Le Shuttle... What is it like?

[alem]

We're going to France in the summer, and I'm just trying to decide how to get there.
Can anyone tell me what it's like to go over, with the car, on the train?
I've heard you can stay in your car, or you can get out. If you get out, where do you go?
I've had a little look round their website and I can't find anything to say what happens during the journey.
Thank you.

There's nowhere to go if I remember right, just stay in your car. So it's like sitting in a parked car for 45 mins!

I always stay in the car, if you get out you can only walk alongside the cars.

It only takes 35 mins so by the time you've popped to the loo and had a snack you're in France. You drive straight off the train and pretty much onto the autoroute so it's even quicker. We just sit in the car, it's great.

Picture of the inside here

We used it for the first time a couple of years ago. Very impressed. You basically sit in your car, but there are toilets if you need them and you can easily get out of the car if you need to, or sit with the doors open. Only complaint was that it got very hot, but I think the air con might have had a problem that day.

It's not as much fun as the ferry, but so much quicker. I'd definitely do it again.

We’ve used it a few times and love it. It’s very easy to navigate and to board. As pp have said, once you’ve nipped to the loo (which are grim ) you’re in France!

We love it, but ferries make me sick and flying with children is shit.

It is brilliant. There’s nowhere to go but it only takes half an hour so you don’t need to go anywhere. There are loos though, so we usually take a walk there with the dc towards the end of the journey. But you mostly just stay in your car.

Park your car on the train. There are 6-8 cars per block (more or less, it's been a while since I was on!) with shutters separating each block.

They'll park you upstairs, downstairs or possibly on the cavernous bus/motorhome/massive car carriage.

There's space enough either side to open the doors and get out to stretch your legs.

There are toilets every couple of blocks and you can pass through airtight doors to get to them.

You are parked pretty bumper to bumper, so you can't really walk around your car.

There are small windows on the carriages, so you can look out as you leave Folkestone.

When you get to France, the train goes round a huge loop to get to the platforms, so you don't need to rush back to your car as soon as you see daylight.

The actual tunnel lasts about 25 minutes, platform-to-platform is 35 minutes.

There is a bing-bong announcement when you're halfway through.

Stretch your legs, read a paper, have a chat and you're through in no time.

You go through passport control at the British side, so when you drive off the train in France you get straight into the motorway (unless that's all changed too!). Then it works in reverse coming back to the UK.

It really is a totally non-faff way of crossing to France.

Bon voyage!

The loos are grim, but if you've taken the flexi plus option, you'll be piled high with food, drink and newspapers, and will have skipped to the front of the queue!

I found it very quick and easy.

• oh, and I have been asked a few times if you "can see the fishes" as you go through the tunnel - no! The tunnel goes through rock, it isn't a glass tube!

¡Ojala!

Le good.

If it’s all running smoothly then it’s excellent. You check in via barriers right at the staff and they print a hanger with a letter on it. Depending on timings or ticket option you either drive straight on (via passport control) or get sent to a car park to wait for your letter to be called. There are some shops and cafes and loos in a centre there. Then you drive on, Sit in the car, handbrake on, first gear, window open (can you tell I do this a lot) and half an hour later you’re in France. Drive straight onto the motorway.

On the way back you do passport control in France and then drive straight onto the motorway in Kent.

If it goes wrong it is VILE but this hasn’t happened to me much.

Flexiplus is waaaaay more expensive and IMO not really worth it if you know your timings. Unless it’s super busy, if you arrive early they give you the option of an earlier shuttle. You can be two hours late for your booked train too.

Thank you all. It sounds very much like a doable option.

I love Flexiplus - yes it’s a lot more expensive but frankly, being waved past all the queues is worth it. Also, if travelling with my mother it means that I don’t have to be five hours early like I do with flights just in case we miss it. Also, the soup is good.

We use it whenever travelling with the dog. It’s very simple. You turn up to the terminal, have a coffee and walk the dog, then half an hour you’re in France. You can walk between cars and go to,the loo. It’s very very simple and reliable. Tesco vouchers reduce costs too.

Don’t bother with FlexiPlus! It just means when you arrive, they move you onto the next available train rather than the one you’re booked onto

It’s useful if you’ve got a long drive and can’t be too precise with your jointing timings, but in my experience, unless you’re travelling on a really busy day in August, or on a day with delays, they nearly always move you onto the next available train anyway

And worst case, if you get there early there is a little service station thing where you can get a coffee. There is also a branch of Leon so you can get some half decent food as well

Love the tunnel. It is so convenient. Arrive in time to grab breakfast at the terminal and a coffee, or bring a car picnic. Drive on park up and relax for 30 minutes. DH and i went on our own for a day trip. We had a nap and reclined our seats! Got to take the sleep while we can when the kids aren't there!

We didn't pay extra for flexiplus, it came with the booking of our chalet (and even that was cheap!). It would be expensive otherwise.
My experience of it was at a busy time, and meant not just going on whatever train, but going into queue jump mode... there were lots of lanes waiting for our train, but we were directed to an empty queue and got on first. That also means you get off first too and dash through passport security etc (you have a fast lane for this, too). And with a posh lounge and all the food you can eat (and take with you!) They even gave our dog an Easter egg.
I thought it was marvellous!
Not sure I'd buy it off the shelf, though.

We generally do regular on the way out and flexi plus on the way back, but then as a family we are usually travelling in July or August so it’s worth it.

What do you actually get with the flexi plus? I’m about to book our tickets and wondering if we should book it for our return journey. We’ve got a very long drive through france so it’s fiffivult to predict what train to book.

We’re a family of 5 and will be travelling back on Aug 30th which I’m oguessing is a busy weekend 😬.