Eurotunnel - anywhere nearby to sleep with secure parking?

[wickedfairy]

Hi,

We are heading to the Alps in summer and are thinking of using Eurotunnel for the first time. We need to get an early train to enable us to get to the campsite at a decent time to be able to pitch the tent (Annecy area). We will have DC's aged 5 and 2 with us.

We either 1) leave the North West in the middle of the night to get there for about 6am to get on an early train or 2) go the evening before and stay over somewhere. However, we will have our own tent in the car and also the bikes on the back of the car - if we were to take option 2), we would need somewhere with secure parking.

Does such a place exist? Or are we better just leaving in the nightime and sharing the driving until we get there? We usually go to the Vendee on an overnight ferry, so this will be the first time we have tried this. Any advice appreciated!!

We have similar issues being NW based, a soft top camping trailer and a fair distance to travel on the othjer side once we've crossed with Eurotunnel.
We ahve in the past used our pop up tents. We leave home at about 5am, cross at lunchtime and then stop for the night. This gets the hour change over done with. We have stayed at Bien Assise at Guines just 10 minutes from the terminal but this year I think we are going to use a b&b hotel a bit further south.
Lots of the folks over on ukcamping use them and say they have secure parking but I'm still a bit nervous about leaving my beloved tent. Will follow with interest.

The UK side or France? Can't think of anywhere the UK side, unless you actually want to camp camp - there are one or two sites, camping next to your car keeps it secure really?

I live off jct 11 which is the jct on the M20 immeadiately before the tunnel exit, there will one day be a hotel but as yet, nothing.

hello. we have stayed uk side. I think it is a holiday inn express - which is advertised as close to eurotunnel. I remember there being a supermarket nearish and then we drove into hotel - which seemed tucked away in a funny place really (maybe back of a housing estate -dont take me word - i get confused at times). Anyway it was just minutes from the tunnel - i think the night reception man who phoned us at 5am with our alarm call laughed when i asked if it was easy to find - as he said it is 3 minutes away - and it was. Car park felt secure - we had roofbox on and bikes - most people seemed to be using it for the eurotunnel so lots of trailers and bikes on cars etc. i cant remember if it had secure entry but we didnt feel concerned about the car. hope this helps. if you are looking for a campsite this side of tunnel i am afraid i dont know. k

Oh that must be off junction 10?

We had a similar dilemma and have just booked the Holiday Inn in Calais, so we are already French side first thing in the morning. They have secure parking for 12 Euro.

Thanks for the advice, I will look into the hotels mentioned.

chicaguapa - is the parking guarded or something? I just don't feel comfortable leaving our car with the bikes on the back in an unattended car park, in case someone nicks something?

Thanks!

The website says secure parking and I found a review (Trip Advisor I think) where someone had parked there with a trailer and said it was secure. I'm assuming it will be gated or monitored with CCTV. We'll be there with a folding camper and bikes so need it to be safe too, though we'll have a hitchlock and bike locks for when we stop en-route to go to the loo etc.

Black horse farm campsite is very popular with caravanners but n

Oops.....
Meant to say not too sure about tents.
What about premier lodges etc type of motorway hotels etc.

we stayed in the aparthotel in calais. All 4 of us could share one of their apartments. it was fine for an overnight trip.
here It has a car park for the 3 accor hotels that are there. I assume it was covered by cctv but not positive.

My parents got their car broken into at a hotel nr Calais...

How about a b&b? We usually stay in chambre d'hotes because their parking is secure (in the countryside).

This one 20 min from Eurotunnel right direction looks ok - family room.

Black horse farm is caravan club, so no tents. Lovely though!

Thanks for the suggestions!

chicaguapa - I mailed the hotel in calais and they do secure parking, which is spaces behind a locked gate (so a surrounded car park, I assume). They said they have never had any problems.

Will checka few more things out - keep the suggestions coming please!

We're staying here:La Ferme Du Verte again, 20 mins from Calais - they're not particularly cheap, but have a family room, secure parking and we fancied a night of naiceness after driving up from the Vendee on the way home!

Aargh, crap link, try again