Are you going to France – or perhaps further into Europe – for a summer holiday? If so, Eurotunnel’s ‘Le Shuttle’ train service is the quickest way to transport a car across the English Channel.
You will 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 a flexible 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 – notably the A16 south towards Boulogne and Paris.
In this short guide, we explain how to use the Channel Tunnel when travelling by car. Read on for what you need to know.
How to buy Eurotunnel tickets
Tickets cost from £69 per car for a single crossing, although this price is based on returning the same day or the following day. A standard ticket is £124 each way, or £169 if you choose the refundable option.
If you can afford it, we recommend a Flexiplus ticket (from £224). 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, plus access to a Flexiplus lounge with complimentary refreshments, magazines and newspapers.
Which Eurotunnel ticket is best for you?
There is a wide variety of tickets available for travel through the Channel Tunnel using Le Shuttle. Here are your main options:
- Day Trip & Overnight: from £69 per car, each way. Come back the same day or stay one night
- Short Stay Saver: from £97 per car, each way. Five days or fewer. Must be purchased as part of a return journey
- Standard: from £124 per car, each way. Single or return
- Standard Refundable: from £169 per car, each way. Single or return. Can be refunded if your plans change
- Short Stay Flexiplus: from £224 per car, each way. Five days or fewer. Return ticket
- Flexiplus: from £284 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, plus the credit or debit card used to make the booking.
- At Folkestone, take junction 11a off the M20 motorway 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 and vehicle documentation will be checked.
Boarding for Le Shuttle 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 permitted on the Eurotunnel
The following types of vehicles are permitted to travel in the carriages on the Eurotunnel:
- Cars (including electric cars)
- Motorcycles
- High vehicles, vans and minibuses
- Caravans, campervans and trailers
- 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.
If you are driving a wide vehicle with vulnerable alloy wheels – a description that fits many modern supercars – you may wish to ask about booking a single-deck carriage. In some cases, this may be allocated automatically when you book.
Once you have boarded Le Shuttle, you are free to leave your vehicle. There are toilets on board, although smoking is not permitted.
Are there EV 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. Read about our experience with using the Folkestone Superchargers here.
Travel on 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. If it fits in or on your car, you can take it with you…
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!
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