Beginners guide - the Eurotunnel Terminal and Channel Tunnel to France by Motorhome.
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- Опубліковано 28 лис 2024
- For best Video picture quality click on the 'cog' (bottom right hand corner of the UA-cam video) and select '1080pHD'
A recording of our journey in a Motorhome in June 2013.
It may have been better served with a 'voice over' by Richard Burton or Sir Laurence Olivier but as they are not available you'll have to put up with my attempt to provide the audio.
Any constructive comments welcomed.
Excellent video Keith, well done. Should encourage anyone thinking of taking a motorhome through the tunnel.
I cant believe how much the world has changes since you made this video Its gone mad
Hi Keith, I've seen a few Eurotunnel guides and yours is easily the best. Well Done
Thank you - I hope it is of use to you.
Incredible information and view of England and France, Thank You 😊 , this American been to both countries but by jetliners at two different times but I've sure miss a lot of amazing scenery of when one drives instead of flying , what a difference
Daryl Mc Cutcheon Hi dalyl am Indian a govt teacher can we be friends
first time to France and im flapping like a bird your voice is so smooth
Kieith, First-class video. We are off to Disneyland this week and the video sets out in detail what any first-time traveller needs to know with some very sage advice thrown in for free. Thank you.
Please be aware that some changes to layout and procedures at Eurotunnel have occurred in the five years since I made the video.
Thanks SO much for making this video! I've done Eurotunnel in a car before (about 10 years ago) but it's great to watch someone doing it in a motorhome just as a refresher - that's what I'll be doing in a few months. Your commentary is extremely useful. Where would we be without the net! Well done, and thanks again.
Thank-you - I went Solo in my car and found your video calmed me down and found the whole thing Easy - and also coming back from Germany to Calais - Easy at the Terminal -So Thank-you for your video. Very Helpful
+Rupert Loseby Thanks for the thanks.Hope you enjoyed your trip.Keith
Aye was OK = But I was on my own and it was a little boring and 2000 miles total - Back at work in 2 hrs. Yuk
thank you for this video i took the family to Normandy a few years a go i would have loved to seen this before i went
Thank you so much for this video. We feel much better now doing this for the first time. Great video and much help!
Many thanks for this really helpful video. We're off to France in our motorhome in May for the first time and this has been just the job.
Such a useful post for those nervous first timers. Thank you for this informative film
Thank you for that, Keith. I was excited for you! A video and commentary that reassured me. One day...
I'm going through the eurotunnel next may and found this video very informative, even though i'm not in a motorhome it is a very good guide for a chunnel virgin like myself Thanks Keith for the upload
Very informative for one who is yet to do the trip. Thanks for taking the time to make and post it.
Thanks Kieth, very informative, we are heading off in our 8m motor home on Monday for the first time down to southern Spain for 3 weeks, your video was a great insight into what to expect before we get to France!
+Dave Daniels Have a great time - not sure three weeks is long enough.It took us three weeks to get to Bordeaux this year from Calais - but we do tend to meander.
Thanks for creating and sharing such an informative video, Keith.
Great video. We are headed over that way soon and will be taking the tunnel with our pets. Thanks for taking the time to post it.
thank you for that I will have a look today your UA-cam footage is a very great help to those of us just beginning a European Adventures. thank you for all your advice very much appreciate it
I was just talking to my brother about him taking me to France on the Eurotunnel (or is it Le Shuttle - what's the difference?)so that I can see how it is done. I don't think I will need him for the first part of the trip now! Excellent video. Just what I needed to see. Driving on the wrong side of the road will be a different matter. Thank you very much Keith.
Excellant video Keith my first time on the tunnel this year 2014 on a motorbike to Heidelberg Germany so useful commentary.
cannot hear a word this guy is saying.thanx m8.
must be something wrong with your computer, I heard every word
I went to France on the Euro Tunnel 3 times and I loved it in France
First time on Euro train with motorhome - very helpful, liked the music! Thank you Keith.
Superb - thank you Keith. I'm about to take my family in a taller vehicle to Belgium for our summer holiday. 2 boys under 6 will keep us busy enough, let alone driving the car. This has certainly let me know what to expect. Just need to avoid operation Stack on the way. Bon Chance!
Hi. Thanks for this beginners guide. We found it very helpful on our first trip and first motor home outing to France.
