 Poster: A snowHead
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Nadenoodlee that's about right. We rarely pay more.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hells Bells, a few weeks before usually, since I won't know the exact date. Never seen a price below 180 return, and obviously don't have the opportunity for Tesco's vouchers. Ferry is almost always 35 each way, occasionally a bit more, booked last minute. Except when I go to Scotland, when I need to take out a 2nd mortgage for the Amsterdam-Newcastle ferry (which I only pay, cos I don't really want an 18+ hour drive each way), and then they expect me to cough up £16 for fish and chips (packed lunch ftw).
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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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andy, Newcastle ferry is shocking.
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Hells Bells, tell me about it. It used to be about 350 return. Now it's 700+. Hull ferry is cheaper, but don't really save that much once the extra fuel is added on. And even when the Rosyth ferry ran, it was every other day, on the wrong days to fit my schedule. And presumably when the Rosyth ferry shut down (once more, yet again), DFDS cranked up their Newcastle-Ansterdam fares because of the extra demand from Scottish holidaymakers. I doubt I'll see much change from £800 this year.
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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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andy, husband's brother and children live in Ijmuiden, two minutes at most from the ferry. The rest of his family live 10 minutes at most from North Shields terminal, but it is ridiculously pricy to visit.
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Loads cheaper to drive to Dover (tunnel or ferry) if going skiing (other than Pyrennees) than being ripped off from the South West by Brittany Ferries.
Hadn't done Shuttle for years but seemed fine to me a few weeks ago and seemed a little cheaper than I remember it - the benefits of competition.
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countryman, prices don't seem to have increased much in the past few years, although I'm sure I could go for £99 return at one time.
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If it goes wrong it can be awful, but same is true for ferries. Ferries also no good for those of us who would spend journey throwing up in anything but flattest sea.
Have used both over the years and would always choose tunnel.
Apart from peak times, I've always managed to get crossings for around £49 each way.
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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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Julian T, stop using it?
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Never had any issues and use the Chunnel 4+ times a year. I guess you were unfortunate to experience a problem. It's way better for me than the ferry and delays are far less common, plus the stewards are great at letting one sneak onto an earlier ferry, provided you want to lurk (in my experience at least).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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a few weeks before usually, since I won't know the exact date.
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you don't need to know the exact date - it's very easy to change. And if you are travelling before booked date or up to 24 hours after you can just turn up, unless it's a busy time. And if you turn up within a two hour window of your booked time you won't pay more, even if the actual crossing you use is a more expensive one.
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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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Just pre-emptively checking prices for Christmas, although obviously I can't book it now since I'll have no idea what I'll be doing until much nearer the time.
€148 return picking the 2 cheapest fares of those days (neither are sensible).
€198 or €183 return picking sensible times
First time I've ever seen a fare under 180. Both still 50% more than ferry booked last minute. Wish we had tesco's here.
Still, after 6-7 hours drive, a 2 hour break vs 1 hour is fine. Only got 1 hour on the UK side, and hardly matters if i'm an hour early or late. Not like those driving down to Alps overnight that would be missing ski time if they hit the traffic up the valley to resort.
Now that trip to Scotland in August. That's going to be the painfully priced one regardless of which transportation device gets me across or under the sea. A self-drive camping+hostel vacation shouldn't cost more than a ski trip in a 4* hotel inc. lift pass. And lift pass prices are mental too now.
edit: ah... they penalise us non-UK residents that travel the wrong way! €166 max price at current GBP:EUR if I swap the journey 
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andy, try booking it as single trips then, rather than as a return and see what it comes out as.
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You know it makes sense.
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andy, Yep, even with Tesco vouchers you must start at Ashford. 
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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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andy, As you are booking return trips starting in Calais, priced in euros you get a different pricing structure to us going the other way.
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Poster: A snowHead
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On a serious (ish) note, we all know that if you get there early then you can usually sneak on. While this is fine most of the time, at peak periods any extra cars must be causing a strain on the terminal and leading to the issues which we have seen. I noticed once in France that they have people outside terminal on Bridge asking to see bookings and turning away anyone who was more than 2-hours early, I also get emails and txts from Eurotunnel saying don't turn up early prior to trips now.
