Hi Paul. I do that job at Eurotunnel, been doing it for 21 years now. The reason we put chocks under the vehicles, is to stop your vehicle rolling into the doors should you forget to apply your handbrake. We only do this to the first and last vehicle in the carriage (Front of first vehicle and back of last vehicle), because if your vehicle damages them, then we may not be able to open them to unload you. The reason we scan your tickets is so that we know which train our customers are on. This also prevents people trying to make false claims against the company, for instance, trying to get compensation by saying they were on a much later departure. Also we some times get 2 vehicles trying to travel with the same boarding pass, i won`t go into how they do that one, needless to say there are some very savvy people out there. Also, in case of delays when you are in the tunnel, customer service dept are "supposed" to give you up to date info via your mobile, if you provided the number when booking and for that they need to know that your actually on the train Hope this helps, if you need any more info, please ask.
Thank you very much for taking the time to provide these clarifications it is very helpful. In my view the tunnel is the best way to travel to France it must be great to have been involved with it for so long. I don’t have any other questions myself but I suspect other viewers may have some and will no doubt comment below. Thanks very much. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for watching pleased you found the channel useful. There are lots of bits and pieces for caravanning and in my view most are pointless. You just need to decide for yourself what stuff works for you and what doesn’t. We had never been caravanning before until April 2019. We have been in the caravan touring for most of the time since and still pick up new things and new ways for setting up etc. Enjoy touring!
graeme roberts Thanks. It’s a little longer than I wanted it to be but I wanted to let people see the whole process so newbies know what to expect as it can seem a little daunting with a caravan in tow.
I wondered about entering the train with a van and thought you may have to swing across the open part and then pull back to align the rig. Thank you for confirming my thinking.
Pleased you enjoyed it. It’s very simple. The roads in France are much better and quieter than the U.K. and there are far more places to stop for a break. Well worth a trip. Just give yourself plenty of time so that you always arrive at a site in the daylight.
Thanks for watching. Driving in France is easier than driving in the U.K. because the roads are so much more quieter. I found the tunnel very easy too. Pleased you enjoyed it. I’m going to put a short vlog together about my experience of using the ‘bip & go’ tags for the toll roads in France, Spain and Portugal. It makes life easier again.
davesolocornet1 thank you. It’s really very quick and easy and I’ll certainly be using it again in May when I travel to Switzerland. Highly recommended.
That was really interesting and useful. I've never been to France with my caravan, but it does look quite straightforward using the tunnel, thanks for the info.
Steve Davis pleased you liked it. Driving in France is easier than in the U.K. as the roads are usually quieter. It’s very easy. Bip and go tag for the toll roads are also something that makes things easier.
Thanks for the video, I found it excellent. Hopefully we will be driving to Sweden in the spring (it's where one of our sons live) Done it a couple of times before but crossed from Harwich to Hook, we were lucky both times with weather (8 hour crossing) but next time we will use the tunnel
Pleased you found it useful. I certainly won’t cross to Europe without the tunnel from now on. I found it really easy. Enjoy your trip to Sweden once they let us out. Volvo country! Thanks for following.
I have ben on just about every ferry crossing from uk to europe , most people quote plymouth santander as the worst one crossing the bay of biscay I have been on a dover callais that tokk 8 hrs great fun
Very interesting vlog - enjoyed it! Two things struck me though, firstly the sheer amount of driving at the Calais end, before you actually reached the train - that place must be vast! Secondly, i know that gas cylinders are a necessity with caravanning (i have one) but I am still amazed that they allow them on the train, albeit turned off, bearing in mind the pervasive paranoia over terrorist attacks!
Pleased you enjoyed it. The tunnel terminals are certainly huge and certainly gas bottles on a burning train would be a disaster but there are so many other precautions it would be very unlikely.
Hi Chris, thanks for your comment. My mirrors are Milenco Aero and I have the extra long bars. They basically clamp to the surround that houses the mirror. I’m not sure if they will fit an Amarok as I’m not familiar with the mirrors on that vehicle. I’m very happy with them and would certainly buy again. I have subsequently discovered (following a comment by someone) that my mirrors will also fold in with them attached. All the best Paul
@@arnie111999 once they are setup I just slacken off the mirror clamps to remove and then tighten back up when I remix them and the position of the mirror stays consistent.
Pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks for following. It really wasn’t that stressful. It was a bit stressy when two lads tried to get in the caravan; until you see that these aren’t ‘wrong uns’ but sadly are vulnerable people desperate to seeking a better life. It’s really much less stressful than getting on a ferry where they inevitably want you park next to the wall which causes more stress with tail-swing when you pull away. It’s nice to just relax in your own car seat for the crossing (or the caravan dinette) and have a bite to eat. It was actually more stressful that day because we were battling gusts of between 60 and 70kms/hr driving up to Calais from Reims but while the 8ft wide caravan makes the tunnel a bit of a squeeze it benefits in caravan stability from sideways gusts.
