badkitten or anyone else - should we travel to Folkestone tonight or early tomorrow?

[lateylate]

Hi,

We're booked on Eurotunnel tomorrow at 1145 but live 4 hours away.

Would it be best to leave tonight and find a hotel or tomorrow about 6am? Worried if we do that and roads/weather still bad we'll miss the booking.

tia

I don't know about local road conditions. It looks like snow showers will hit Kent around dawn tomorrow after a dry night. Weather warnings for icy roads there expire at 10am.
Looking at aaroadwatch m20 seems to have problems around folkstone at the moment. zoom in

Hopefully a Kent person will come along

ok, checked bbc Kent for you.

read here

it looks pretty rubbish
if it were me I would see if there are any travelodges nearby that you can book into. If it were dh he would leave early in the morning, we would have a domestic for the whole journey and things would work out by the skin of our teeth after much stress.

Hmm - thanks - glad I tracked you down badkitten!

I just phoned a hotel in Folkestone and they said traffic is moving around them but there's ice.

We wouldn't get there until about 1am.

I'm thinking we might be better off staying somewhere en route which isn't snow affected - somewhere like Reading perhaps and then making a very early start.

I think it is operation stack that will be the problem?? I'd try and work out a route for the last bit that doesn't involve the m20. Maybe, if you can allow enough time you could try coming off onto the a21 at sevenoaks and making your way along the coastal road???

Hoping someone who knows the area better comes along!

Have started a help thread for you in chat

have just looked and the tunnel is running at the moment.

look at the highways agency site for up to date road info

We got stuck in this at Christmas- I wish you a better journey/scenario than we had. The tale will never be spoken about by me or DH again but needless to say it was fucking horrific.

The only bit of good news I can impart is that it was fine to get on any train (tunnel) as we had an existing booking.

Hi

I am near ashford, kent

folkestone and dover region has been badly affected by the snow today, not sure what to believe about the wetaher tomorrow as we were meant to have light sleet today - well, its four inches deep now!

if I were you i would try to get as close as poss tonight rather than chance it in the morning, but neither will be a pleasant experience - make sure you are well equipped with blankets, flask etc

I really hate to say it lateylate, but if I were you (having lived throuh it) I wouldn't go . Are you travelling with DC's? if not, then maybe go. If yes, maybe not. It took us 12 hours to get as far as Ilford from manchester, should have taken 4-5 to Folkestone.

I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy- I don't think me or DH have never been so scared/pissed off/tired/whatever in our lives.

Thanks all - flask filled, blankets ready - we're off. We're following Suwoo's suggestion and will get as near as we can.

Wish us luck! May update from iPhone later!

If you want some good news, my boss was stuck in this earlier, but is now safely in France.

Good luck!

Good luck. Wishing you a safe journey xx

On m20 now; no snow so far 31 miles from tunnel. We have a hotel lined up for tonight so hopefully should be ok.
Thanks for all advice

In queue to check in - Eurotunnel only taking vehicles with reservations but back to 3 trains per hour.
Can recommend Burlington hotel Folkestone £68 for family room on laterooms.com
Au revoir!

Yay!

Au revoir

Au revoir - Bon Voyage!