While I like the flexibility, maybe they do need to be stricter on managing travel times and amount of traffic in terminal. May even lead to people using the FlexiPlus system if really needed, after all is often said here that there is no point as you can get on regardless!
With regard to OP, I think you had a bad trip and were unlucky. I have used it 4/5 times a year pretty much since it opened and have only ever been stuck on a train once, and then only for 30-mins, longest wait in terminal area has been about 2-hours.
Personally if I know we will be travelling at peak times, I aim for a stupid o clock in morning crossing to get through before there is chance for anything to go wrong!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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[quote]
Personally if I know we will be travelling at peak times, I aim for a stupid o clock in morning crossing to get through before there is chance for anything to go wrong!
Boris, Me too, AND its cheap.
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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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Can anyone recommend a good guidebook to the pistes in 3 valleys?
Steve
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Boris, a couple of years back we were travelling over on Good Friday so drove down to Folkestone the previous evening after work to get away before the crowds.
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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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I've used the tunnel for my last four trips. Always got on early if I made it. Once paid an extra tenner or so for a day early on the bike. The only issue I've had was a ten minute wait for UK customs to check passports. I love it and have no complaints 
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| andy, try booking it as single trips then, rather than as a return and see what it comes out as. |
Same price afaict.
| RobinS wrote: |
| andy, As you are booking return trips starting in Calais, priced in euros you get a different pricing structure to us going the other way. |
Yeah. Seems to be... take UK price... add 50%... convert to Euros.
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May even lead to people using the FlexiPlus system
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at €279 each way!  (didn't check UK price, so probably deduct 33%)
even still, that plus 2 tanks of fuel, is still cheaper than my expected IJmuiden-Newcastle ferry fare in August!
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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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People who complain a lot about Eurotunnel, like the ones who complain a lot about how terrible it is to ski in France, have a very simple solution available to them......
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Outside the peak times when trains are all full I have never been able to understand why anyone would pay for Flexiplus (£199 each way from the UK).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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 use the Dunkirk Ferries - cheap as chips and easy for me to book from this side online AND the tickets are cheaper in Euros now. I booked my sister's tickets for July and saved nearly 20 quid paying from my German account in Euros.
I have used the tunnel but I need a break from the car as I usually drive up from The Rosenheim area in one hop. Once the other side I have a regular B&B I use in Dover. The ferry gives me a good(ish) meal in the restaurant (à la carte not the self-service one) then I have time to stretch my legs and get some fresh air walking around the deck. By then the journeys is over and I'm ready to push on to wherever I'm heading if I have no stop in Dover. My regular B&B is actually the house my parents lived in when I was born but I did not recognise either the address nor the exterior the first time I stayed there! A reality/deja vu moment down in what was the kitchen (now the breakfast room) made it all come back in glorious technicolor! 
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My regular B&B is actually the house my parents lived in when I was born but I did not recognise either the address nor the exterior the first time I stayed there!
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Wow. That must have been really weird.
I tend to do the drive as the only driver and find that the short Tunnel crossing can make the difference between getting it all done in one and spending a night in an hotel. So it's worth it for me. Although I like sailing I do find that in rough weather the ferries, despite their stabilizers, can also make me feel a bit queasy and tired. I have become quite adroit at having a 25 minute power nap on the train!
Tried the Norfolkline ferry once. It was cheap, and very pleasant in the VIP lounge but took absolutely forever.
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You know it makes sense.
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I always get the tunnel one way for £75. Seems good value.
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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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I always get the tunnel one way for £75
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When I book, £75 is usually the top price. I generally go for a £75 sailing, using my Tesco vouchers, to reduce the likelihood of having to pay for a higher price crossing with real money.
Just looking at Saturday sailings for the Christmas and New Year weeks next season the highest current price for both weeks is £71 (lowest is £51).