Great video but 2 things struck me as strange, why didn’t you have the gas turned off before leaving your last site & why didn’t you just fold the mirrors instead of taking one off?
Well spotted! I didn’t think it would be long before someone spotted the gas issue. I turned the gas on to keep the fridge going while we were stopped but was off camera. My mirrors fold but never tried folding them with the extensions on because I thought the extension mirror would hit the window. Maybe I should check that possibility next time I have them attached. Thanks for watching.
Paul Matson gotcha Paul, I’ve the same car & mirrors. The mirrors fold without touching the door window. Saves all the hassle of settling the mirrors up again.
Yes you can. The toilet facilities are a whole lot more handy than walking all the way along the train too. you can’t use your gas but everything else is fair game.
Yes. The open sided lorry trucks look quite a challenge! Having done an HGV when I was 21 I quickly established my schoolboy dream of becoming a long distance tramper was not as romantic as it seemed. Thanks for following. Regards Paul
Hi Brian Thanks for following. The £340 was the return trip but we did buy it a few months before departure and opted for the fixed (no change) tickets although when we arrived early they gave us the option to board an earlier train. The next trip we bought (which we haven’t been able to use yet) via the Caravan Club and saved a little bit more on the normal fee although the I think the costs have gone up since last years travels; as everything has!
news flash more of the aires are to be closed within 100kms of callais to try and stop illeagles getting under the trucks / all standard big rigs are 8 ft wideacross the trailer add on the mirrors and the arms neare 9 ft wide
After having used the Euro Tunnel every three weeks for three years in the late 90's I now travel across the channel using the Ferry. IMHO it is far superior to the Euro Tunnel and makes going to/from the continent an event. I can understand wanting to use the euro Tunnel if you're on a tight schedule or in a rush, but on vacation I want to take my time to smell the roses. You cannot do that on the euro tunnel. Each to their own I suppose. Having watched your video it has reinforced my decision to keep using the ferries - thank you.
Yes Richard it is each to their own however on a rough sea IMHO you get to smell more than the roses on a crossing and my stomach sadly would want to make too much of an event of it. Thanks for following.
It’s not the width of the train, it’s the width of the trough that you drive down. On each side of the trough there is a walkway. So yes 3 or 4 inches is correct.
Sounds like a nightmare. I had some illegals trying to get into my locker under the bed about 60miles south of the Chunnel; so they are certainly keen!
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Paul. I do that job at Eurotunnel, been doing it for 21 years now.
The reason we put chocks under the vehicles, is to stop your vehicle rolling into the doors should you forget to apply your handbrake. We only do this to the first and last vehicle in the carriage (Front of first vehicle and back of last vehicle), because if your vehicle damages them, then we may not be able to open them to unload you.
The reason we scan your tickets is so that we know which train our customers are on. This also prevents people trying to make false claims against the company, for instance, trying to get compensation by saying they were on a much later departure. Also we some times get 2 vehicles trying to travel with the same boarding pass, i won`t go into how they do that one, needless to say there are some very savvy people out there. Also, in case of delays when you are in the tunnel, customer service dept are "supposed" to give you up to date info via your mobile, if you provided the number when booking and for that they need to know that your actually on the train
Hope this helps, if you need any more info, please ask.
Thank you very much for taking the time to provide these clarifications it is very helpful. In my view the tunnel is the best way to travel to France it must be great to have been involved with it for so long. I don’t have any other questions myself but I suspect other viewers may have some and will no doubt comment below. Thanks very much. Thanks for watching.
Excellent video, love the overdub comments. Nice one. Maybe this will make me feel brave enough to try this. Nice 😊one.
Go for it!
Excellent, thank you for the time you spent giving such a thorough informative journey. Especially the gap between the caravan wheels and the kerb.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Well, what can I say? An absolutely brilliant video!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Thanks for watching. Pleased you liked it. It’s a great way to cross the channel!
Just bought a caravan Paul and this video has been superb heads up for a complete novice like me. Many thanks
Thanks for watching pleased you found the channel useful. There are lots of bits and pieces for caravanning and in my view most are pointless. You just need to decide for yourself what stuff works for you and what doesn’t. We had never been caravanning before until April 2019. We have been in the caravan touring for most of the time since and still pick up new things and new ways for setting up etc. Enjoy touring!
Very good blog, educational, and well explained,👍
Pleased you like it. Thanks for following.
Having done the tunnel a fair few times I found this vlog still an excellent reminder on what to do and its brilliant for beginners!
😀😀
graeme roberts Thanks. It’s a little longer than I wanted it to be but I wanted to let people see the whole process so newbies know what to expect as it can seem a little daunting with a caravan in tow.
