Beginners guide - the Eurotunnel Terminal and Channel Tunnel to France by Motorhome.

hello we're on the m20 heading towards the Channel Tunnel in the Eurotunnel terminal bring a motor home with two adults from one dog we are turning off the motorway at Junction 11a we booked online we paid by credit card and we printed out the booking form booking forms got the reference number and travel details such as your train departure times for going to France and of course returning Eurotunnel have got a vehicle number plate recognition system and if you put that on the booking form that's your registration number of course life should be a bit easier a check-in if not it's no real problem even if you have given your vehicle registration number it's better to have the booking reference number and the credit card you booked with and preferably both just in case there is a problem it's about now you need to check that you have got the reference number and the credit card you booked with to hand ya-huh good you will eventually of course need your passports within an easy reach but not before checking and more about that later here we are a turn off for the Channel Tunnel I'm presuming that you're not in a lorry carrying Freight to Europe but you're just going on holiday by train so you need to move over into the right-hand Lane when you see the sign all other traffic on the overhead sign side which of you the passenger or the driver is going to do the check-in either of you can do it from either side of the car but you need to know now which one is going to do it my beloved's usually the one who does it she likes the hard work you should now be moving over to the right-hand lane lane 3 the one that's indicated by all other traffic we start getting round to sweaty palms time there's nothing to worry about at all but if it's your first time you must be a little bit apprehensive there are at least half a dozen check-ins available to any time the ones that are available have a green arrow above them the ones with a red cross above them obviously are not available at this time don't try and beat another driver to an empty booth neither they know you're going to get to France any quicker and all you do is get your stress levels up signs above the checking balls in orange indicate which side the touchscreen is located and that's where you need to aim for or whoever is going to do the check-in process drive slowly up to the check-in point and the touchscreen most concrete surrounds are not very forgiving and don't forget your wing mirrors on moto stick out quite a lot and perhaps need to be pulled back and out of harm's way you need to be going very slowly now Stu make sure that you don't hit anything for a start and secondly to park exactly opposite the touchscreen because we put our vehicle registration number on the booking form the details were on the screen as soon as we pulled alongside all we had to do was confirm our details were correct and then select which train we wish to go on we pick the earlier one we certainly don't like hanging around in the Eurotunnel terminal this driver had not put his vehicle registration number on the booking form and now had to make a choice between putting the reference number in or his credit card first of all press the touchscreen to commence checking this driver decided to use the reference number rather than a credit card when the full reference number is there press confirm if the details on the screen are correct then press confirm again he now has the choice of two trains and he selects the earlier one now a paper hangar will emerge from machine and this must be displayed throughout your journeys through the Euro tunnel complex don't forget to take your credit card if you use that in the machine once you've got your paper hangar and you've taken your credit card the barrier will then go up and allow you to proceed down into the URL tunnel terminal that little hangar they gave you the one with a letter on it we're supposed to hang it on the interior mirror with the letter pointing outward so the Eurotunnel staff can see which train you're due to go on unfortunately of course as we well know most Montell we don't have an interior mirror so we just stick it on the dashboard and if any of the staff wish to see what letter we are we just wave it about the road to the carpark is to wait I think it's the only part of the terminal at this two-way so just be careful because there is quite a bit of traffic on the opposite way the motorhome carpark is a far end you'll see the buses the caravans motorized etc they're all in there the cars all turn off towards the right-hand side before you get to the main car part that we shouldn't be going on you on the left hand side right at the far end of the carpark you'll find a barn where you can get rid of your wastewater or effluence if you should need to do so we shall be barking up we use need to assess whether we are allowed to proceed or whether we have to wait for any length of time you the terminal if you've been in a British motorway service station in the last few years you'll know more or less what to expect similar prices inside their books magazine shops coffee tea fast food outlets money exchange and travelled paraphernalia that you may or may not really require there are of course toilets inside the building and in the last a year or two they've moved them as far back into the building as possible just to try and encourage the occasional traveler to purchase something that they didn't really want when they went in the building when you parked up in the carpark have a look at the big electronic board you'll find that gives you information on your travel instructions are given in English and French there are four sets of instructions wait for call please proceed last call and departed our letter today is G there's no point in proceeding until that letter is called because the Eurotunnel staff will only stop you and there's a very good chance they will stop you for quite a long time until everyone else has got on board if you do go inside the terminal you'll find there are other boards inside there which give the same information as the one outside there is a tunnel system outside but it doesn't always work and they don't always give the instructions verbally if I was you I'd rely entirely on the electronic board for your instructions you are usually informed to proceed about 30 minutes before the time of you train departure and you have about 15 minutes to set off towards the train before they give the last call sign before you set off make sure you've got your passport ready that you've switched the gas supply off and the paper hanger is displayed so they can see the letter the instructions please proceed are now at the side of the letter G and so happy days we're off to France you we're now approaching the UK passport office and you will need your passport handy today there isn't anybody in there but if you are instructed to slow down do stop and hand over your passports at the next barrier you'll have to stop and this is the point where your gas supply will be checked to see whether it's on or off every other time we've