Cycling UK Forum

I'm off to France in early September, been looking at the ferries and Eurotunnel. I've done the ferry in the past, really don't like cycling at the port (Newhaven a possible option on the way back, but not out), wondered what Eurotunnel was like?
Cheers!

Eurotunnel Bike Service is brilliant - and usually cheaper than the ferries that don't want foot/bike passengers and price them out.

You go to the pick up point at Folkestone (Holiday Inn Express Hotel - or call the contractor and they'll usually pick up at Folkestone West station) - they load the bikes on a custom trailer with racks, you sit in the mini-bus and they drive to the tunnel, on the train and then unload by the Cite d'Europe shopping centre (or ask nicely and they'll drop you in central Calais)

We've used 7 or 8 times - always perfect service.

Rob

robgul wrote:Eurotunnel Bike Service is brilliant - and usually cheaper than the ferries that don't want foot/bike passengers and price them out.

You go to the pick up point at Folkestone (Holiday Inn Express Hotel - or call the contractor and they'll usually pick up at Folkestone West station) - they load the bikes on a custom trailer with racks, you sit in the mini-bus and they drive to the tunnel, on the train and then unload by the Cite d'Europe shopping centre (or ask nicely and they'll drop you in central Calais)

We've used 7 or 8 times - always perfect service.

Rob

Sounds excellent.
In connection with the other tbread, ever had any issue with camping knives and the like with this service rob?

I ask as you are clearly an experienced user.

Sweep wrote:

robgul wrote:Eurotunnel Bike Service is brilliant - and usually cheaper than the ferries that don't want foot/bike passengers and price them out.

You go to the pick up point at Folkestone (Holiday Inn Express Hotel - or call the contractor and they'll usually pick up at Folkestone West station) - they load the bikes on a custom trailer with racks, you sit in the mini-bus and they drive to the tunnel, on the train and then unload by the Cite d'Europe shopping centre (or ask nicely and they'll drop you in central Calais)

We've used 7 or 8 times - always perfect service.

Rob

Sounds excellent.
In connection with the other tbread, ever had any issue with camping knives and the like with this service rob?

I ask as you are clearly an experienced user.

We have never had any luggage examined going out or coming back on the Eurotunnel service - and I think that only twice have we even had to get out of the minibus for immigration control (and that was on the return journey)

About a month ago we went out from Portsmouth on Brittany Ferries (to St Malo) and they asked to examine 3 or 4 random panniers (there were 9 of us) - but that was farcical as they asked us to just give them a few panniers to look at - we could have held back the ones with the guns and ammo!! It was a very vague check (no scanner or anything like that) - not much more than just opening the lid!

Just to add to that - we've used Eurostar to/from Paris & Brussels a 3 or 4 times with bikes (the bikes are now a separate drama) and luggage went through the scanners as if we were passengers with suitcase - no issues with anything like knives etc. (I had a Swiss Army knife and various tools that could be classed as weaponry - not a problem)

Rob

Thanks rob. Much as I rather like ferries I think I'll be using this in future.

I suffer from extreme claustrophobia and so could not travel through the tunnel. But in any case I think that using it would destroy a lot of the sense of occasion: seeing the cliffs recede on one side and then the open sea, there is the feeling of remoteness about one’s destination. How does anyone know, going into a hole in the ground, that they have really travelled abroad and not been whisked away into a giant theme park somewhere outside Birmingham?

Thornyone wrote:I suffer from extreme claustrophobia and so could not travel through the tunnel. But in any case I think that using it would destroy a lot of the sense of occasion: seeing the cliffs recede on one side and then the open sea, there is the feeling of remoteness about one’s destination. How does anyone know, going into a hole in the ground, that they have really travelled abroad and not been whisked away into a giant theme park somewhere outside Birmingham?

How do you know that hasn't happened any time when you close your eyes?

Your claustrophobia sounds pretty extreme. The channel tunnel is 7½m wide and I think the carriages are much wider than our usual 3m-ish trains.

The long ferry crossings are good, between Hull & Rotterdam the boats have TWO cinemas, they just go a bit too fast so one has to get up early
Harwich-Hamburg was the best, 20 hours

robgul wrote:Eurotunnel Bike Service is brilliant - and usually cheaper than the ferries that don't want foot/bike passengers and price them out.

You go to the pick up point at Folkestone (Holiday Inn Express Hotel - or call the contractor and they'll usually pick up at Folkestone West station) - they load the bikes on a custom trailer with racks, you sit in the mini-bus and they drive to the tunnel, on the train and then unload by the Cite d'Europe shopping centre (or ask nicely and they'll drop you in central Calais)

We've used 7 or 8 times - always perfect service.

Rob

so you dont have to dismantle bike or anything? they go on a trailer, the trailer on the train then at the other end off the train?

