Are you heading to France – or perhaps further into Europe – for a summer holiday? If so, Eurotunnel’s ‘Le Shuttle’ train service is the quickest way to cross the English Channel.
You’ll need to allow extra time for passport checks since Brexit, but once on board, the train takes just 35 minutes to whisk you from Folkestone to Calais.
The Eurotunnel is also convenient. Buy an appropriate ticket and you can arrive at any time, then board the next available train. You get quick access to the motorway network when you drive off the train in France, too.
Here, we reveal what you need to know about using the Channel Tunnel. For the latest travel information, check out the official Le Shuttle Twitter feed.
How to buy Eurotunnel tickets
Tickets cost from £39 per car for a single crossing, although this price is based on returning the same day or the following day. A standard ticket is £116 each way, or £151 if you choose the refundable option.
If you can afford it, we recommend a Flexiplus ticket (from £214). This gives you the flexibility to travel at short notice and with minimal delays.
A Flexiplus ticket is a little like an upgraded flight ticket. Travellers are treated to a dedicated check-in, access to an exclusive lounge and complimentary refreshments, magazines and newspapers.
This guide will help you to choose the best ticket:
- Short Stay Saver: from £94 per car, each way. Five days or fewer. Must be purchased as part of a return journey.
- Standard: from £116 per car, each way. Single or return.
- Standard Refundable: from £151 per car, each way. Single or return. Can be refunded if your plans change.
- Short Stay Flexiplus: from £214 per car, each way. Five days or fewer. Return ticket.
- Flexiplus: from £274 per car, each way. Any duration. Single or return.
The quickest way to book a ticket is to use the Eurotunnel website. You can also telephone 0344 335 3535 to make a reservation. The lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm, and at weekends from 9am to 5.30pm.
Arriving at the Eurotunnel
Whether you arrive at the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone or Calais, you should check-in at least 45 minutes and no more than two hours before your booked departure time. You will need your booking reference number and credit or debit card used to make the booking.
- At Folkestone, take junction 11a off the M20 and proceed to the check-in booths.
- At Calais, exit the A16 at junction 42 and follow the ‘Tunnel sous la Manche’ signs to the check-in booths.
If you have made a booking in advance, you can proceed to the self-check-in lanes. Simply insert your payment card into the machine and follow the instructions. Either way, you will be given a departure hanger for your car’s windscreen.
Boarding the Le Shuttle train
Once you have checked in, you are free to use the passenger terminal. Here, you will find shops, restaurants, toilets and baby changing facilities.
Next, drive to the British and French frontier controls where your passport, vehicle and official documentation will be checked.
Boarding commences 25 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Check the screens and listen for announcements, before following the arrows to your allocated boarding lane.
Vehicle types on the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle
The following vehicle types are permitted on the Eurotunnel:
- Cars
- Motorcycles
- High vehicles, vans and minibuses
- Caravans, campervans and trailers
- Electric cars
- Coaches
- Bicycles
Most cars will be directed to the double-deck trains, which are suitable for vehicles less than 1.85 metres in height. Taller, wider and longer vehicles, plus those towing a caravan or trailer, will be directed to the single-deck trains.
Once you have boarded Le Shuttle, you are free to leave your vehicle. There are toilets on board, but smoking is not permitted.
Are there electric car charging points at the Eurotunnel?
You will find rapid (50kW) and ultra-rapid (210kW) electric car chargers in both Folkestone and Calais.
However, Eurotunnel notes that: ‘Customers with vehicles that require a Type 2 plug must be in possession of and use their own charging cable. None are provided or available on the terminal’.
There are also dedicated Tesla Superchargers – with those at Folkestone open to other (non-Tesla) cars with CCS charging compatibility as part of a pilot scheme.
Eurotunnel: other things to remember
There are up to four train departures per hour, and the price of a Eurotunnel ticket covers a car and up to nine passengers. There are also no baggage restrictions.
For more information, including details about travelling with a pet, fuel types and duty-free shopping, visit the Eurotunnel website. Don’t forget your passport and a ‘UK’ sticker for the back of your car. Bon voyage!