Thanks again
This is a very good video
I have done this trip quite a few times but I think its very helpful
as you say you can get sweaty parms first time
well done and thank you save journey DL
Thank you very much keith chesterfield.You are a star. absolutely brilliant and helpful information for a person like myself and lot others.I was very stressed before.God bless you...
Thanks for this, we will be using the tunnel for the first time ever in our motorhome soon, so this has been very useful
excellent vid you make the journey look so easy . i did think it would be busier with traffic stop start but the approach looked so easy
penwithman1
There are good days and bad days at the
Terminal.
Last time we went it was as crowded as
the M25 and took forever to get through to the train.
Avoid Bank Holiday weekends and you
should be okay.
That's a great video! Our first-time in France via the Euro tunnel in our mh we're going in October and we're heading to Netherlands first then back into France later on....quite apprehensive about driving our brand new auto trail on the wrong side of the road
thank you .... very helpful , nice calm and informative
Excellent video... thanks for your time and troubles creating it.
Very informative, it will be my first euro tunnel crossing soon I feel a bit more confident now thank you .
The layout has altered slightly in the last year but most of the route and requirements are the same.Number plate recognition works better than it did when the Video was posted and extra Passport Control Booths added.Have a good trip.
Thanks a lot really useful.. like the bits about speed limits and general tips
Thank you so much Mr Chesterfield. What a splendid video. Excellent information for new motorhome users. My wife and I are now not so concerned about using the train. I wonder when and where they check the dog's travel papers!
Going out you may have papers checked just before the passport control but this is NOT usual. On returning you follow the sign with the PAW mark on the right before the French check in. \this is where the dog is scanned and papers checked.
Thanks for your information, Geoffrey. I've made a note of it in my file.
2018 and really enjoyed the guide. i don't drive and was wanting to know what it was like to travel through the shuttle, thumbs up here, I live in folkestone too
What, no Sir Alec Guinness on the voice over? Damn it! :D Nice video! Gave me the "pre-tunnel" jitters! Merry Christmas from Providence, USA!
Jonathan Pressman
Unfortunately dear Alec was unavailable
at the time of making the Video.
I'd also considered Larry (Olivier),
Dicky Burton, Orsen and Mel Blanc for the voice over - but for some reason all were
unavailable.
I hope you enjoy your trip through the
Tunnel.
Keith
Will be going on the tunnel on the 29th Dec. by car. Only crossed it once, but looking forward to it! Then driving along the A16 to Paris to stop there and then driving on the A6 to Lyon.
Very informative & entertaining, well done.
Thank you so much for the video!!! Well done!!!
Thanks for posting this video Keith is a big help am thinking of going to france next year in my motorhome . I have a 32 ft dodge rv so its a big one
You should have no problems with one that size - Coaches get on at the same entrance to the train as you will use.
my fav video of all time give us more
When you went through the Eurotunnel before your photo was already captured along with the vehicle details. So Returning and obtaining the hang tag, your picture was taken again and the picture matched the prior picture and your passport was matched with your booking and the motorhome registration and unless you came up on some inspection list they didn't need to stop you.
Great video Keith 😉
Thanks for that video, it will be a big help, now to find out when's the cheapest time to go through the tunnel
Thanks Keith, very informative.
Music is good as well!
wonderful ! thank you for making this vid...it's eased my nervousness considerably ! many thanks....J
I hope I can visit the UK with a motohome, once. Than I surely take the Eurotunnel!
what a very helpful video, and well made thank you very much
Good video guide. clear and well explained.
Hi Keith
Thank you for the video
Very useful
I am thinking of going to France using the euro tunnel
. If I have the confidence and brave enough to do so
Hi Keth we are down at the Tunnel this time next week I hope you are keeping well DL
Have a good holiday.There have been quite a few changes to the Eurotunnel experience since I made the video some years ago but basically it's the same.
Yes security is tighter but that's for the good Have a good weekend Keith did you get another dog I think you lost yours is that right
Yes we did lose our dog earlier this year and SWMBO keeps banging on about getting another.Later, perhaps ......
am sure you will get one when your ready all the best keep on moving DL
Great video very informative
This video is quite informative!
