 Poster: A snowHead
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We've been lucky to date that kids have both had an inset day on the Friday before February Half Term. Wife has snagged herself a new job at a local school which we're pleased about, unfortunately that will mean we can't get a head start Friday morning.
Having zero experience with the Friday evening (and slog around M25 from Guildford) what is the tunnel like? Is it wise to raid piggy banks and go Flexiplus or just stick with standard and wait it out? Presume tunnel becomes more busy as the day wears on but enough cross in the evening so just a case of waiting for our turn.
Appreciate the advice from this that cross Friday evening before February Half Term.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We would drive straight from the kids getting out of school at 3pm (we did once drive across France with one of the kids art projects on the back shelf) down to Ashford for a 5 or 5:30 train. We are only a few miles inside the M25 and a couple of junctions around from the M26 so not too far, and never really had issues with traffic as such - when they were doing the stack operations for the lorries meant a substantial detour but again not really traffic. Only did Flexiplus once - wasn't worth it.
Once you're on site its always felt like a bit of a lottery when the train goes, just go get into the boarding queues as soon as and you'll either get on the train before, the train you planned or the one after depending on how backed up the boarding queues have been handled during the day. Can be a little trickier I understand if you've got a bigger vehicle and need to go in the single-decker train carriages.
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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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@James77, Its a lottery ime, the hard bit is getting around the M25 and to the coast, once in the Le Shuttle system its anyone guess what time you get on as @Richard_Sideways, says. Sometimes you get on an earlier one, mostly ime its an hour late with no communication, very annoying. I've never travelled at the half-term Friday evening, I can only imagine it'll be rammed and tbph i'd personally try go either morning and beat the queues ort alternati=vely a day early and stop over on route.
LeS seems to me a classic case study in how not to run a transport service, once through the barriers is a constant stress and what could be a great service is badly organised imv, not helped by all the Brexs**t borders nonsense and paranoia around people smuggling etc. Customer service 2/10, train journey once on it 9/10 (WC's a nightmare), border control 1/10, overall 4/10 imv. The attitude seems to be they are doing you a favour, they forget you are paying their wages, its a badly run sole provider. who lets be frank can only get away with it because there's little alternative. On the other end of the scale try Calmac ferries sometime 10/10 imv, unfortunately they don't go to France!
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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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@Markymark29, Thanks, like I say we have in the past left Friday morning but now not possible so have to just get through it.
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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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@James77,
We've did the tunnel last Feb half term. Leaving from the Guildford area.
We picked the kids up from school, had a bite to eat and then left probably around 5pm.
We were booked on a 9pm ish tunnel. It definitely didn't leave at 9, but we were just put on the next available train.
Not sure if we were just lucky but traffic was fine.
This year we took the ferry leaving at midnight (it was delayed til 1am). And again traffic after rush hour getting to Dover was ok.
We then drive through the night,with a quick half hour heads down in an aire. Arrived this time to the 3valleys by 5pm just as we could check into the apartment.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I live only around 45 minutes from the tunnel, so at least avoid M25 etc. To answer the question:
2013 Arrived in plenty of time for 8.00pm-ish crossing, there was a fair amount of snow, total chaos and eventually got onto a train around 2.30am.
2014 Forked out for Flexiplus to avoid a repetition but needn't have bothered - everything was running smoothly.
So, as others have said, it's just luck of the draw. Interestingly (maybe) they don't have this Friday down as a peak day for Flexiplus, with additional charge, so perhaps it won't be as heavy as the last two Fridays.
https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/tickets-and-fares/types/flexiplus/flexiplus-peak-dates/
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Did it once from central London, leaving after school and it took ages to get to the tunnel, ages to queue to the check-in machines, ages to snake around the car park, ages to get through passport control. Net result we didn't get to our overnight stop in Saint-Quentin till ~01:30.
Did it again the following year, had a clean run to the tunnel, only a couple of cars queue for check-in, no snake through the car park, no queue at passport control. Net result we got to our overnight stop in Saint-Quentin ~19:30.
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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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@HilbertSpace, Yep, IF it happens, I think we may do a cheap off peak day trip in October/ November just to get "registered" etc. there is a large building being constructed near the Eurotunnel terminals both ends, so I guess it will happen at some point.
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@boredsurfin, report to the large windowless warehouse for processing... in unrelated news, suspicious diots will soon be available for purchase in the gift shop.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We crossed last Easter (probably not as busy as Feb). Having nightmare journey from Bradford (4hrs to get to A1M because of acccident on M62), we missed the final check-in time by 10mins. Instead of 9pm, they told us we’d be on 3:20am! I pressed the button and spoke to someone who told me to go to booking and they may be able to help. They couldn’t…..officially. The lady suggested we just tried to get through. So, we set off around the queue system and no-one batted an eyelid. We ended up on the train next train to what we would have been on had we had made the check-in time. Like the post says above, there is very little organisation and when it’s really busy, it’s a free for all. Quality once in the tunnel and away, except the WCs, which haven’t worked for about 5yrs as far as I can tell. As for the borders, not really noticed much difference. They check the passports, understandably, and occasionally swab the car (or whatever it is they do) but not much difference in my experience. When busy, it’s busy and slow. When quiet, it’s fairly quick and easy.
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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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Flexiplus is gruesome at half term. We arrived at c19:00 on the Friday night and had to queue to get into the carpark. We also had to queue for about 30 minutes before boarding the train, which is not the normal experience (and there weren’t any decent sandwiches left!)
I can’t compare what the wait times were to a non flexiplus ticket, but don’t anticipate a quick entry through. It may make it less painful though.
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You know it makes sense.
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My experience of Flexiplus are:
1. It's very good if you can't be sure on your arrival time or have someone in your car who will get stressed about missing your scheduled, non-Flexiplus train.
2. Provided you stick to the 2 dedicated Flexiplus lanes it will be quicker than cattle class if there are any sorts of delay. Do NOT pay any attention to the electronic signs saying "Flexiplus - Use any lane". We did that once and post check-in no amount of showing him our Flexiplus boarding ticket would persuade the jobsworth in high vis. to let us into the Flexiplus shortcut lane so we had to spen over and hour snaking throught terminal car park.
3. Other than to use the toilets and grab a last good cup of tea before leaving the UK there's no point stopping at the Flexiplus terminal. It just sucks up time, especially with children in tow and even when fully stocked there still aren't any decent sandwiches! You're much better off either having some snacks in the car from home and making it to dinner in France or grabbing food before you get to the tunnel.
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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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Coming home at New Year or Half Term, the Flexiplus has been a godsend to us.
On the part of the French Autoroute where you first catch sight of the queue of waiting vehicles at Coquelles, we’ve witnessed 1,000’s going nowhere fast. Seemingly all Land Rovers and Volvo XC90’s  . An OMG moment in our car with a painfully tedious Sunday lying ahead.
Only to be waved through, almost straight onto trains with our Flexiplus ticket.
In my opinion it’s a worthwhile investment when coming home on an ultra busy weekend.
We’ve also used Flexiplus when returning home in the August bank holiday.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Snow&skifan, thank you. Its leaving the uk at February half term Friday evening i'm interested In coming home I'm well versed in.
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