It's a good video, a trip like this just needs basic fundamental instructions and insights. Thanks
Great video thank you
Thanks. Pleased you liked it.
I wondered about entering the train with a van and thought you may have to swing across the open part and then pull back to align the rig. Thank you for confirming my thinking.
excellent vlog very informative thanks
Pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback and for following.
Great vlog very informative and well produced thank you
Thanks. Pleased you liked it.
That was interesting and you provided good information on the procedure. Thanks.
I’m pleased you found it interesting and thanks for following.
Great video and really interesting. Cheers
Pleased you liked it. Thanks for following.
Very good enjoyed
Another very informative vlog Paul...👍🏻
Thanks. Pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks for following
Great vlog. Thank you for the detailed insight.
Should I stay or should I tow now. Pleased you liked it. Thanks for following.
Fantastic video
Will give me the confidence to drive to France
Cheers mate
Pleased you enjoyed it. It’s very simple. The roads in France are much better and quieter than the U.K. and there are far more places to stop for a break. Well worth a trip. Just give yourself plenty of time so that you always arrive at a site in the daylight.
Thanks, good Vlog
Pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks for following.
Very informative, thanks for sharing👍 Mark
HitchUpAndTow Thanks. Pleased you liked it.
Brilliant vlog, Hope to take our caravan to France at some point for the first time, looking to use the tunnel, very informative vlog.
Thanks for watching. Driving in France is easier than driving in the U.K. because the roads are so much more quieter. I found the tunnel very easy too. Pleased you enjoyed it. I’m going to put a short vlog together about my experience of using the ‘bip & go’ tags for the toll roads in France, Spain and Portugal. It makes life easier again.
great explanation and video of the crossing, would like to do this in th future
davesolocornet1 thank you. It’s really very quick and easy and I’ll certainly be using it again in May when I travel to Switzerland. Highly recommended.
Is it expensive ta use the euro tunnel? We've jus bought a caravan so we can go to holidays in france
Excellent very informative I particularly like how you pause at the road signage great 😊
Thanks for the feedback Keith. I just hope it helps someone to do the same once we are able to travel again. Thanks for following.
Thanks Paul.
Good video and informative
Vinish Vasudevan you’ll have to try it when you get your big cross-country fithwheel with slideouts to explore Europe!
That was really interesting and useful. I've never been to France with my caravan, but it does look quite straightforward using the tunnel, thanks for the info.
Steve Davis pleased you liked it. Driving in France is easier than in the U.K. as the roads are usually quieter. It’s very easy. Bip and go tag for the toll roads are also something that makes things easier.
Thanks for the video, I found it excellent. Hopefully we will be driving to Sweden in the spring (it's where one of our sons live) Done it a couple of times before but crossed from Harwich to Hook, we were lucky both times with weather (8 hour crossing) but next time we will use the tunnel
Pleased you found it useful. I certainly won’t cross to Europe without the tunnel from now on. I found it really easy. Enjoy your trip to Sweden once they let us out. Volvo country! Thanks for following.
I have ben on just about every ferry crossing from uk to europe , most people quote plymouth santander as the worst one crossing the bay of biscay I have been on a dover callais that tokk 8 hrs great fun
Very interesting vlog - enjoyed it! Two things struck me though, firstly the sheer amount of driving at the Calais end, before you actually reached the train - that place must be vast! Secondly, i know that gas cylinders are a necessity with caravanning (i have one) but I am still amazed that they allow them on the train, albeit turned off, bearing in mind the pervasive paranoia over terrorist attacks!
Pleased you enjoyed it. The tunnel terminals are certainly huge and certainly gas bottles on a burning train would be a disaster but there are so many other precautions it would be very unlikely.
But it is far easier to set off a tank full of petrol than a cylinder of gas!
I have been down the chunnel a few times/still rather be on top of the water even on a rough day
I’m not good on rough sea so the tunnel is my best option.
Hi, great video, thanks - what mirrors do you use please, and do you know if they would fit a VW Amarok - thanks again
Hi Chris, thanks for your comment. My mirrors are Milenco Aero and I have the extra long bars. They basically clamp to the surround that houses the mirror. I’m not sure if they will fit an Amarok as I’m not familiar with the mirrors on that vehicle. I’m very happy with them and would certainly buy again. I have subsequently discovered (following a comment by someone) that my mirrors will also fold in with them attached. All the best Paul
Thanks mate, they looked really easy to get on and off - will check them out - thanks again for your video ✅
@@arnie111999 once they are setup I just slacken off the mirror clamps to remove and then tighten back up when I remix them and the position of the mirror stays consistent.