Very informative Sure it will help when I travel. hanks Keith
Hi Keith, many thanks for your very informative video, we are heading off in April for several weeks around France with our 2 Jack Russell dogs. we have a 6.5M Burstner, its our 1st motorhome and first road trip to Europe so looking forward to it already :-), little bit concerned as we arrive approx 22.00hrs (French time) and not sure about driving in the dark, just off the train and wrong side of the road!
+captain paul
Thanks for the thanks.
To help you when you first come off the
train and find somewhere for you to stay overnight could you tell me -
Do you have toilet facilities on-board?
Which direction are you heading and
which area you'll be visiting?
Have you booked campsites or are you
using Aires?
Have you ever driven any type of
vehicle abroad on the Continent?
Are you a member of any Motorhome
forums?Keith
+keith chesterfield... Hi again keith, firstly yes we are fully loaded with toilet, gas, generator etc, we are planning on heading down the west coast, Rouen, Rennes, Nantes, La Rochelle, Bordeaux etc down as far as the Pyrenees border with Spain, then down south, and east, Perpignan, Marseille etc, then Northwards and back up through the Loire Valley Tours, Le Mans etc. and back to Calais, As regards campsites, Aires etc, we havent booked anything as yet, we bought the Motorhome last summer and after a couple of campsite stays we decided we prefer to 'wild camp' so to speak, as regards driving abroad before, yes many many times but never with a right hand drive vehicle on right side drive roads, (drove lots of LHD with no issues)
To stop overnight when you leave the train I would suggest any one of these three places.
Cité Europe - has designated MH parking, signs on your right within half a mile of leaving the train, and very easy to find.
Yacht basin - in Calais about three miles away from the Eurotunnel Terminal and is very safe and relatively easy to find.
Baie de Somme Aire, which also has a designated MH area, but would involve an hour or so drive down the A16 Motorway. This is an ideal place to stay overnight with food, fuel and a toilet block within a minute walk.
The itinerary you intend travelling looks to me to be a lot of travelling and very little exploring.
You mention 'several' weeks abroad but unless you enjoy speeding round France on Motorways, many of them Toll roads, you'd be hard pressed to see much of the 'real' France in anything under a month or more.
We had a cunning plan the first time we went to France in a MH some years ago but the plan got thrown away after a couple of days when we realised we were on holiday, not a route march, and we just meandered around after that - and we have done ever since.
Having an idea of which area of France you'd like to see is okay but having a hard and fast plan doesn't seem to work when you're in a Motorhome.
For the 'wild' camp idea in France you'd be just as well, and very cheap, using designated Aires and France Passion sites - there are thousands of free Aires but the average cost of pay for Aires is around €5 - €6 each night.
I would suggest you join a forum, such as www.motorhomefacts.com , if you already haven't done so and find expert help and advice from the Members.
Feeling very confident about it now, thanks! I can't believe no one checked passports smh
You forgot to mention there's a dog walking area on the left opposite the car parking area. The shuttle only prohibits 'flash' photography on board the train. There is a sign at the border control booth forbidding photography or filming there. The reason you were stopped, by Mr 'Jobsworth' as you call him, is because for safety and security reasons they always board vehicles with gas last. There are a host of by laws on the Eurotunnel website, one is that 'whistling' is forbidden in any part of the Eurotunnel complex or the trains. As you have said in other comments, don't be tempted to purchase offers on wine etc in the so called Duty Free shop. Find an Aldi or Lidl in France and buy some fantastic French wines much cheaper. Things you might want to take with you because of very scarce (if at all) availability in France are: Baked Beans, Brown Sauce, Bacon, Don't expect Aldi or Lidl to be anything like the UK equivalent. As far as driving in France goes ... Always STOP at stop signs, if caught the gendarmes will take you to a cashpoint to pay the fine. Probably the most important thing many UK drivers don't even know about is priorite a droite (priority from the right) in many towns, villages and even on some main roads in France, vehicles coming on to the road from side turnings have priority! In some places this is marked by a 'X' on a sign that many UK drivers mistakenly think means a level crossing ahead. But be warned, the absence of these signs is not an indication that Priorite a Droite does not exist. Always look for a solid line or a broken line at junctions, if neither is the case then slow down and be ready for a vehicle to come out in front of you from that side turning, hit it and it's your fault. Roadworks traffic lights are only red or flashing amber, Stop on the red and proceed with caution on the flashing amber. We live in Northern France an hour from the tunnel so if anyone wants more information please message me.
debbie62140 no need for that!
