Gallardo/eurotunnel question

[Gassey]

Brought an my07 gallardo coupe from Dom up at Lamborghini Birmingham which im collecting Wednesday. Im off to south France for xmas and just wondered if the car will fit in the normal carriages on the Eurotunnel?

Cheers
JM

[XaveOxf]

Hi,

We ride in the 1m85+ carriage whenever we take a supercar from P1 to France. It's wider and you won't damage your wheels. The downside is that you're travelling with vans and they are fewer bathrooms. Eurotunnel staff seems to be very used to see supercars and will direct you to these carriages if you ask for it or select the right lane. Price and times seems to be the same.

Xave

[Gassey]

XaveOxf said:

Hi,

We ride in the 1m85+ carriage whenever we take a supercar from P1 to France. It's wider and you won't damage your wheels. The downside is that you're travelling with vans and they are fewer bathrooms. Eurotunnel staff seems to be very used to see supercars and will direct you to these carriages if you ask for it or select the right lane. Price and times seems to be the same.

Xave

Are they the open carriages??

[stefan1]

XaveOxf said:

Hi,

We ride in the 1m85+ carriage whenever we take a supercar from P1 to France. It's wider and you won't damage your wheels. The downside is that you're travelling with vans and they are fewer bathrooms. Eurotunnel staff seems to be very used to see supercars and will direct you to these carriages if you ask for it or select the right lane. Price and times seems to be the same.

Xave

+1

And, no they are not open carriages (which are for lorries only). These are closed carriages, but single level with width and height to accommodate coaches.

A Gallardo will just fit in the normal car carriages, but it would be awfully easy to kerb the very exposed alloys on the ridges that define the lane inside the carriages. I always travel in the >1.85m carriages.

Kind regards

Steve

[Shots]

Def ask for the high vehicle carriage when you book/buy tix.
The reg carriage is just wide enough - but frankly it's not worth the hassle of trying to crawl along without curbing those rims.

[DIW35]

+1 for the >1.85m carriages.

[Gassey]

Thanks for the advice guys

[Polarbert]

Which carriage did Clarkson take the SLR in that time? That looked like it was meant for coaches. I think he referred to a coach as well when he needed a piss.

[Louis.]

Polarbert said:

Which carriage did Clarkson take the SLR in that time? That looked like it was meant for coaches. I think he referred to a coach as well when he needed a piss.

Here is a 9 minute vid of that episode... The carraige he was in with the SLR did look rather small for a coach though ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrdRem8fH_Q

[Andyuk911]

As said watch your wheels, AND if you are not sure get out and look !

[jdw1234]

I have never bothered making special arrangements.

Everytime I have been (about 4 times), the staff spot any low sports car and just redirect you to the bigger truck carriages as a matter of course.

[AndrewD]

That isn't my experience recently. Staff used to be fine, but now they take pleasure in having an argument. Book ahead

[cayman-black]

damaged a wheel on my Gallardo in the normal carrage. (to narrow) make sure you get the wider ones.

[SimonSays]

Went on the lorry-carriages too with my Diablo... Just book your tickets in advance, and tick the box for +1.85m

[XaveOxf]

Hi,

They are closed carriages with only one level. They are used for 4x4, white vans and mini buses, etc... I suppose it's attached to the normal train. Buses and lorries go on different trains.

Just select the option when you book online, and the right lane when starting to queue for your train. The staff sometimes direct you to normal carriages by mistake. In that case, just ask nicely to get into the 1m85+ and they will let you in.

I took the tunnel with most P1 cars (www.supercarstories.co.uk), and never had a problem.
- Ferrari F430
- Aston Martin DB9 Volante
- DBS
- 911 Targa 4S

I usually book the flexiplus fare. It is more expensive but you can get in the first train available and you don't have to park your supercar with everyone else.

[Gassey]

All booked in the 1.85m+. Thanks for the help folks

Edited by Gassey on Thursday 20th November 23:10

[marcusjames]

I agree with previous answers. Took the 430 on the higher train with no problems.

I would be more concerned about driving through northern France in winter. I live in Switzerland and drive back to UK each Christmas. I would estimate that 50% of those trips end in tears due to horrendous snow and the incompetence of French drivers in such conditions. I can do the trip to Switzerland in 8 hours from Kent in the summer and once managed 21 hours on 2nd January two years ago !!

Don't change your plans, just check the weather before leaving and give yourself some flexibility.

[XaveOxf]

+1 on the incompetence of french drivers on the snow. I happen to be a frenchie living in England

[v8xdm]

marcusjames said:

I agree with previous answers. Took the 430 on the higher train with no problems.

I would be more concerned about driving through northern France in winter. I live in Switzerland and drive back to UK each Christmas. I would estimate that 50% of those trips end in tears due to horrendous snow and the incompetence of French drivers in such conditions. I can do the trip to Switzerland in 8 hours from Kent in the summer and once managed 21 hours on 2nd January two years ago !!

Don't change your plans, just check the weather before leaving and give yourself some flexibility.

Can second that I had a 23 hour jaunt to the south of france one xmas in the snow luckily was in a comfortable audi back then - if id been doing that in the rarri today I would have probably had a mental breakdown ;-)