[Louda0801]

Those who want to use the channel tunnel and are worried about the ridiculously narrow walkways and your allows, select that your car is over 1.85m and has a roof rack. You'll go onto single deck. The single deck has much wider tracked areas and narrower walkways so plenty of room.

Sorry if you already knew this.

[spangle1980]

Thanks for top tip - I can't believe how ridiculously cheap that thing is - unless I'm missing something. I just, out of interest, tried 1-8 Feb and it came out as £62!!!

I might even consider doing that for boarding next year, although the travel will be shit it will save £100s on airfare!!

[spangle1980]

EDIT: Then I just looked up on google maps Calais to Morzine. Journey time 8h21m. With the few hours from Manchester to Folkestone ... I think I'll just take the plan :-)

Good if you live darrrn sarrrf I guess.

[andyg1966]

I live down south and do the tunnel to Morzine from near Portsmouth (the irony of not using the ferry is known)

Get 7AM crossing and get to Morzine late afternoon.

I've done this 3 times now with 3 mountain bikes on the towbar. RAV4 not my
X3.

I've flown once and found that a real pain with mountain bikes and far end transfer.

[suby01]

I am assuming this is an insider FYI kind of thing. I dont know about the others that viewed this but I have no idea what this is about?

[Spoolfinger]

For non-Europeans, the Channel Tunnel is a high speed rail tunnel running underneath the English Channel sea between SE England (Folkestone, Kent) and NW France (Calais, Pas-de-Calais). Different trains carry passengers (Eurostar) and freight (Eurotunnel for cars, buses and lorries) and the journey time is approximately 35 minutes.

I'll be heading to the Alps next month and have already booked the tunnel as I've done for many trips but never considered the extra room that might be afforded by selecting one of those options - although this is plainly obvious when thinking about it. Perhaps I just assumed that it would cost more. Top tip but does anyone know if loading/unloading times are affected by 'pretending to be bigger'?

[Speedbird1]

I did this journey last year in my F25 and because I had a roof box I had to go in the larger section. I seem to recall I had to tell them this before I went but that maybe just my poor memory! Anyway, as OP states, thank goodness I did. My friend in his Audi S8 did 2 rims in the conventional bit - not a good start to our ski holiday (also to Morzine coincidentally).

As far as differences go: Cost was the same, time to load a bit quicker because there were only a few coaches and there is a dedicated lane for this section of the train. The only down side I remember is that we couldn't access the complimentary coffee / sandwich area which is adjacent to the queue lines for the normal height section of the train. This is because the over-height section is too far away. To be fair you're not missing much.

Hope that assists.

[JN2019]

Do the tunnel 6-8 times year, always in high vehicle carriage (single deck) as always have roofbox. Only real downside is availability. The high spaces are often sold out when there is still space on the double deck …. stating the obvious but prob's cos they get less than half the number of cars per carriage. Generally quicker on and off as less cars to unload as only one deck. You should book high vehicle beforehand though, it's not just a case of following the double deck lane, if you're not high they will sort you back into the low lane in pre boarding.

Another tip: they will virtually always get you on the earlier train if you go on the boarding letter before yours. You'll be put in a separate pre-boarding lane but right at the front and there is pretty much always space.

[JN2019]

Originally Posted by spangle1980

EDIT: Then I just looked up on google maps Calais to Morzine. Journey time 8h21m. With the few hours from Manchester to Folkestone ... I think I'll just take the plan :-)

Good if you live darrrn sarrrf I guess.

Morzine - Calais can be done in <7 hrs …. put your foot down, buy a sanef doofer and piss in a bottle

[BMWZ4]

I've taken the Eurotrain many times over to France. What a great trip.

[Spoolfinger]

I have just amended my booking for free to include a roofbox that I will not be taking. It was confirmed that I will be placed on the single deck part of the train. Likewise, I am not particularly interested in grabbing something to eat prior to boarding as most French services are well-catered and we will have pre-prepared snacks.

Will not be bombing it down however as I have the family in tow, although my two-year-old seems to enjoy the fast pace a lot more than my other half...weird. My record was making it down to the riviera for a late lunch having set off from Yorkshire (where I previously lived) in the early hours of the same day.

[RichardM]

You will see most YouTubers do this when they take their cars over to Europe. The standard carriage is a stupid design.

[Louda0801]

Originally Posted by Spoolfinger

For non-Europeans, the Channel Tunnel is a high speed rail tunnel running underneath the English Channel sea between SE England (Folkestone, Kent) and NW France (Calais, Pas-de-Calais). Different trains carry passengers (Eurostar) and freight (Eurotunnel for cars, buses and lorries) and the journey time is approximately 35 minutes.

I'll be heading to the Alps next month and have already booked the tunnel as I've done for many trips but never considered the extra room that might be afforded by selecting one of those options - although this is plainly obvious when thinking about it. Perhaps I just assumed that it would cost more. Top tip but does anyone know if loading/unloading times are affected by 'pretending to be bigger'?

No change to loading unloading times. Just as quick if not quicker as less vehicles

[verysideways]

I take 20+ sports cars and super cars to Europe several times a year.
I always book the high and wide carriages for my groups.
An Aventador for example doesn't even fit in the standard car carriages.

[Louda0801]

Originally Posted by verysideways

I take 20+ sports cars and super cars to Europe several times a year.
I always book the high and wide carriages for my groups.
An Aventador for example doesn't even fit in the standard car carriages.

Ha. I don't suppose it would. They are WIDE!