Best way across the Channel...?

[freemax]

I'm planning my first trip to the Continent for this Friday (first trip with car, that is...). What is the best way to get over there - over the Channel by ferry, or under the Channel by train....?

What is your suggested way? many thanks!

[nervous]

ferrys often cheaper and for my money is more fun cos you get to wander about and throw toblerone at pensioners in windcheaters. chunnel is quicker but more expensive.

[zcacogp]

nervous said:

... throw toblerone at pensioners in windcheaters ...

Waste of good toblerone. Cold chips are much better - particularly if they have some tomato ketchup on them. Much messier.


Oli.

[wetwipe]

nervous said:

ferrys often cheaper and for my money is more fun cos you get to wander about and throw toblerone at pensioners in windcheaters. chunnel is quicker but more expensive.

and puke. dont forget the puke

[nervous]

zcacogp said:

nervous said:

... throw toblerone at pensioners in windcheaters ...

Waste of good toblerone. Cold chips are much better - particularly if they have some tomato ketchup on them. Much messier.


Oli.

ooo thats good thinking. youd loose more weight that way too

[silver993tt]

nervous said:

zcacogp said:

nervous said:

... throw toblerone at pensioners in windcheaters ...

Waste of good toblerone. Cold chips are much better - particularly if they have some tomato ketchup on them. Much messier.


Oli.

ooo thats good thinking. youd loose more weight that way too

Use the Tunnel. Less affected by weather, prices aren't too different. Try to cross at off peak times. Ferries pack the cars together in multiple lines. I've had my doors dented by idiots in the car next to mine on ferries. Also had a motorbike wrecked when a ferry hit a breakwater a few years ago.

Tunnel for me every time!

Edited by silver993tt on Tuesday 17th October 12:19

[wildoliver]

Ferries = slow but cheap.

Chunnel = More but relaxed, and fast!

[polarexpress]

Norfolklines to Dunkerque!

[woogie]

I did ferry last week, 70 quid return from dover to calais. I arrived early on Thursday so I got on the earlier ferrry and the crossing took 1 hour 15 mins. On way back I got to calias a bit quick (150 mph on autobahn was culprit). I arrived 4 hours too early and the donuts charged me 55 quid extra to get ferry or wait 4 hours for my pre booked one. So I paid up , drove on board and 2 mins later it was off.

[finchy]

Chunnel for me
more expensive than the ferry, but its quick, pretty hassle free
and can be flexible also if out of peak season, we took later than planned one on the way out & ealier one than planned on the way back
on recents hols.

[freemax]

For the railway does it make a big difference whether you pre-book long in advance?

I may need a flexible ticket for the return, as I am planning to go down all the way to the Black Forest in SW Germany over the weekend and don't know how long the return on Monday will take...

[johnmaddox]

The Chunnel is brilliant imho

[silver993tt]

freemax said:

For the railway does it make a big difference whether you pre-book long in advance?

I may need a flexible ticket for the return, as I am planning to go down all the way to the Black Forest in SW Germany over the weekend and don't know how long the return on Monday will take...

You can take the chunnel 2 hours earlier or 2 hours later than booked without any extra charge as long as there is space (which there always has been for me but might be different in peak like July/August)).

Kinda gives you 4 hours buffer if you aim for the one 2 hours earlier than booked (or make your booking for 2 hours later than you plan).

Edited by silver993tt on Tuesday 17th October 13:49

[woogie]

Hows the chunnel for getting car on board ? everytime I use the ferry I scrape the front spoiler.

Edited by woogie on Tuesday 17th October 13:51

[silver993tt]

Never had a problem with my (standard) M030 and Bilstein HD's. They always put lower cars on the ground deck of the train (has 2 decks) which doesn't have any kind of significant ramp. They are very clued up to this.

[Davi]

silver993tt said:

You can take the chunnel 2 hours earlier or 2 hours later than booked without any extra charge as long as there is space (which there always has been for me but might be different in peak like July/August)).

Kinda gives you 4 hours buffer if you aim for the one 2 hours earlier than booked (or make your booking for 2 hours later than you plan).

Edited by silver993tt on Tuesday 17th October 13:49

Got a later one at the end of August no problem, you can apparently go over that 2 hour window and still get away with it, something to do with it being within 24 hours, but it's more hassle.

Chunnel is just soooo much nicer than the ferry, get on, 5 minutes waiting for them to finish loading, 25 minutes of slight rocking, then 5 minutes to disembark - lovely. Last time I went on a ferry it was delayed by an hour or so, then the channel did it's best to set off all the car alarms whilst laying me out looking very green, it took 8 hours to cross and then we had to wait for an age till it was "safe" to enter port. Wont be doing that again while the chunnel is open!

[900T-R]

johnmaddox said:

The Chunnel is brilliant imho

Especially for daytrips. I usually pay 60 euros for a round trip .

[woogie]

Ferry must be safer though, I always think the water is gonna start coming through the walls of the tunnel

[richard k]

Take the tunnel. I turned up a week early, put in my credit card, confirmed I was early and did actually want to take an earlier train, I was booked on the next train at no extra cost. The booking system is a great piece of software and very flexible as long as there are spaces available.

[nel]

Chunnel every time - no mixing with the tracksuited, flabby masses or their ill-disciplined children, no fighting for a seat in a room smelling of chips, etc.

As a bonus, for those who have sprogs the chunnel is a winner - I arrange my crossings for later on the evening, drive on with a car full of sleeping breadsnappers and usually they sleep through the whole experience, only waking up when we arrive at our final destination.

I've taken my low slung 993 turbo on the chunnel with no problems at all, but some of those ferry ramps do look like they could lead to grounding out.