Anyone driven on the Eurotunnel with passengers?

[ClawsandEffect]

Has anyone done drive-on Eurotunnel, and been the driver of others with no experience?

I'm considering it but I'm hesitant, not knowing anyone who's done it. I'm kicking on a bit and it feels a bit intimidating.

Nothing to be worried about. Just drive, follow the signs, park your car inside the train (always a staff to assist you) and then relax for half an hour. When you have arrived, just drive off. Really no big deal.
Try to go to the toilets before boarding the train, thats my only recommendation.
what are you worried about? Why are you worried about having passengers? Are they kids?

Yes and have done it many times since- they guide you on, stop you, then you turn you engine off and wait till you’re in France

First time the plan was for us to drive off and my mum to take over driving as I’d never driven abroad - but there was nowhere to stop so I just did it - it was fine! I prefer driving in France to be honest.

@ghostyslovesheets @Placestogo can you get out of the car at either end? And also on the train?

I don't want to sit in the car for hours! Also like to be able to get a drink/snack (like when using a train / flying).

I'm a bit concerned about passengers because of the distraction factor. I'm fine driving on my own, but find driving with others in the car quite distracting. And to do something / go somewhere I've never been before as well as having others in the car with me (yes, including a possibly disruptive child) feels like quite a lot.

Respectfully OP if you cannot drive without ignoring distractions, perhaps you should not be driving at all?

I've done it a few times. It's very straightforward.

I was a bit apprehensive the first time, as I was imagining trying to manoeuvre the car onto a narrow train. But it's nothing like that. There are big wide doors and lots of people directing you.

I found the top floor rocks a bit more and I get travel sick. So if I am being directed that way now, I request the lower level. They've always been obliging.

It's really simple follow the instructions and you can't go wrong , you can get out on the train but there's nowhere to go, take your own snacks

Really straight forward. Sometimes if you get there early they’ll put you on an earlier train.

there’s a terminal you can get something to eat /go to the loo before you set off. (There’s loos but nothing else on the train, and the loos on the train are rather “emergency only”)

if you take a dog, get there early. There’s a little dog park they can stretch and have a wee before the train.

It's just like driving into a multi-storey carpark, really easy and nothing to worry about. Warn your passengers to be quiet and stay still while you're concentrating.

You can get drinks and snacks at the terminal. Allow a little extra time to stop off there and get supplies, use the loos etc. You can get out of your car on the train and walk along the carriages to the loo if you need to. However, as pp mentioned the loos on the train are not nice. You can stretch your legs though. The journey is surprisingly fast and then you drive off the other end. I’ve done it with a car full of distracting children multiple times and it’s really ok.

You wont sit in the car for hours… it take only 35 minutes to cross the channel… Take a coupld of snacks beforehand and you’ll be good

Sorry hadn’t read your other posts!

you can get out of the car but not walk far. It’s only 35 mins. You can’t buy anything on the train. But there’s a terminal at the start which is very like a motorway services (think from memory the uk end has a Burger King, WH Smith’s etc and clean nice loos!) you can buy things to have a car picnic on the way. There’s a children’s play area in the UK side, not sure if there’s one for the way back.

At the other end you just get off and straight onto French motorways.

For driving on, it’s a bit like being on a multi-storey carpark. They line you up before hand in rows based on a letter or number on a tag you have to hang from your rear view mirror. Then they take the lines on one at a time, you just follow the others.

On the way back, there’s a similarly nice terminal, and the staff speak English.

At both ends, the French will be keen to see inside the car to check the passport photos of the kids (or has been for us). Just easier if you approach the passport booths with your rear windows down as well as the driver window.

When you arrive at the Eurotunnel terminal there is a machine that will recognise your registration. Be aware that if you have booked, say, an 11:00 crossing, but arrive at (say) 10:00, the system might helpfully offer you an earlier crossing. In my experience, stick to your original, because this is how things get rushed and you might find you don't have time to get out the car.

Regardless, the machine issues a ticket that you hang on your mirror that will have a letter on it. This letter defines when you are called to join the queue for the train. You'll soon see that everyone else in the queue has the same letter as you. Just follow the crowd, it really is pretty much impossible to go wrong.

HTH a bit.

Just to add, make sure that you have anything you need inside the car with you, as you are not allowed to walk between cars when the train is moving, (risk of crush injury if cars were to move) so you probably will not be able to access your boot.

Yes @ClawsandEffect there are nice hubs either end with food, snacks and duty free and you can walks little on the train

I would be much much more nervous about driving in France after you come off the tunnel, than the tunnel itself. The tunnel is the easy bit

OP have you driven abroad before? Driving in a foreign country takes a fair bit more concentration due to the differences - especially in an English car as you are on the wrong side of the car for the road layout. If you are not a confident driver I wouldn’t try it tbh.

Really simple. I first did it with a 1yr old and 3 yr old. Really clear instructions all the way on and off. Easier to stay in your car for the crossing and stretch your legs/toilet at the services each end after you've passed through customs.

I drove in Spain and in the US when I lived there. BUT I was a lot younger then and although I'm fine and very confident driving in the UK (no issues at all with motorways/night driving etc), I'm happier doing it without passengers.

Hahaha, ADHD & autism don't tend to follow instructions.

Do you have a method to keep the kids quiet? Ipad or audiobook maybe?

It’s honestly fine. I’ve done it a number of times.
you can get out of the car, there isn’t anywhere to go as such (other than the toilets which are ok but much like standard train toilets).
it’s really really quick. At the other end you drive straight off and out - no passport controls - that’s done in Dover.
I used to sometimes be lucky and literally drive straight on but with the new passport checks it’s unlikely you’ll get that.
Once you are at Dover you get allocated a letter A, B, C etc and the you look out for your letter and that means you can join the queue to board. It doesn’t really matter massively if you are the first or last in the queue as they pretty much just pack the cars as they come.
It really is very simple and there is very little manoeuvring as it’s straight on straight off.
The main thing is coming off and remembering to drive on the right. It’s straight on to the motorway so it’s easy.
Last time I was in Calais getting on the train there were still a lot of migrants hanging around which is pretty sad.

I actually find long distance driving in France far easier than in the UK. Their motorways are just more orderly. I wouldn’t consider myself the most confident of drivers but I’ve actually always breathed a sigh of relief once I’m on the French side of the tunnel, even though my car is driving on the wrong side of the road.

The moment I get off the euro tunnel on the return journey I am confronted with the chaos of British motorways -😱

OP - Bon voyage. Relax. Enjoy. It will be fine!

Just came back (school trip) this week. There were 3 hour delays due to lack of trains, fine for us, we had very well behaved kids who just sat with Burger King/games. There’s a Starbucks at both ends, more hospitality venues UK end. It’s extremely simple to get on the train, lots of room. There are large display boards telling you to go back to your car or stay in the terminal according to your letter/number. Staff will direct you when you get on your way to the train.

Im being completely dim but can I ask what is the difference between the Shuttle and the Eurostar? One goes from Felixstowe? Other from Dover? Worried I've booked the wrong thing now . .

Don’t do it then. If you can’t follow instructions and get easily distracted by passengers it doesn’t sound like the right choice.