I'm sitting in car going 'we could be in Reims now if we'd taken tunnel'
About the only thing I like is being able to pass the time by having something to eat.
They each have pros and cons but tunnel wins for me
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You know it makes sense.
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| Boris wrote: |
| They each have pros and cons but tunnel wins for me |
We haven't taken the ferry since the tunnel opened. Jane gets seasick, and it was always a miserable start and end of the holiday for her when the only option was the ferry. We live about 90 minutes from Folkestone so using the tunnel I can drive to the Alps in a single day, arriving mid-evening so plenty of time to get settled in to my accommodation without getting too tired. If I was having to break the journey with an overnight stay I might be tempted to use the ferry to save some money, if I was travelling without Jane, as the longer crossing time wouldn't have much impact on when I arrived in resort. But the difference for me between the tunnel and the ferry is the difference between a travel day which is just about OK and one which would be unpleasantly long.
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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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The last time we used the ferry we were skiing in Peer and the ferry to Dunkirk was both cheeper and a shorter drive to the Belgian border. On the return the traffic around the Brussels' ring road was, as usual, terrible; we made the ferry with minutes to spare. Those of the party opting for the tunnel missed their crossing and were eventually put on one 3 hours later. Before that when the car broke down we crossed back as foot passengers from Calais to Dover.
If I had a relatively short drive on the continent I'd choose the ferry but to drive to Les Arcs I'd take the tunnel. The tunnel is just so much faster.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@johnE, we're similar; have taken the ferry when we road tripped to Italy but did a first night stop in Ypres - we weren't time critical so were happy to just take it easy and we could also stretch legs, have a bit to eat and just chill.
But for long drives to the Alps, or when I'm driving to central France for work, tunnel wins every time just because of the time it saves.
I did look at the ferry for our Easter trip this year but there was about £100 in it and I thought I'd take the extra spend on the chin and ensure we get further towards Bourg/Macon area.... not sure I could stomach a drive from Troyes or reims on the Saturday of check-in. Can't believe we've done that before and thought it was sensible
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For us our total journey time is little different as the time spent on the ferry is used for a substantial meal and at least an hour of sleep neither of which can be accomplished on the train. To add eating and sleeping into a Tunnel itinary would add back all the potential time saved. The time on the train is completely wasted, lucky if you are able to find an unoccupied or working toilet.
Major benefit of ferry for us is cost, fully flexible tickets on DFDS multitrip scheme are £144 return whereas Tunnel varies between £267 for Standard and £548 for Flexiplus. A difference of over £400 for a fully flexible ticket is not something i can ignore
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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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I imagine that the length of the UK journey affects whether you would rather take the ferry vs tunnel. If you have a 4-5 hour+ in the UK, the time to have a break meal, walk around makes the Ferry reasonable. For us, 2 hours from the tunnel I'd rather just get on with it.
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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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| Quote: |
The time on the train is completely wasted
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Not for me. Will typically have a coffee and a snack - ham roll or something - then recline seat and have a twenty minute relax. I can't imagine ever managing to get "an hour's sleep" on a ferry.
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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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@Origen, nor I , always too much going on around you. I often snooze in the train. Food was appalling last time I was on the ferry. Long gone are the days of the SeaFrance brasserie.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Timc, January deal this year gave us a tunnel return for about £200. We're retired so another two or three days travelling matters not one jot. Plus I've reached an age where I don't want to travel too far in one day - too tiring. That means a couple more nights in hotels but we prefer to do that. Just had a look around Bourg en Bresse. Overnight here then Flaine tomorrow.
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Came through Calais-Folkestone yesterday. We were booked on 2115 crossing (cheapest ticket type, nominally with least flexibility). An early start to drop off a friend for his flight and a clear run had us checking in at 1920. Offered 2015 crossing, which we accepted and went straight round. Terminal was very quiet. One car in front of me at French border, two cars at U.K. border. Drove round to boarding lanes and straight on to 1945 (-ish, never saw the scheduled time) crossing. Driving on the M20 by 1930.
Left Chatel at 0755, slow over the pass in fresh snow, 20 minute snarlup on Swiss motorway but then a clear run. Home in Colchester unpacking just after 21.00. 625 miles on a single tankful.
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Booked on 12.20 shuttle
Arrived at Calais terminal at 11.07
Took earliest no extra cost train at 11.50
Straight thru border controls onto queue lane bypass terminal building
Straight onto train at. 11.20!!!
Smooth and quick
Brexit made everything go much better it seems based on the actual process!!
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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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| snowornever wrote: |
Booked on 12.20 shuttle
Arrived at Calais terminal at 11.07
Took earliest no extra cost train at 11.50
Straight thru border controls onto queue lane bypass terminal building
Straight onto train at. 11.20!!!
Smooth and quick
Brexit made everything go much better it seems based on the actual process!! |
To be fair despite what people keep saying apart from having a stamp I've not noticed any difference whatsoever.
