Eurotunnel return - Flexi ticket?? (1 Viewer)

[Steve494]

Hi All,
We are thinking of sneaking a three week tour to Spain in next month.
We will be using the tunnel.
We will buy a standard ticket going out as not much can go wrong en route to the tunnel (famous last words!)
However on the return journey a flexi ticket would be great just in case we hit any problems driving thru Spain and France (sure the weather will be rubbish in France)
I remember on previous trips that the return time and date is always on your mind.
A flexi ticket tho is over double the standard price.
So my question is-
Could we just book the outward journey and book the return journey when we are within striking distance of Calais? Or, can you actually just arrive at Calais and book then? I presume they want to discourage this and make it more expensive BUT would the inflated price on the day still be cheaper than buying a flexi ticket in the first place?

I’m sure this question has been asked before but I can’t find any posts on it.


Thanks for any advice
Steve

 

[keithchesterfield2]

We came home a few days early last year and we rang Eurotunnel about 48 hours before we wanted a crossing.

They gave us a new time for our crossing and as it was approximately the same time of the day we weren't charged extra.

Hope this helps.

?

 

[Steve494]

Thanks,
That does help.

We’ll be travelling back in December so I would have thought they would be more flexible than it being in July.
So the golden question I suppose is could we book a return journey the day before the travel date. If so we might as well just do that.

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[Malcolm Bolt]

I normally book a couple of days before in either direction.

 

[Reallyretired]

They will always let you change your booking 24hrs before or more, normally no extra charge, unless its a more expensive crossing.

 

[Speve]

We only ever book our outward crossing the go online a week or so before returning and book a crossing never had a problem in last seven years.?

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[Solwaybuggier]

I think the key thing is to change at least a day before - we’ve got down there earlier than expected on the outbound journey and rung up to see if we can change from the following morning. It would have cost over £100 to change at such short notice, even though the crossing price was similar.

 

[zulurita]

I have often gone on line to change my booked return if I want to return earlier/later.

 

[Lenny HB]

If you are not going to book a return make sure it is ok with your travel insurance. A lot are invalid if a return is not booked.

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[SomeoneElse]

If you are not going to book a return make sure it is ok with your travel insurance. A lot are invalid if a return is not booked.

I read a similar warning before, so I asked Comfort when I renewed my policy but was told they weren't interested in when I booked my crossings, only that I used a scheduled service.

 

[tuscancouple]

I think the key thing is to change at least a day before - we’ve got down there earlier than expected on the outbound journey and rung up to see if we can change from the following morning. It would have cost over £100 to change at such short notice, even though the crossing price was similar.

This is not our experience at all. We always book a return ticket, as Lenny said it's an insurance issue, however we will change the date/time towards the end of our trip and again as we get closer to Calais. On Tuesday this week we phoned ET from a 1/2 drive away to change the final time. This does not cost any extra unless the change takes you into "peak" travel time. Have done this many, many times

We just have a standard, frequent traveller tickets.

Mick

 

[Southdowners]

I read a similar warning before, so I asked Comfort when I renewed my policy but was told they weren't interested in when I booked my crossings, only that I used a scheduled service.

I think the post from Lenny refers to personal health travel insurance. I know our insurers won’t cover us unless we have a return booked.

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[Lenny HB]

Yes I was referring to personal health insurance, we rely on Lloyds Banks nothing in their T&C but a lot do require a return booked.

 

[Sundowners]

The same with breakdown cover. I tried to book breakdown cover for our son when he was coming down to see us in Portugal, they would not do it on a one way, he had to have a return ticket. So double check you are covered if you don’t have a return booked.

 

[mikebeaches]

This is not our experience at all. We always book a return ticket, as Lenny said it's an insurance issue, however we will change the date/time towards the end of our trip and again as we get closer to Calais. On Tuesday this week we phoned ET from a 1/2 drive away to change the final time. This does not cost any extra unless the change takes you into "peak" travel time. Have done this many, many times

We just have a standard, frequent traveller tickets.

Mick

I think you are in a different position to the OP because you have a frequent traveller account - which we also have - and it provides a fixed price, regardless of travel time or date (with the exception of peak hours).