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/traveller-info/vehicles/bicycles/

cant seem to enter a bike in the pricing, so how much does ti cost with a bike?

I didnt realise there are two types of train Le Shuttle and Eurostar?

according to this comment it is also very cheap as they cant raise the price much. what is the currect price as this comment was 3 years ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycletouring/comments/2q7kyx/psa_eurotunnel_cycle_service/

and why cant we do a Froome?
[youtube]2iwo_R0r4sI[/youtube]

mercalia wrote:

robgul wrote:Eurotunnel Bike Service is brilliant - and usually cheaper than the ferries that don't want foot/bike passengers and price them out.

You go to the pick up point at Folkestone (Holiday Inn Express Hotel - or call the contractor and they'll usually pick up at Folkestone West station) - they load the bikes on a custom trailer with racks, you sit in the mini-bus and they drive to the tunnel, on the train and then unload by the Cite d'Europe shopping centre (or ask nicely and they'll drop you in central Calais)

We've used 7 or 8 times - always perfect service.

Rob

so you dont have to dismantle bike or anything? they go on a trailer, the trailer on the train then at the other end off the train?

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/traveller-info/vehicles/bicycles/

cant seem to enter a bike in the pricing, so how much does ti cost with a bike?

I didnt realise there are two types of train Le Shuttle and Eurostar?

https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycletouring/comments/2q7kyx/psa_eurotunnel_cycle_service/

Yes - i's a big flatbed trailer that has 8 Thule rooftop type bike carriers bolted to the floor - bikes are spaced well apart, you just have to remove panniers, saddlebags etc - the whole set up drives on to the train and off the other side to the unloading point. [When we went with 13 bikes they used a small furniture van and wrapped all the bikes with blankets and secured them - so 2 vehicles - one van and one minibus with people]

You have to phone to book bikes - IIRC it's about £30 per person with bike.

Eurostar is the passenger service from London St Pancras, le Shuttle is the car and truck train that shuttles (!) back and forth between Folkestone & Calais

Claustraphobia - the interior of the le Shuttle carriages that the bike service are very big and airy, they take the 1.5 deck big coaches with plenty of space to spare

Rob

mjr wrote:Your claustrophobia must be pretty extreme. The channel tunnel is 7½m wide and I think the carriages are much wider than our usual 3m-ish trains.

Claustrophobia is a general term and comes in many forms, it isn't uncommon for it to be felt in tunnels and has little to do with the size.
A close relative will travel miles to avoid a tunnel and research all journeys before taking them, it took others a long time to work out what seemed like some odd behaviour. Attitudes that try and make rational judgement about the irrational is what stopped her from just saying what was going on.
Lack of empathy is unhelpful, phobias are by their definition an extreme or irrational fear, questioning why someone feels the way they do is pointless, being told the dimensions of a tunnel won't stop the feeling.

I like ferries, the sense of travel, my favourite way of crossing the sea. Sometimes I'll take the Shuttle which is fast and convenient, or a folder on the Eurostar, both are better than flying. I use all four, sometimes you just have to look at what fits best with whatever else you're doing or where you're going.

PH wrote:

mjr wrote:Your claustrophobia must be pretty extreme. The channel tunnel is 7½m wide and I think the carriages are much wider than our usual 3m-ish trains.

Claustrophobia is a general term and comes in many forms, it isn't uncommon for it to be felt in tunnels and has little to do with the size.

I am well aware it is common for it to be felt in tunnels but many forms are more manageable in a larger space, although it's not a straightforward link where bigger is better.

PH wrote:Lack of empathy is unhelpful, [...]

Indeed: such as a non-sufferer lecturing people who post imperfectly-worded sympathetic messages.

mjr wrote:

PH wrote:

mjr wrote:Your claustrophobia must be pretty extreme. The channel tunnel is 7½m wide and I think the carriages are much wider than our usual 3m-ish trains.

Claustrophobia is a general term and comes in many forms, it isn't uncommon for it to be felt in tunnels and has little to do with the size.

I am well aware it is common for it to be felt in tunnels but many forms are more manageable in a larger space, although it's not a straightforward link where bigger is better.

PH wrote:Lack of empathy is unhelpful, [...]

Indeed: such as a non-sufferer lecturing people who post imperfectly-worded sympathetic messages.

Well try not to write utter rubbish like this then

Your claustrophobia must be pretty extreme. The channel tunnel is 7½m wide and I think the carriages are much wider than our usual 3m-ish trains.

You might also try not to make assumptions about who is and isn't a sufferer of what

PH wrote:You might also try not to make assumptions about who is and isn't a sufferer of what

Do you suffer from claustrophobia, then?

I've posted on here before that I do, but it's mild.