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Not sure what Brexit has to do with it either improving or getting worse myself TBH. Other than a extra visit to pet control in Folkestone when we only used to have to do it at Calais. It's the problems with the infrastructure and the fleet rather than the border controls usually. When EES comes in this may be different of course.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Hells Bells, there have been times where the border process has been slower post-Brexit. Sometimes pre-Brexit at Folkestone, we would just drive straight past French and/or UK border control without being stopped or just waving a passport. Going straight round and not having to stop for a pet-check helped too, especially on early morning crossings.
Coming back though on our recent trips, it always seems that the delays are with the UK checks rather than getting a Schengen stamp at the French border.
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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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| robs1 wrote: |
| snowornever wrote: |
Booked on 12.20 shuttle
Arrived at Calais terminal at 11.07
Took earliest no extra cost train at 11.50
Straight thru border controls onto queue lane bypass terminal building
Straight onto train at. 11.20!!!
Smooth and quick
Brexit made everything go much better it seems based on the actual process!! |
To be fair despite what people keep saying apart from having a stamp I've not noticed any difference whatsoever. |
to be fair the brexit comment was tongue in cheek, as any deterioration in service would of course be blamed on brexit, as everything else in society today that "goes wrong"
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| snowornever wrote: |
| robs1 wrote: |
| snowornever wrote: |
Booked on 12.20 shuttle
Arrived at Calais terminal at 11.07
Took earliest no extra cost train at 11.50
Straight thru border controls onto queue lane bypass terminal building
Straight onto train at. 11.20!!!
Smooth and quick
Brexit made everything go much better it seems based on the actual process!! |
To be fair despite what people keep saying apart from having a stamp I've not noticed any difference whatsoever. |
to be fair the brexit comment was tongue in cheek, as any deterioration in service would of course be blamed on brexit, as everything else in society today that "goes wrong" |
That's true
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You know it makes sense.
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Courmayer to Oxford 13 hours door to door swapping over drivers every 2 hours. 30 minutes from check in to train leaving. Couple of vans in front of us were taking a long time at UK border control but cars were only getting routine passport checks(in our case one UK and one EU). Doubt we’ll be so lucky at Easter…
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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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Just arrived 3pm for 17.20. Put on 15.52. Result
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Poster: A snowHead
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| Just arrived 3pm for 17.20. Put on 15.52. Result |
What sort of ticket?
Seems to me if it is not busy and you are up to two hours before your crossing they will offer earliest possible and if you get a wiggle on you might well get one the one before the one they have offered.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@DJL, cheapest..and yes that usually happens but not always
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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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| DJL wrote: |
| Seems to me if it is not busy and you are up to two hours before your crossing they will offer earliest possible and if you get a wiggle on you might well get one the one before the one they have offered. |
Exactly what happened to me a few days ago (Calais->Folkestone), on the cheapest ticket. Offered a train two hours ahead of schedule, went through to loading quite early and got put on the train three hours ahead of schedule. Smoothest Eurotunnel crossing in a long time.
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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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Went though with a roof box for the first time on Friday AM. Had the 8:16 booked and arrived at about 6:30 but weren't offered an earlier train (the other people we went with were but I suppose that might be because there wasn't any more space in the roof box/ tall vehicles section). Still, it's always a bonus to be offered an early train and you can't complain when it doesn't happen.
No queues to speak of either at the tunnel or for the vast majority of the drive down to Chambery except for on the A43 eastbound from Lyon where some people decided to have a crash. After that it was busy but moving all the way to Chambery.
The drive up to Les Arcs on the Saturday was without incident however there was an enormous queue the other way on the N90 caused by a poor bug in a Discovery who had got a puncture by the looks of things and I was trying to change the tyre by the side of the road.
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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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No issues yesterday Calais>Folkestone. Arrived early, got bumped onto a earlier train (2 hours earlier) at no extra cost.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Was late for my check in time coming back last night (19:22 last check in) by about 8 minutes and still managed to get on my scheduled train. Even had time for a quick toilet stop in the terminal in case the ones on the train weren’t working - not many were as it happens! So arrived at Calais at 19.30 local and was on the M20 by 20.03 Uk time, an hour and a half all in.
Probably got a few speeding tickets to come from trying to get there on time though!
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Interesting we were booked on the 19:22 yesterday, arrived early and accepted the 17:22. UK border control was very slow and we only just made the train. We were the last car on the lower deck. Had we chosen a different border control queue I think we would have been on a later train.
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Just got confirmation of £200 “compo” for long delays morning of 18/12/25 I mentioned above (or on another thread not sure!)
Mrs D had raised a complaint (actually while transferring our return trip because we ended up coming home early on the ferry- got a new crossing for golf trip in May with that!) and has been diligently pestering them since.
It is in credit for future trips to be taken before Feb 2027. Result!
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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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@Doccam, I'll keep my fingers crossed for a similar result for last Sunday then. I did chase it last night by email.
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Prodded them again on live chat, as I need to book a return crossing for end of March. I was tempted to try the ferry, but if I have a voucher, I would happily use that instead.
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FAQ
