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I can't decide which one. On the one hand, Eurotunnel is quicker and I won't get sea-sick, and Folkestone is slightly closer than Dover. On the other, Lil Grips can run about on a boat and will probably get a kick out of the experience, although she is only 1.8 years old.
Is the Eurotunnel as grim as it sounds for 35 mins? Last time I went on a ferry was almost 20 year ago, are they any better now?
Tunnel is fine. We would only travel by ferry if the tunnel wasn't working now.
What time of year?
We came back on the tunnel one afternoon in July last year & it was very unpleasent as it was very hot & humid in there, relaxing on the boat with a gentle sea breeze would have been a better option in the middle of a 12 hour drive!
What time of year? Friday 🙂
Forget the kid, she won't remember the experience, besides it will be far too cold to spend any time on deck. The ferries are just as horrible as they always were. The only reason we use them over the tunnel is for the break from sitting in the car between long journeys
Chunnel every time, the only benefit the ferry has is it's slightly cheaper, although vehicle dependant not always.
It's bloody slow in all aspects. Bored to tears on it the last time we went.
Which has the highest mortality rate? I would have thought you still have more chance of dieing on a ferry than the tunnel?
If you go for the ferry just make sure it's Sea France over P&O. P&O are rank ships (and food) in comparison
We always go ferry, but then we could do with a break after 10hrs driving to get there
The tunnel is so flexible if you turn up 1 hour early on your way home you usually just drive straight on to the next one. By the time you change your watch back you are driving in God's own country before you arrived at the French terminal.
With the ferries you plan to get their two hours early and wait, then you get on a slow boat and wait and then you wait to get off by which time you could be clear of the M25.
Also trade in Tesco's vouchers - every £10 = £30 off the tunnel (applies to ferries as well)
Cheapest Eurotunnel fare I've ever succeeded at finding has always been 3 times the price of P+O. And that's a P+O daytime ticket, but late night Eurotunnel. For similar crossing times, P+O comes out even better.
Boats are pretty stable - won't get seasick even in a force 8.
Sure it's 1hr30 crossing instead of 45mins, but is 45mins saving worth €100? No queues leaving Calais, only on arrival in UK (although last time was pretty swift thru the customs shed).
i took the ferry so my youngest , at 20mths could get out of his car seat for a bit, also so i could have a decent break form driving.
price was also cheaper.
Cheapest tunnel fare has always been zero for me - Tesco Clubcard vouchers.
Much quicker, much more flexible, doesn't smell of chips, loading time of maybe 5 minutes. Other than that, ferry every time.
we've booked a tunnel for this year. for the time of day the tunnel was only 12 more expensive, and it's a lot quicker. the ferry is long and there are things to do to keep you entertained. the tunnel is quicker but there is less stuff to do.
Forget the kid, she won't remember the experience
She might not remember it into adulthood, but she'll still get a kick out of it which will make her happy. Happy kids are good kids, and sitting in a car inside a windowless box for 30 mins isn't going to float her boat, so to speak. The boat will be stimulating and interesting (something new to explore) so she'll be happier for the next 7 hours of driving we have to do..... (likely not all in one go mind).
I think I'm gonna book the boat. Sea France better than P&O then? That new mega ferry has just started running.
Never paid more than 70 euros for the tunnel. Dont bother with the super-flexible tickets.
Tunnel every time - done it with kids several times.
Really slick operation (no waiting about), Tesco vouchers make it free and I think you can pretty much turn up 2 hours either side of your booking and they just stick you on the first available train.
As Mackem said, don't bother with the flexible tickets - really expensive and the std fares are pretty flexible.
OK you have to sit in your car (or stand beside it) for 35 mins, but P&O ferries ain't exactly Disneyworld are they?
Apart from the fact you have to sit in your car for the best part of an hour to get on the ferry in the first place...
By the time you have finished boarding, the train is coming to a stop.
70 euros? Best I've ever managed is about €166 return. Never paid more than €60 return with P+O. Turn up, get on the 1st ferry more often than not.
£390 for a 10 trip flexi ticket. Obviously supplements apply for some peak travel, but great if you're crossing fairly regularly.
You really have to queue for that long to get on the ferry? It's going to be empty this time of year it looks like.
