Best time of day to use channel tunnel or ferry?

[jaygee]

Just wondering what time of the day people travel on the ferry or channel tunnel?
We live about 2.5 hrs away from Dover so usually catch a ferry/train about 11am but have to leave early as traffic may be bad.
Just wondering what other peoples views on this were.

 

[mpdcymru]

we are in west Wales so generally travel down to the tunnel the night before and catch an early train. If we take a ferry, it is generally from Portsmouth and we look for an evening crossing so we have a night on board and the whole of the next day to travel (if we need to).

 

[Clarky]

Think you will find it's cheaper after 4pm on the shuttle and before about 2pm (local) for the return.
We live about 2.5-3 hours from Folkestone and cross just after 4pm, then stop at Cite Europe or somewhere close and get an early start next day.

Richard.

 

[Stealaway]

We always travel on a Sunday evening - as we live in South Yorkshire. Catch the train around 8.00pm and stop overnight at Cite Europe at around 10.00pm (local time). Buy some bread, meat, cheese and wine at Carrefour. Set off south(-ish) around 11.00 am.
Just the reverse on the way back but a 9.00am train. Have breakfast on the train and arrive about the same time in the UK.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Evening tunnel leaving all day to get to Folkestone and deal with the inevitable last minute “what have I forgotten” and any traffic hold ups.
Overnight Cite Europe.

Return tunnel 8am after staying at Cite Europe. Back home by midday leaving time to empty what we need to out of van.

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[Madcaravanner]

We find evening and early mornings are cheaper and less fraught so we travel from North Derbyshire to Folkestone stop at our friends place (Little Switzerland CP) then take which ever crossing we choose - usually the cheapest we can find

Occasionally we do it the other way return to UK late evening having stopped at Citie of Europe

 

[WillH]

We live 500 miles away, so take two days to drive down. After that the departure time has to be mid morning so we know we can be there.

 

[tacr2man]

I usually travel down latish (after rush hours) previous night , park up and then get early ferry , so can get the miles in and still find room on stellplattze . ON return take late ferry back , so traveling night in UK to get round M25 This also corresponds with low fare schedule . I also try and avoid fridays going and sundays returning .

 

[SteveB123]

I normally cross tunnel friday afternoon stay at Cite Europe gives me 2 days no lorries weekend driving to spain.

 

[FIDGET]

We usually catch tunnel 4pm ( as we live on the Isle of wight , catch 9am ferry off the island , liesurely drive with time to spare , allowing for hold ups or delays , spend first night & last at cite europe , then return journey 10am tunnel , 4pm I.o.W. ferry

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[Zains Pops]

We are about 1.5 hrs away. And usually aim for a 13.00 ferry. Always with a flexible ticket to cope with last minute issues as we are usually late arriving!!

 

[mitzimad]

We go over late 8 9 at night on the evening before and stay somewhere ready for a morning start to the holiday

 

[Badknee]

We cross about 22.00 then hit the road the other side and drive through the night. A few hours kip then off again. Northern Spain on the third morning.
Return trip the same, 22.00 arrive 23.00 so by time we get to the Dartford crossing it’s free then home in Cheshire about 04.00-05.00.

 

[Badknee]

We go over late 8 9 at night on the evening before and stay somewhere ready for a morning start to the holiday

We never stay anywhere near the channel ports overnight.

 

[Taran_Las]

I go the night before and stay at Canterbury park & ride. Then a 20 minute drive to Dover for an early ferry 04:00 ish. Drive to Montreuil-sur-mer aire and kip for a couple of hours.

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[tuscancouple]

Think you will find it's cheaper after 4pm on the shuttle and before about 2pm (local) for the return.

We live about 40 mins away from ET and use their "frequent traveller" to purchase tickets. As said above, it's always cheaper to cross off peak, both ways, though their off peak times are nearly just night time, with peak being daylight hours So we travel out late,stopping overnight in Le Touquet and back early again stopping overnight in Le Touquet.

Mick

 

[suavecarve]

I work about an hour and a half away from Folkestone and leave after a 12 hour night shift and try to get there before 0800 hrs and landing in France by 0930 hrs local time. Bergues or Montrueil for a kip and then make Sully or Luxembourg dependant on the direction of travel.
Travelling back Cite d'europe and 0800 ish back landing about 0730 local time which gets me to the M25 just towards the end of the mad time and home 1100 hrs with a cuppa

 

[Reallyretired]

I find you can often get a cheaper eurotunnel crossing as early as 2 pm. Our next crossing is booked for 2.20 pm Saturday. We then get an early start and get as far south as we can on the Sunday.

