Eurotunnel or ferries?

[robgul]

Rob -Thanks for the post about the Eurotunnel service, I have just used it (£20 approx). I was ignorant about this service. Only two of us plus the driver so they just sent a transit type van. Once through I took a TGV from Calais Frethun to Paris Nord.[...]

How's the ride between the drop-off and Frethun, please?

Totally painless - and there's quite a bit of downhill! It's a whole 5.4km if you mean the station, about another .8km if you mean Frethun village.

Be aware, as I'm sure you are, not many of the TGVs on that route take fully assembled bikes (and then only with a cycle booking)

Rob

[mjr]

How's the ride between the drop-off and Frethun, please?

Totally painless - and there's quite a bit of downhill! It's a whole 5.4km if you mean the station, about another .8km if you mean Frethun village.

Great. Thanks! I meant station. Which way? Signposted? Infrastructure? cycle.travel seems to route one along an agriculture-only road, according to streetview, but that could be out of date. The alternatives all seem to go through at least one autoroute junction

There really don't seem to be many details online. Trying to search for it found, amongst others, some posts from someone called robgul on some site called YACF...

I only found one about the tunnel bike service on CGOAB so far and it's a different route away with not much detail.

Be aware, as I'm sure you are, not many of the TGVs on that route take fully assembled bikes (and then only with a cycle booking)

Yes, I'm thinking of one of the infrequent TERs - 30 minutes to Lille!

[Slowroad]

Bonroute wrote:
Rob -Thanks for the post about the Eurotunnel service, I have just used it (£20 approx). I was ignorant about this service. Only two of us plus the driver so they just sent a transit type van. Once through I took a TGV from Calais Frethun to Paris Nord.[...]


How's the ride between the drop-off and Frethun, please?

This is the route I took: https://cycle.travel/map/journey/81731 On normal roads.
Eurotunnel cycle service are also quite likely to be able to take you to Frethun if you ask nicely and they aren't in a tearing hurry.

[robgul]

How's the ride between the drop-off and Frethun, please?

Totally painless - and there's quite a bit of downhill! It's a whole 5.4km if you mean the station, about another .8km if you mean Frethun village.

Great. Thanks! I meant station. Which way? Signposted? Infrastructure? cycle.travel seems to route one along an agriculture-only road, according to streetview, but that could be out of date. The alternatives all seem to go through at least one autoroute junction

There really don't seem to be many details online. Trying to search for it found, amongst others, some posts from someone called robgul on some site called YACF...

I only found one about the tunnel bike service on CGOAB so far and it's a different route away with not much detail.

Be aware, as I'm sure you are, not many of the TGVs on that route take fully assembled bikes (and then only with a cycle booking)

Yes, I'm thinking of one of the infrequent TERs - 30 minutes to Lille!

Turn right from the drop-off point and follow road around and up a slight slope, cross on a roundabout under the motorway to another almost immediate roundabout (big piece of drilling equipment in the centre) turn left and carry on to T-junction (parallel to motorway) turn left and cross motorway bridge - straight on and you come to Frethun station. In no way onerous.

... and from the Crazy Guy link - Norman was a great character but has been gone for about 5 years and the trailer takes 8 bikes! We have been 13 in a group when they laid on the minibus/trailer + another van to take people and bikes.

If you ask the driver nicely he would probably drop you at either Calais Ville or Calais Frethun station - likewise a request when you get the booking details to be picked up at Folkestone West Station rather than dragging up a long hill to the Holiday Inn Express hotel pick-up is usually possible.

Rob

[Bonroute]

mjr

I was lucky and the van took me all the way to Calais Frethun! Apparently they sometimes pick up from Calais Frethun as it is an easier drive back to the tunnel. Not sure what the distance of the ride is.

[robgul]

mjr

I was lucky and the van took me all the way to Calais Frethun! Apparently they sometimes pick up from Calais Frethun as it is an easier drive back to the tunnel. Not sure what the distance of the ride is.

See up-thread - it's an easy 5.4km from the drop off to Frethun

Rob

[Onyourbike.wales]

The ferry is always a breeze. Very few checks and never had an issue.
Eurostar is very much like an airport with scanners, x-ray machines, and border controls. I had a battle with a Swiss Army knife they wanted to confiscate and had to wait for a more senior person to make a decision. They let me keep it on the understanding I put it into the bottom of my pannier which is where they found it on the X-Ray in the first place.

My bike was lost/stolen from a Eurostar train and ruined half of a 2 month tour. This was just 4 months back and it appears they put it into disabled toilets to which the public have access.
Looks like they've been doing that for some time.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36820751

[robgul]

The ferry is always a breeze. Very few checks and never had an issue.
Eurostar is very much like an airport with scanners, x-ray machines, and border controls. I had a battle with a Swiss Army knife they wanted to confiscate and had to wait for a more senior person to make a decision. They let me keep it on the understanding I put it into the bottom of my pannier which is where they found it on the X-Ray in the first place.

My bike was lost/stolen from a Eurostar train and ruined half of a 2 month tour. This was just 4 months back and it appears they put it into disabled toilets to which the public have access.
Looks like they've been doing that for some time.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36820751

EuroTUNNEL is not the same as EuroSTAR as the OP's question

Rob

[Ivor Tingting]

Eurotunnel by motorbike is very quick.

[Cyril Haearn]

Whatever a shame the ferries to Hamburg and Esbjerg are no longer running, is that progress?