Eurotunnel arrival time

[Steve494]

Hi All,
We are driving up from southern Spain to the tunnel over 2/3 days and not sure exactly as to when we will arrive at the tunnel.
They encourage you to book in advance which is understandable but can you just turn up and pay?
Any tips would be great

 

[chaser]

Hi All,
We are driving up from southern Spain to the tunnel over 2/3 days and not sure exactly as to when we will arrive at the tunnel.
They encourage you to book in advance which is understandable but can you just turn up and pay?
Any tips would be great

Yes but it costs

 

[mikebeaches]

You can just turn up and pay, but I suspect you'd get a much better price by looking online the day before, and then, if you want, ring up and make a booking. You will be able to identify the best value time to make the crossing - it varies significantly throughout any 24-hour period.

If having booked the day before and you turn up early there is a good chance you might be offered a crossing much sooner without any extra charge - not guaranteed, but a possibility.

 

[Four of us]

We've found that booking two or three days ahead gets the best price. It is dearer to book at the last minute. If you have a rough idea you can book in advance and its usually fairly easy to change it if necessary.

 

[Steve494]

Thanks for replies.

Was thinking of leaving it till day before to see how we’re doing and then book a slot slightly later than eta.
We’ve turned up before early and got straight thru but I know there are no guarantees.

Just wondered if anyone had actually turned up and paid there and then? Think we all assume it’s gonna be more doing it this way but is it? And if so how much more?

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[TerryL]

We book as far ahead as we reasonably can, although we do tend to have a good idea before we start. In our experience the closer to departure date, the more expensive and paying on arrival is definitely expensive. Even a few days before can be significantly more (about £35), as we found out when trying to bring a return booking forward after cutting short our last break.

 

[Easyliving]

We got the train back from France on 26th May, this was 3 days earlier than booked. We were charged £124 which wasn’t bad.

Paul

 

[meanders]

Look at getting a flexi ticket. Sometimes cheaper than crossing at peak periods, and you get fast tracked onto a train.

 

[Kybod]

About 10 years ago i had an emergency trip in a car, i turned up and paid at the terminal. It was over double what i would of paid just 24 hrs before.
Mike

 

[namwaldog]

Try sample bookings if you are able to over a two or three day spread to see how they compare.

You don't give a proposed date of travel but I've just had a look for Monday 3rd and there is almost no availability! End of UK half term?

We normally wait until we are as close to as we want to be to Calais and then book for the next day.

This was a search for tonight ...

This was an identical search for tomorrow...

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[Steve494]

Thanks for putting that legwork in namwaldog.

That sounds like a plan

 

[Camdoon]

Other option is to book a morning crossing and stop at Cite d’Europe beforehand whether staying for 1 hour or 12 hours. This takes any pressure off you