I wanna do this! Thanks for posting!!
The terminals also have duty-free shops, unlike motorway services :o)
The reason that you were "pulled over" as you put it by a "jobsworth" at 17.30 mins, was because of the loading of different length vehicles, that way they utilise the full capacity of each carriage.
The "jobworth" (which I find derogatory) has a radio that they use between members of the loading crew.
nicely done Sir
Thank you! That was really very useful!
Thanks Kieth very informative
Great video!
Thanks for sharing. helped me alot
Thank you Keith, we are taking our new motorhome on the euro tunnel for our first time in a week...we have watched this several times and found it very helpful...just wondering if we can stay parked up over night to take an early morning train. Our new Bailey is slightly wider so are wondering about that too....sweaty palms? Going to Chartres....Peter & Sally
We tried parking overnight about a year ago, turned up about 9 at night at the check-ins, and they sent us off site and told to come back no earlier than two hours before our morning departure time.Others have said they'd stopped in the parking area at Eurotunnel overnight but that's not our experience. I think you might need Plan B if you arrive too early. Don't worry about the width - they get Coaches on the Shuttle easily enough and they are wider than you. Enjoy the holiday
13:11 And there is said height barrier on the right hand side.
Excellent Video, pity you didn't tell folk to alter their clocks and watches whilst going through the tunnel instead of whilst driving. Excellent information Video well done.
A great video,
great video, many thanks
Excellent video very well put together. The only bit missed was the pet building. I did see an area for walkies is the parking area there?
This video was posted about 10 years ago - many things have changed since then especially the dog reception and walking area.
@@KeithChesterfield thanks and sorry i did not realise it was so long ago, but it does show extremely well the process of using the tunnel. Martin
First class directions
Thanks.
Very interesting video. But I have to wonder why they did not just simply build a set of tunnels that people can drive through themselves...it’s only 31 miles. Just have to check ID and make sure they have enough fuel to drive that far. But anyhow, I enjoyed it. Safe travels.
Very good and informative, ideal for first time users of the Tunnel but the sound is so poor that I missed some of the information you were giving!! Which is a real shame.
In my limited experience (with a normal car), if you go as soon as your letter is called then you might get on the train before yours. That happened to me both times. Though with a motorhome it's undoubtedly stricter. Even so, I wonder if you also got that luxury of being last on the train before yours?
I have seen vehicles turned back when they had the 'wrong' letter but that has usually been at busy times. If they let you through with a 'later' letter they can send you to a different waiting lane and if the train is likely to be full you will have to wait but if it is a partially empty train they may let you on earlier. Have a good trip - when allowed.
@@KeithChesterfield In the case of a car there is no-one to "let you through" other than immigration. This is different for high vehicles.
Have you considered reading for audiobooks? Your voice is so soothing.
Thanks for the compliment (?). That's possibly why many people never get to the end of the Video without nodding off. Hope you managed to see it all and found it to be useful. Keith
Fantastic Video - I'm going in my Sports car in Sept 2015 - So I hope the staff allow for Low skirts on cars else BMW will not be Happy.
Got ANY more Video's - Like this ?
I think we should have the Other half also speak,
Luv the Music and the right music for the Situation. A1 - Thanks
That was really well done... Thanks for sharing it.
Can you speak French ?
Wow it was quiet when you travelled! We go around the school holidays and the terminal is rammed... Great video, but French passport control is nothing to do with security in case anyone is concerned they just let anything through.
Great video many thanks,can you suggest a route for a first timer like me?i want some nice roads and some good spots to stop maybe a beach or 2 i am going next year,many thanks
Awesome vid!
What recording of Rawhide is it at 18:20 ?
Thanks Keith....plan B it is !
Also allow time for getting through Customs as it has been 'beefed up' in recent months both going out and returning. It took us 25 minutes to clear the Customs area at Coquelles at around 8 in the morning (which usually isn't a busy time) a few weeks ago and security levels have increased since then.
