I've done the ferry loads of times and consider it to a bit like being trapped in a motorway services...but at sea and on the whole, something that has to be got through
I do, however enjoy the view if crossing from Dover. It's good to enter Vera Lynn mode and have a little warble. An added bonus a couple of years ago, waiting on the dock was hearing the drone of a merlin engine and a Spitfire wizzing across overhead before banking along the cliffs then heading out to see....bugger me wasn't expecting that!
You can get some dinner...but it's a rip off. Better to stop in the chippy in Dover if you're on a budget
Done the tunnel once a few years ago. It's fast, efficient, functional transport but there's no glamour from what I can remember. I was in a car so at least we could sit in it during the journey. I imagine it's a bit grotty if you're on a bike
The great advantage of the tunnel was on the return journey. We arrived for our booking a bit early just as the previous train was finishing loading. The speed that we were waved onboard was stunning & we were back in blighty in the blink of an eye. When it works properly it really is very fast indeed, which is great if you know you've got a long journey on the other side
Doing the tunnel in a couple of weeks so it will be interesting to do an up to date comparison
you're not wrong there MTM.. i looked at going to a rally in Belgium and it was cheaper including petrol etc to ride down to dover, get the ferry from there, then ride up through france and return than it was going from Hull to somewhere which you could almost see from there! well a bit of an exageration on the being able to see it bit, but not far off!
Well I'm now back from my mammoth fantabulous, super-duper, freebie competition prize road trip to the Czech Republic & Poland
The prize included a Eurotunnel crossing. My fellow roadtrippers would have preferred a ferry cossing, but gift horses and mouths and all that....
As with my previous experience of the tunnel, it was stunningly fast....in fact on the return crossing we were back in Folkestone earlier than we checked in on the other side!!
We didn't stop once on the outward journey. Drove in the terminal entrance, waved through all the sections & straight down onto an earlier train than we were booked on, and on the move within 10 minutes
We were stopped for a few minutes returning while they waved explosives-detecting wand thingies over our car, and then again at UK customs while were were cross examined on our roadtrip -where and why??? ....Poland didn't seem to be the answer they expected when they asked 4 blond ladies where they'd been (lol)
One really impressive touch was stopping at the unmanned check-in for booked crossings. Quicker than I could read the instructions, our number plate was scanned automatically, was greeted by my name flashing across the screen and the barrier lifting! Big Brother or what!
I asked a guy on a bike who stopped for petrol when he got off the same train, how he found the crossing. He described how they reserve a carriage just for bikes and park them diagonally across the carriage, and he found it just fine.
I guess the crucial factor is how far you've ridden before you get on and/ or how far you intend to travel on the other side. It really is extremely spartan on the train with only a loo. If you think you need a decent break and a sit down, get warm, coffee etc then the ferry is best
Going to France in September (as I do most years) and taking car this time as diesel 20p per litre less than petrol,car does 60mpg,bike 45mpg,big boot to fill with wine and beer etc-Ferry is cheapest and gives a rest on the way,Norfolk Line/DFDS or whatever they call themselves this week usually cheapest,go via Dunkerque as it very quick loading on the return trip as they're the only operator from there.On the bike I would tunnel it every time,quick,easy,usually cheapest and no roping bike down with manky oily ropes!
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