Crossing the Channel by Ferry Or Tunnel on a Coach Holiday

Check out this post if your coach holiday involves crossing the channel by ferry or by Eurotunnel and you want to know about the different ways of crossing the channel.

Crossing the Channel by Ferry

The ferry crossing from Dover takes 1.5 hours across the English Channel.

The ferries are large with plenty of facilities on board for guests.

Here is what happens when you cross the channel on a coach holiday.

Firstly you will arrive at the coach boarding area in Dover. There is a security and border check.

Once you have passed through the checks you proceed to a boarding lane. The coach will then be driven onto the ferry with all the passengers on board.

Once on board the ferry you will disembark the coach and take the stairs to the passenger areas. You will not be allowed back down onto the vehicle deck during the crossing so make sure you have everything you need for the crossing with you.

There is a large duty free shop and a self service restaurant on board.

Free WIFI is available for all guests. There is plenty of seating and you can also access the outer deck areas.

Your coach driver and guide will eat in the commercial drivers restaurant.

During the crossing your coach driver will be classed as having a driving break. This means that once you get travelling again in France he/she will not have to stop for another 4.5 hours if they choose to.

At the end of the crossing there will be an announcement over the loudspeaker system when you can go down to the vehicle deck and board the coach again.

PT Note

One of the biggest issues for guests taking a coach on the ferry is finding their way back to the coach. The vehicle deck can look very different when it is full of vehicles. Always take a note of which stairs you used when leaving the vehicle deck to make sure you make it back to the coach easily.

Crossing the Channel by Eurotunnel (Le Shuttle)

Crossing the channel using Eurotunnel may seem like a quicker option as the train only takes 35 minutes compared to 1.5 hours on the ferry. However, it can work out a slower option due to the fact that the coach driver doesn’t get a longer break while the coach is travelling on the train. This means that he/she will have to stop in France to take a driving break.

When you go to the shuttle on a coach you will go to the reception building. This has shops, cafes and toilets inside.

It is a good idea to use the toilets here as there are very limited toilets available on the Eurotunnel.

After leaving the reception building you will head through a security and passport check.

Your coach will then be boarded onto the train carriage.

The coach is not allowed to have its engine running while it is on the train. This means the coach can become quite hot quite quickly.

There can also be quite a bit of movement on the coach when travelling in the train carriage – this can make some people feel travel sick.

You can get off the coach and stand in the train carriage. There are two small windows in the train carriage because there isn’t much to see in the tunnel itself!

Generally, there are toilets at the front and the rear of the train. This can mean if you need to use the toilet on the Eurotunnel you may have to walk through several carriages to reach it, all while the train is moving.

Once you reach France you will reboard the coach and the coach will drive off the train.

Crossing the Channel – Points to Consider

There are pluses and minuses for each type of crossing. It might also be worth checking which crossing your coach holiday is going to use rather than assuming.

The ferry crossing can be a bit choppy so if you suffer from travel sickness you might want to be prepared. Check out my post on Travel Sickness for all the things that help me.
The Eurotunnel can feel claustrophobic for some people as there are no windows in the train so you are just sitting inside a closed carriage for 35 minutes.
Some people feel sick staying on the coach on Le Shuttle because of the heat and the movement
The Shuttle may seem quicker but it can work out longer overall because of the need for the driver to take a break either before or after the crossing

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