I love the ferry- feels like a mini adventure 😀
Always used the tunnel and Tesco vouchers
Balls to it, tunnel booked.
i didn't wait at all to get the ferry, just turned up 10 mins before the time and drove straight into the boarding line.
Tunnel is fine but you should sometime even try a ferry. 20 years is a too long time and they have changed a lot now. Even if they ask you to report an hour before, there are times when you turn up just mins before and drive straight to the boarding line. And yes, they are much better now.
Always use the ferry. We think of it as a moving motorway service station and it is a good break to have on the way home. Yes it is slower than the tunnel, but you can get out and walk around.
Tuneel everytime, after we took a Speedferry there was a fair swell when we walked on the crew were vaxing sick off every surface inside 😯 , we went on deck for the whole crossing, other passangers seemingly oblivious to the smell and damp surfaces stayed inside, 10 mins out of the harbour another vomitfest ensued.
Eurotunnel is quicker - [url= http://www.ferry-to-france.co.uk/ ]Ferry to France[/url] is cheaper!
Whoah.
We booked the tunnel 🙂
You need to book at least 2 weeks in advance to use the Tesco vouchers though, as you need to get them off Tesco then send them to Eurotunnel. Great deal IMO, much rather use the tunnel and then stop afterwards for a break.
Took the Brittany Ferries route some years back when the kids were smaller. It was a relatively bumpy sea, and my son was sick. OK, we had spare clothes, so changed him. He was sick again. And again. Of course, you're not allowed to get to your car to get fresh clothes, even if you, your wife and your son are standing there, puke-splattered, and generally very miserable.
My abiding memory of that 4 hour crossing was spending most of it in the toilets trying to wash his least badly splattered clothes and dry them with the hot air blower. After 45 minutes of constant blowing the dryer packed in, at which point the room was in any case at about 30 degrees and stinking of vomit.
Never again. The next time we went to Brittany we just used the tunnel and drove an extra 3 hours during the night.
Kids like trains more than boats
<FACT>
When we did a 6 hour crossing that turned into a 9 hour nightmare, the toilets looked like that scene from The Meaning of Life with the puke everywhere.
Seriously - every basin was blocked and full of sick slopping from side to side and over the sides on big waves. Every toilet was completely plastered in puke. The floor was a few inches deep in what must've been a few gallons of puke that sloshed from side to side as the boat rolled.
The lounge had puddles of puke everywhere that spread themselves out all over the carpet too.
I quite like the ferry. I think everyone should do it once. But having said that, the train sounds cheaper than I thought it would be.
I prefer the ferry - it feels like the start to the holiday. It's good to get out the car and walk about and get some air- I'm not mad on driving either.
I can see the advantages for the tunnel though re; convenience and seasickness.
Speed was why we chose. We have to/want to do the whole trip from Munich in a day, and an extra hour or two saved will really help.
Molgrips, drive through the night. You'll save yourself a lot of time in traffic.
I've been doing this for the last decade and it's never been a problem for the kids.
Driving through the night.. nice idea but what about when you arrive home at 7am and your kids are full of play and you are trashed? 🙂
In fact we've got a 3am start planned, 3pm train on the way to the UK, and a 7am or something train on the way back.
3am will work very well - you'll miss a lot of the traffic that way.
The 'through the night' thing came about as a result of a horrific journey through France with 40 minute queues at each toll booth. Took us about 17 hours from the Alps to Hertfordshire
Oh.. interesting.. I was thinking of coming through France as the autoroute avoids major cities unlike the German route.. hmm..
Timing is everything. If it's the main French holiday weekends in the summer (16/17 July & 13/14 August are especially poor) then you may be delayed.
To be fair, it's still not as bad as the M1's going to be the Thursday before Easter.
It depends on where you're starting from.
If you're fresh when you get to Dover, take the Chunnel.
If you need a break and a stretch, take the ferry.
For me it's 200 miles to Dover so I like the longer break & the chance to get out of the car that the ferry gives.
Nickf - it's going to be next Wednesday.
Always go by ferry to France and tunnel back. Being on the ferry ads to the sense I am going somewhere. Train on the way back as I just want to get home by then.
Next Wednesday? You'll (just) miss the July motorway queues then!