Why is Eurotunnel so Bad

Author
Discussion

Redarress

Original Poster:

678 posts

208 months

Sunday 2nd January 2011
quotequote all
Why is the Eurotunnel traffic organisation so very poor?
They do at least appear to be consistant with their recruitment as all I have come into contact with are numptys ! Going back to the Ferries as travel is far better organised

Podie

46,630 posts

276 months

Sunday 2nd January 2011
quotequote all
Can't say I've ever had a problem. What happened?

ewenm

28,506 posts

246 months

Sunday 2nd January 2011
quotequote all
Podie said:
Can't say I've ever had a problem. What happened?
Nor have I :shrug:

Turn up, get offered a slot immediately and usually well ahead of my booking, drive on.

CoolC

4,220 posts

215 months

Sunday 2nd January 2011
quotequote all
ewenm said:
Podie said:
Can't say I've ever had a problem. What happened?
Nor have I :shrug:

Turn up, get offered a slot immediately and usually well ahead of my booking, drive on.
^^^ This, used it 4 times this year and never had an issue at all.


Podie

46,630 posts

276 months

Sunday 2nd January 2011
quotequote all
CoolC said:
ewenm said:
Podie said:
Can't say I've ever had a problem. What happened?
Nor have I :shrug:

Turn up, get offered a slot immediately and usually well ahead of my booking, drive on.
^^^ This, used it 4 times this year and never had an issue at all.
Yep, even after Le Mans!

Redarress

Original Poster:

678 posts

208 months

Sunday 2nd January 2011
quotequote all
Turned up twenty mins before check in closed Took twenty two mins to get booked in due to staff chatting with each other so missed correct train so given a depature time 2 hours later then saw the car in next lane been given a ticket for the train we should have been on. When we complained we were told that this was not possible but we witnessed it Now in q for train half a hour so far

greygoose

8,269 posts

196 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
You are travelling on one of the busiest weekends of the year for Eurotunnel and their trains always break down when they are run at capacity, as they have been over the last few days. If you want to check in 20 minutes before departure and travel on time then don't choose a Bank Holiday weekend, it will always end in disappointment.

chard

27,048 posts

184 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I am a regular traveler and have nothing but praise for the organisation. Only one delay a few years ago when a train broke down on a Le Mans weekend.

I was once taken ill @ the terminal and looked after with great care and professionalism.

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

240 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Eurotunnel recommend check-in at least 30mins before departure time. Taken from my recent booking confirmation:


"When to check-in
You should arrive at Check-In at least 30 minutes before your booked departure time on both the outward and inward legs of your journey. "

I've never had an issue at all.

uuf361

3,154 posts

223 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Never had a problem with them....normally very accommodating about getting you on earlier trains if you arrive early, even on busy weekends.

20 minutes is probably cutting it too fine.

Targarama

14,635 posts

284 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
We love it. Don't travel at peak times and the fares are reasonable. Busy periods are nasty, but then it is bad on the ferries then too. Drive on drive off. Clean the car windows and check it over while on the train. Fast. No parking dings. Saves a slog down the last bit of the M20 (and back up the Downs stuck behind lots of trucks), and comes out onto the motorway in Calais nice and fast.

Ferries get affected by weather all the time (tunnel seems to only have problems with extreme temps). Once we sat on a ferry outside Dover harbour due to fog. I swore I'd never take the ferry again.

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

240 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Targarama said:
No parking dings.
On a number of crossings, I've seen damage done to the rear of cars by the car behind them who didn't take their car out of first gear (mandatory regulation by Eurotunnel) before starting their engines. Having to park so close to the car in front, ensures quite a bit of damage when this happens.

Edited by Silver993tt on Monday 3rd January 13:42

chard

27,048 posts

184 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
A lex said:
Almost had one swearing at me because they didnt believe the DRLs on my Fiat 500 were not headlights.
.
So turn your DRLs off, I do.

huwp

833 posts

176 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
My wife's uncle recalls some Doris driving her Discovery off the ferry. She appeared to have forgotten the bikes lashed to the back. Took several wing mirrors off before realising what she was doing.

I always use the tunnel.

Each to their own.

OilyRagMan

3,846 posts

250 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
A lex said:
chard said:
A lex said:
Almost had one swearing at me because they didnt believe the DRLs on my Fiat 500 were not headlights.
.
So turn your DRLs off, I do.
Why, to appease some moron who has been given a modicum of power?

Not likely.
depends if you want an easy life i suppose, i would just turn them off!!

as for eurotunnel, never had any problems with them even when i turned up a day early, they stuck me on the next train!!

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

240 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
A lex said:
OilyRagMan said:
A lex said:
chard said:
A lex said:
Almost had one swearing at me because they didnt believe the DRLs on my Fiat 500 were not headlights.
.
So turn your DRLs off, I do.
Why, to appease some moron who has been given a modicum of power?

Not likely.
depends if you want an easy life i suppose, i would just turn them off!!

as for eurotunnel, never had any problems with them even when i turned up a day early, they stuck me on the next train!!
Its buried about 4 items deep on the menu in the 500 (or so I seem to remember).

It was more the fact that she was insisting they were headlights, when they clearly are not - plus there were a good 60 cars waiting behind me to get on the train.

I drove on with the DRLs on BTW, and nothing catastrophic happened.
I travel twice a year by motorbike via Eurotunnel. My bike has permanantly on dipped beam (factory standard), there is no off switch. I'm never queried about this because the staff are knowledgeable about the setup.

Irish

3,991 posts

240 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Love it. Never a problem and staff were wonderful when my car broke down in the car park.

Ferries are a pain. Not rocking up and getting on the next available.

2 hrs from my house in London to Calais for lunch. What's not to love!!


hyperblue

2,802 posts

181 months

Monday 3rd January 2011
quotequote all
Irish said:
2 hrs from my house in London to Calais for lunch. What's not to love!!
Calais for a start hehe

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

249 months

Wednesday 5th January 2011
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We either use the tunnel (booze trips) or ferries (overnights). Would never use the tunnel for other than one day trips because the fares are so expensive compared to the ferries when you do overnights.

5potTurbo

12,551 posts

169 months

Wednesday 5th January 2011
quotequote all
I had problems with Eurotunnel a week before Christmas

I sent them an email using the form on their webpage today. Let's see what response I get "within 48 hours".