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[pete4x4]

As long as you change within the same off peak/ peak period then there should be no difference in price. I have just moved a crossing back to 30 April next year, cost me £1 due to a price rise but that was all. Sadly hospital treatment means I cant use it so just getting it out the way.
As has already been said 24hrs notice is the key

 

[tuscancouple]

I think you are in a different position to the OP because you have a frequent traveller account - which we also have - and it provides a fixed price, regardless of travel time or date (with the exception of peak hours).

Don't think so Mike as it also worked when buying individual tickets when taking the Harleys on ET.

Mick

 

[tonka]

Just to back up comments above ref TRAVEL INSURANCE.. Some have a clause that a return crossing must be booked..
Arriving on the day at the ferry / tunnel is the worst you can do, they have you by the googlies. Book at very minimum 24 hours before online.

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[Clarky]

One of the things that makes a difference to prices is the time of crossing. As others have said peak or off peak.
The best prices appear to be for crossing from the UK after 4pm and returning before 1pm (local).
A early morning crossing to France, as many do to get an early start, takes you into the most expensive price bracket.
Go late afternoon and stop for the night on the other side. Reverse that when returning.

Richard

 

[Riverbankannie]

When phoning Eurotunnel be careful to use the landline number in my photo below and not the 0870 number widely publicised on their website. This caught me out back in June when quickly wanting to cancel a crossing due to finding a water leak. Cost me over £5 for a quick call.
The landline one is included in your phone contract.

 

[mikebeaches]

Don't think so Mike as it also worked when buying individual tickets when taking the Harleys on ET.

Mick

Mick, I agree Eurotunnel is generally very flexible when it comes to changing crossings, whether frequent traveller ticket or not. But I believe Frequent Traveller tickets do provide absolute certainly regarding no price adjustment relating to changes. Just a personal view.

Cheers, Mike

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[gus-lopez]

On the few occasions I have grudgingly used the tunnel & always arrived early I have never been offered alternative trains that haven't required me to pay.

 

[Reallyretired]

On the few occasions I have grudgingly used the tunnel & always arrived early I have never been offered alternative trains that haven't required me to pay.

We usually arrive early and have always been offered an earlier crossing at no charge except once when they were extra busy. Perhaps because we aren't grudging, and always use the tunnel because of the dogs.

 

[Cavs]

I read a similar warning before, so I asked Comfort when I renewed my policy but was told they weren't interested in when I booked my crossings, only that I used a scheduled service.

If I were you, I'd get Comfort to tell you that in writing, with particular reference to repatriating the vehicle following a breakdown abroad. You don't want to be having that conversation with them when you have broken down, as I did.

The issue was that, without a return trip booked, they couldn't tell whether repairs could be competed before the return trip, so couldn't decide whether to repatriate the vehicle.

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[gus-lopez]

The issue was that, without a return trip booked, they couldn't tell whether repairs could be competed before the return trip, so couldn't decide whether to repatriate the vehicle.

There would only be one place repairs were going to be done & that is at my home.So it would always need recovering.

In spain my vehicle is covered for recovery anywhere in Europe , including the UK, as part of the insurance. not that I've ever used it as I use adac. Unlike the UK ,anywhere in europe is just classed as normal. No one asks whether you are 'on a trip/vacation/etc'. you've insured a vehicle for whatever & it is covered .

 

[SomeoneElse]

If I were you, I'd get Comfort to tell you that in writing, with particular reference to repatriating the vehicle following a breakdown abroad. You don't want to be having that conversation with them when you have broken down, as I did.

The issue was that, without a return trip booked, they couldn't tell whether repairs could be competed before the return trip, so couldn't decide whether to repatriate the vehicle.

I don't use Comfort for my breakdown insurance.

 

[orridge]

Steve have you considered a frequent traveller account as each crossing is then 55 and can be changed right up to the actual crossing time, it might be a lot cheaper and you could share the account with somebody else if you would not use all 10 crossings in the year.

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[ToBoldlyGo]

Thanks for saying that, I thought seeing other threads commenting on the need for advance return booking it meant re the vehicle insurance and I phoned Comfort who said to them it didn't matter; we'll check with our personal travel insurers now and dump them if necessary.

Yes I was referring to personal health insurance, we rely on Lloyds Banks nothing in their T&C but a lot do require a return booked.

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