the reason you are scanned when in place is so that the system knows exactely where your vehicle is in the train / dissaster event identity
Excellent video. How was it stress wise ? 👍
Pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks for following. It really wasn’t that stressful. It was a bit stressy when two lads tried to get in the caravan; until you see that these aren’t ‘wrong uns’ but sadly are vulnerable people desperate to seeking a better life. It’s really much less stressful than getting on a ferry where they inevitably want you park next to the wall which causes more stress with tail-swing when you pull away. It’s nice to just relax in your own car seat for the crossing (or the caravan dinette) and have a bite to eat. It was actually more stressful that day because we were battling gusts of between 60 and 70kms/hr driving up to Calais from Reims but while the 8ft wide caravan makes the tunnel a bit of a squeeze it benefits in caravan stability from sideways gusts.
the lighter the big rigs run the more they move around in the wind
If there’s a fire break shutter, Can’t the fire spread throughout the train when the inner doors are open?
The pedestrian doors are on automatic closers so are closed until you press the opener. Fire would only spread if someone pressed the opener.
@@PaulMatsonMOTM Ohhh that makes sense
Last time we used the tunnel, we moved into the van during the crossing. No one minded at all.
Waz that an 8 foot wide caravan to fits into the train pal ?
Yes. It’s an 8ft wide. Swift 635 Grandé.
Great video but 2 things struck me as strange, why didn’t you have the gas turned off before leaving your last site & why didn’t you just fold the mirrors instead of taking one off?
Well spotted! I didn’t think it would be long before someone spotted the gas issue. I turned the gas on to keep the fridge going while we were stopped but was off camera. My mirrors fold but never tried folding them with the extensions on because I thought the extension mirror would hit the window. Maybe I should check that possibility next time I have them attached. Thanks for watching.
Paul Matson gotcha Paul, I’ve the same car & mirrors. The mirrors fold without touching the door window. Saves all the hassle of settling the mirrors up again.
can you sit in the caravan while crossing?
Yes you can. The toilet facilities are a whole lot more handy than walking all the way along the train too. you can’t use your gas but everything else is fair game.
you want to try driving an artic through the train ( big rig or semi for our american friends
Yes. The open sided lorry trucks look quite a challenge! Having done an HGV when I was 21 I quickly established my schoolboy dream of becoming a long distance tramper was not as romantic as it seemed. Thanks for following. Regards Paul
I started as a trailer mate learning to rope and sheet loads (old school proper hard graft for a quid a day and not a ratchet strap in sight
Is it the same process if you have a dog with a passport ?
I think so. There were people with dogs in their cars on the train.
Where you from Mate ?
Sunny North East!
Paul Matson I know lol. I’m from Wallsend
👍
Pleased you liked it. Thanks for following.
Thanks Paul, very informative. Was the £340 one way or for the return trip?
Hi Brian
Thanks for following. The £340 was the return trip but we did buy it a few months before departure and opted for the fixed (no change) tickets although when we arrived early they gave us the option to board an earlier train. The next trip we bought (which we haven’t been able to use yet) via the Caravan Club and saved a little bit more on the normal fee although the I think the costs have gone up since last years travels; as everything has!
@@PaulMatsonMOTM thanks Paul
news flash more of the aires are to be closed within 100kms of callais to try and stop illeagles getting under the trucks / all standard big rigs are 8 ft wideacross the trailer add on the mirrors and the arms neare 9 ft wide
Yes they are Simon. most commonly found at Service Stations.
After having used the Euro Tunnel every three weeks for three years in the late 90's I now travel across the channel using the Ferry. IMHO it is far superior to the Euro Tunnel and makes going to/from the continent an event. I can understand wanting to use the euro Tunnel if you're on a tight schedule or in a rush, but on vacation I want to take my time to smell the roses. You cannot do that on the euro tunnel. Each to their own I suppose. Having watched your video it has reinforced my decision to keep using the ferries - thank you.
Yes Richard it is each to their own however on a rough sea IMHO you get to smell more than the roses on a crossing and my stomach sadly would want to make too much of an event of it. Thanks for following.
what was the space at side again 3 or 4 inches i do not think so
About 4 inch between the caravan wheels and the metal kerb of the road width at either side.
It’s not the width of the train, it’s the width of the trough that you drive down. On each side of the trough there is a walkway. So yes 3 or 4 inches is correct.
all closed due to illeagles trying to get on to or into vehicles
Sounds like a nightmare. I had some illegals trying to get into my locker under the bed about 60miles south of the Chunnel; so they are certainly keen!
Ah, so you can stay in an airre with a caravan? I keep reading just for motorhomes not caravans..
Yes you are free to stop in a caravan. I would be very careful however to make sure your caravan is secured as some areas are prone to burglary/theft.
No G B OR UK ON CAR
I had a U.K. sticker but put it on while in the train.