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Poster: A snowHead
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pam w, I've only just started doing that so the price is only for this years experience. Fairly short notice bookings though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Avalanche Poodle, as I noted above, there's really no argument against booking well in advance, unless you know that you will definitely NOT be using the tunnel for 12 months after your dates - because then your ticket would expire. It's easy to change, though annoyingly the plebs who use Tesco vouchers have to telephone to change, whereas those paying with real money can do it online.
The operators are helpful and efficient but it's worth using a geographical number, not one you have to pay for.
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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've only ever used the tunnel once (I don't live in the UK). Just my luck there had been a fire and I was delayed for hours. Obviously this is unlikely to happen again so I'll be giving it another try when I travel to Europe next year.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I travelled back on the tunnel today, no problem. Was booked at 1650, got there early and got on the 1515 train, no extra charge, just enough time to pop into the terminal and get a toasted sandwich. As usual I used the crossing time to have a nap, only slightly disturbed by some boorish people who decided that playing what sounded like Austrian apres ski eurotrash would be terribly amusing for others in the compartment.  I contemplated setting up in opposition with Monteverdi but decided just to get on with my nap. The attendant had to rap on my roof to wake me up as he came through the compartment to open the doors.
As usual, the M25 was the worst part of the entire journey. Nothing untoward, just so busy. Stopped at the (new?) Cobham services for a coffee and was overwhelmed with the sheer numbers, as usual. I had had a lunch stop at a small French motorway aire, to eat some picnic stuff and have a quiet 5 minute walk round a large and rather attractive field with picnic tables under trees. There were two other vehicles in the parking area.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Went to Calais for day trip yesterday on the ferry.
Was ok, but we all agreed Tunnel is soooooooooo much better.
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I've not had too many problems with them recently but find that when they do have problems it causes chaos. Last time was when there was a ferry strike a few years ago, Rather than fit ferry passengers in where they could they completely threw away their schedules leaving anyone with a booking with a long wait too.
Last time I used the ferry it was a pretty crap experience tbh. A couple of years ago in the summer and returning to Dover it took over an hour to get out of the port. They had 2 dock at the same time and the road and customs couldn't cope.
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It goes wrong at peak times due to sheer numbers. The busiest time, I believe, is the Friday evening at start of Feb half-term. We've been there many times then (not any more thankfully). We've typically never been put on the booked train but up to 3+ hours later, despite arriving on time. It was annoying as we always booked an F1 in northen France as I wanted to get several hours sleep before setting off at 6.00 for the Alps. We couldn't get to the tunnel any earlier so had to put up with it. But when we've used it at other times there's been no delay. I'd use it in preference to a ferry although you can't get a meal of course, which is awkward late evening as there isn't much open in France by the time you get there.
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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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Looking at all this feedback it's obvious that the great majority were really happy with their Eurotunnel crossing - unless you happen to be travelling at a peak bank holiday weekend...when you're probably going to be delayed whichever form of transport you use!
My experience of Eurotunnel is all good. The staff were [surprisingly] courteous and the crossing was fast and efficient. If you're early you can usually jump on an earlier train, and you can use your Tesco vouchers to save 2/3 of the fare! What more do you want?
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In the past we've had some pretty horrific experiences with Eurotunnel, including sitting in the departure queue going nowhere at Calais for 5 hours with zero information explaining what was happening (the ferries were cancelled due to gales and ET had accepted all-comers as mentioned above). We complained and were given a free crossing. More recently however I think things have improved, we use the service 5 or 6 times a year and are sadly still stuck with peak-time travel during school holidays. This February and at Easter they seemed to have actually given it some thought, more crossings, better communication, more staff on both sides (particularly UK immigration in Calais) made for a far smoother experience although giving you an earlier crossing then bumping it so you arrive later anyhow is a tactic straight out of Ryanairs book!
All they need to do now is bulldoze the stinking hole which is the Calais terminal, travelling on high space we park on the far side and use the loos which are a disgrace but at least that way we don't have to walk through the place, in contrast the improved Folkestone terminal is now almost pleasant!
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FAQ