+keith chesterfield thanks Keith I've just found a site 30 minutes from the tunnel so I think we may stay there which will allow us to get there a bit early with all the checks. and thank you for all the Aires information as well we are subscribed you're wonderful UA-cam videos
We parked a couple of years ago at the side of the road on South Road in Hythe, about 10 minutes from Eurotunnel, very quiet and a park at the side for dog walking. And free.
Keith Chesterfield+ what is the petrol supply and shut off that you mentioned. Is this for caravans and LP fuel?
The shut-off I mentioned while going through the Customs section is for the LPG cylinders that Motorhomes carry and they must be turned off prior to going on the train.
I believe that LPG and Hybrid powered vehicles are not allowed on Eurotunnel but Motorhomes, and their gas supplies, are allowed on.
The shops may be called 'Duty Free' but in reality there is no such thing for those travelling solely within the EU.
All "Duty Free" shopping was abolished in the European Single Market over ten years ago
Some prices are on offer in the Duty Free shop and may be relatively cheap but almost all items in the shop can be bought at the same price or less elsewhere.
I suppose "Useless Tat You Don't Really Need" doesn't have the same ring to it... ;o)
Which music would you have preferred?
Or none at all?
I will be taking the Eurotunnel to france and then driving over the border into Belgium. I'm just curious, can I stop at that petrol station in France when I get off the train? As I think I would be keeping to the right at that point where you moved over to the left. Thanks
Yes, you can use that fuel station but it won't be the cheapest in France or Belgium. Supermarket fuel is much cheaper and if you can wait a while and find one then you'll save a few Euros.
Thank you so much.x
Done this by car but should be doing it by motorhome in 2016. Looks very similar other than the car trains are double deckers, hence high vehicles are charged twice as much. Very sparse amount of loos on the car train so go before you get on! You can get out but nowhere to go and nothing to see.
Thank you
Good video that with useful information, shockingly bad music though. ;-)
a good tutorial
are there screens outside showing what letters are to board their trains?
Yes, there are boards dotted around the
Terminal complex,
The first one is about a hundred yards
after going through the booths and allows those with the correct
letter to go directly to the train and avoid parking at the main
Terminal.
Large electronic boards are also on the
main car parks and inside the Terminal building and you won't be
allowed to proceed to the train by the Eurotunnel staff unless you're
number has been called.
Fab. I'm driving to Lithuania in a few days and euro tunnel is my main worry. Followed by what service station to stop at for a few hours sleep near Berlin. Any advice on that would be brilliant. Also, I will have my fiancées pomeranian with me.
You might like to look at this rest
area - 52.31631,13.495542 - about 3 miles after Junction 12 of
the E30 motorway south of Berlin.
But it is around 600 miles from Calais
and you might possibly want to rest earlier.
Here is a Google map of recommended
Vets who are familiar with the Pet Passport scheme on your way back
to the UK - @maps/dGJM
- let me know which Vet you use and, if it's not already there,
I'll add it to the map.
keith chesterfield That's brilliant. Thanks for the help. I will stop a few times to refill and walk the dog before i get there but that looks ideal for a few hours sleep. I may not be back for quite some time but if i remember will let you know about the Vet we use. Thanks again Mr Chesterfield.
I've never been to the "old world", and I'll most likely never get to experience the Channel Tunnel firsthand.
They also have a passenger service that takes you from St. Pancras Station in London (near King's Cross) to Gare du Nord in Paris. It goes through the same tunnel.
cyndie26 And German railways (DB) have been running tests to see if they can go straight through to Germany.
cyndie26 Well, like I said, it's quite difficult to experience going through the Channel first hand when you don't live anywhere near it. I live several thousand kilometres away, in Canada.
they stopped you for space i think, your motorhome was maybe too long and for optimisation a less longer vehicile was needed between you and the car in front of you
Or maybe he got priority ticket
Think that mans sussing out vehicle lengths to see who would fit best in the compartment
Apart from the fact that they ask you not to photograph or video on the shuttles (I have been over 50+ times!!)
Because it can interfere with their fire detection systems.
So your bags weren't checked at all?
At that time, a few years ago, there was minimal security and time after time we went through Passport Control without stopping. Things have changed since then - on our way back to the UK three days ago it took twenty minutes to clear Customs with many armed Soldiers and Police in attendance. Cars searched and people questioned - France and the UK are on high alert now.
17:39 why did the van get in front?
So they could fit more people in the carriage, it depends what was in front and behind.