been here we've been sent out with to the bays to your left hand side numbers 1 or 2 to have the gas checked but today for the first time ever they're going on the various said he'd do it himself and he did he physically checked rather than just taking my word for it next we're on to the French passport office where normally you flush a passport at them and they wave you through or else they will inspect the passport and we're never sure which this time there's no one in the office a couple of guys have returned him probably from their break but nobody checked our passports either for the British or the French side security security now we head to the left under the sign for high vehicles they show a sign for motorbikes bus and Carolyn but no sign for motor homes but that is the way we go do not go the same way as the cars there's a height restriction barrier and trust me a motor will not get under it so it can be a lonely drive through the Eurotunnel terminal but he's getting his use to hopefully the French roads you can start to relax a little bit more now you've gone through passport controls you've had your gas checked you don't really need to get out of your vehicle until you get to France you stop vehicle check-in barrier and there are directions of the lane he was going to you we've been directed into lane 14 and join the back of the queue of other vehicles you our lane of traffic appears to be moving which is quite unusual normally we have to sit here for quite a few minutes until they're allowed through still we can't complain if we're on the move we're on the move vans motorhomes caravans etc are all put on last so don't worry if you see all the cars disappear we just seem to be stood there waiting waiting that's nothing unusual just follow the vehicle in front or if you are at the front of the queue follow the overhead green lights we now go at run tour of the back roads of the Eurotunnel terminal on our way to the train you shouldn't get lost it's quite simple really it looks slightly complicated but it really is very difficult to go the wrong way and now we come to mr. jobs worthy at this point on quite a few occasions we've had a euro tour staff member just pours over to a stop for no apparent reason why has he sent that van in front of me no I don't know either the last time we were at this point there were three motor homes in convoy we're all oh shoot to the right hand side as close to the concrete as possible and park there nose-to-tail six inches apart for about two minutes nothing postures in the time we were stood there and finally he let us go towards the ramp perhaps he has to show his authority and justify having a little bang for himself I don't really know rant over loading can be painfully slow sometimes so that's a little music for a few moments you eventually we're going on to the train just leave a reasonable amount of distance between you and the vehicle in front the entrance to the carriage is much bigger than it looks and there's plenty of room to maneuver buses get on here so there should be plenty of room for a Motorhome just leave a reasonable amount of distance between you and the vehicle in front it's quite a lot of carriages to go through before we eventually need to park up you when you see bright lights coming on slow down even more each carriage holds a certain amount of vehicles but of course it motorhomes and vans they're all different lengths so you're only going to get a few vehicles in each carriage as you can see the van in front is now slowing down even more now we have to check whether our motorhome is too long or not to fit in the remaining space of the carriage in front there on the side of caution don't go hell for leather into the next carriage and then find you won't fit in we've never had to reverse out but it must be reasonably difficult and probably embarrassing as well there has to be an allowance for the folding doors and the shutter that moved into place once each carriage is fall and the guy doing the parking will wave you forward if he thinks you will fit in the carry you get very very near to the vehicle in front and he will tell you when and where to stop and brake on first gear windows halfway down once we arrive in France safety checks are carried out on the train no one seems to know exactly what the safety checks are but he keeps the Eurotunnel staff happy and now we're going off the train take your vehicle out of gear and start the engine when the one in front starts moving keep your distance and head towards the bright light at the front of the Train now you're in France you need to remember to put your clocks and watches forward one hour you remember to give a nice big wave to the guy and you're on French soil well tarmac anyway up the ramp and follow the arrows keep to the speed limit you see and remember to drive on the right know your speed limits and make sure you keep within them all speed limit signs now are in kilometers and staying within those limits is highly recommended the limits in built-up areas are no more than 50 kilometres per hour that's about 30 miles an hour normal roads out of the urban areas are 90 kilometers per hour and around 55 miles power dual carriageways and non told motorways 110 kilometers per hour that's about 68 miles per hour and the tall motorways go up to 130 kilometers per hour around 80 miles per hour but be aware that lower speeds apply in wet weather on the spot fines can be given out by the French police and they can seriously deplete your hard-earned holiday money and fines must be paid in cash and can be as high as 260 pounds if you're caught doing 30 miles an hour over the speed limit and the police can confiscate your vehicle and only 60 miles an hour over the limit can have your license taken away hopefully you've not been drinking alcohol up to this point of your holiday but remember drink driving these are stricter in France than in the UK if you're heading for Calais Lille or perish then keeping the right-hand Lane but if you're going for bellowing wrong and the west coast then you need to move over to the left-hand Lane very shortly almost all French motorways are dual carriageway two lanes there are a few exceptions that are crawl Elaine's occasional steep hills and around big cities there may be three lanes we're moving over to the left-hand Lane now we're doing down towards the 2k and did the west coast eventually moving over we'll give you the first chance to test whether the passenger side mirror needs some adjustment or not hopefully not you we're well on our way now out of the Eurotunnel terminal and we're off to enjoy all the delights and pleasures that France has to offer you boy did we get a surprise when we emerge from the terminal onto the a16 motorway a combination of rush-hour traffic and roadworks about two kilometers away along the road it took about ten minutes to get to and past the roadworks and then we really really were on the open roads of France bon voyage you

Channel: keith davies

Views: 191,825

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Id: rzW5TQtZ8EA

Length: 27min 30sec (1650 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 31 2013