 

[ceejayt]

We always travel on a Sunday evening - as we live in South Yorkshire. Catch the train around 8.00pm and stop overnight at Cite Europe at around 10.00pm (local time). Buy some bread, meat, cheese and wine at Carrefour. Set off south(-ish) around 11.00 am.
Just the reverse on the way back but a 9.00am train. Have breakfast on the train and arrive about the same time in the UK.

We do the same - will be doing it on April 13th in fact - travel down from Yorkshire and booked on 8pm train.

Same again last week in July

Cite Europe great initial stop

 

[Stealaway]

We do the same - will be doing it on April 13th in fact - travel down from Yorkshire and booked on 8pm train.

We are travelling the next day from Yorkshire - same time on the 14th.
You're not bothered about all the problems at Cite Europe then?

It's amazing that people pick up on the odd occasion when there has been some kind issue and scaremonger. While totally ignoring the thousands off times when there isn't

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[Ivory55]

I would of thought all the Yorkshire people would be traveling to go over the dartford crossing between 10pm and 6am to avoid the toll. Haha

 

[ceejayt]

Well, have stayed there many times, there are always lots of other motorhomes there at any time of the year, plenty of lighting and never seen a problem

 

[Steve101uk]

we live around 2.5 hours from eurotunnel. finish work at 5, on the road at 6. Book tunnel for after 10pm (always seems quieter) cross the channel, stop at cite europe and to bed. Shopping in the morning and off we go. Reverse it coming home, stop cite europe or within 30 minutes of tunnel and 9 am tunnel.

What we used to do was stop at drum inn (£20+) and end up in the pub (another £20+) and get early tunnel.

 

[Daddycool]

We have a late crossing in Le Shuttle at the end of March so planning on the first night at Cite Europe like many have. As this will be our first stop there can you indicate to me what to follow to find the area where motorhomes park up for the night. I think I have seen them "over the fence" when we've been through before but not been into the Cite Europe for a very long time. Thanks for any guidance.

 

[Two on Tour]

We have a late crossing in Le Shuttle at the end of March so planning on the first night at Cite Europe like many have. As this will be our first stop there can you indicate to me what to follow to find the area where motorhomes park up for the night. I think I have seen them "over the fence" when we've been through before but not been into the Cite Europe for a very long time. Thanks for any guidance.

Our very own @Clarky has done a nice little video for you to get to Cite Europe from when you get off the train.

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[Puddleduck]

I go the night before and stay at Canterbury park & ride. Then a 20 minute drive to Dover for an early ferry 04:00 ish. Drive to Montreuil-sur-mer aire and kip for a couple of hours.

We stayed at the P&R last year. Booked the cheapest ferry we could get and got to Dover early and put on an earlier ferry FOC

 

[Steve101uk]

The way I go is when leaving the train take first right to cite europe

 

[Camdoon]

Think you will find it's cheaper after 4pm on the shuttle and before about 2pm (local) for the return.
We live about 2.5-3 hours from Folkestone and cross just after 4pm, then stop at Cite Europe or somewhere close and get an early start next day.

Richard.

Ditto; French goodies - baguette, croissants, pate, cheese, butter, wine etc at the CdE - been known to have a burger at the Steak and Shake and occasionally heading to the Baie de Somme which is an hour or so west if still daylight.
Easy run and gets the chunnel out the way.

 

[Daddycool]

Our very own @Clarky has done a nice little video for you to get to Cite Europe from when you get off the train.

Thank you very much - perfect.

 

[DangerMousy]

We're about 2 hours from the tunnel and either aim for a train around 8pm (if we're finishing work at 5) or if we take a half day's leave we get the first off-peak train at 16:20. If we take the late train then we stay over at Cite Europe and do a bit of shopping first thing in the morning before setting off. If we get the earlier train then we may or may not do some shopping (depends whether the crossing is on time or not!) but we'll try to get a couple of hour's driving in before stopping somewhere to sleep.

Coming home we usually spend our last night not too far away from Calais or at Cite Europe and get a Saturday morning train. But next time we're going to pay the £20 supplement to get a Saturday evening crossing back so we can leave Paris around lunchtime, stop at Cite Europe for some shopping and a bite to eat and then hit the M25 when it should be quiet around 10pm and get home about midnight.

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