Seem to remember reading a thread comparing the Tunnel to the Boat - but can’t find it (the one where Neil had a barney and got banned? ).
Got delayed 5hrs coming back Thursday evening due to the weather. Then delayed for another hour due to a burst hydraulic pipe on the boats loading ramp. This was P&O - strangely, more Seafrance boats were departing Calais!
I pay £125 e/w on the boat. Never used the tunnel, but I’ve been quoted £210 e/w.
Is it worth paying £85 extra on a normal day? I suppose the time saving could make a difference to getting home or a night out, plus a little bit of a saving on fuel / miles ?
But when the boats are delayed, I guess the Shuttle gets busy?
I usually book return trips with Harbour Shipping. I suppose it might be better to book one way, then make a decision on boat or train on the return day?
personally i prefer the boat.
have time to wander about and stretch the old legs.
have a coffee.( or in neals case a gallon )
never been on the tunnel and dont want to.
spaceman:
Seem to remember reading a thread comparing the Tunnel to the Boat - but can’t find it (the one where Neil had a barney and got banned?
Point of order, Neil had a barney but didn’t get banned. I was escorted off the premises by the Kent Constabulary, but I didn’t get banned. I chose not to use it since that day.
I’d still take the current crap P&O boats over the tunnel any day, but I wish our lot would start using someone else except P&O. 08:30 sailing from Calais this morning was a “lite night” sailing which meant facilities closed, including some of the toilets. Pathetic.
i always use the tunnel when going by car (one per month average) you just cannot beat it for convenience and speed in my opinion, unfortunately almost everything we do is oversize in some way so trucks go P&O on fairly rare occasions the route suits us
you’re getting a bloody good rate spaceman, best we can get is £ 135
up until my trip with craig (t&d may edition) i would have said the boat for definate but as of that time the food on p&o has declined rapidly and the cutbacks have really eaten into the service they provide to us truck drivers, i’m certainly not saying that i prefer the stuff they serve you on the shuttle but at least the shuttle can have you off the otherside before you would have even got onto a boat let alone left the port.
at the moment we are back on the boats (rate negociations) and i hate it everytime.
i would much rather they put the prices up than suffer what they have done, i preferred the waiter/waitress table service that used to be in place.
i have made several complaints so far and none have been treated optimistically.
no healthy option for breakfast anymore, the fish and poached eggs is off the menu and the only other alternative is weetabix and toast, if i’m paying £2.80 i want to know i’ve eaten something or at least seen it sitting on my plate.
the kent and the cantebury have the smoking section right next to the food servery.
drivers are handling the bread into the toaster and i’m sorry but i don’t know where those drivers hands have been so i ain’t touching the bread/toast they put into the ■■■■ toaster.
the list goes on.
so for me it would be the shuttle for the speed.
Coffeeholic:
I’d still take the current crap P&O boats over the tunnel any day, but I wish our lot would start using someone else except P&O. 08:30 sailing from Calais this morning was a “lite night” sailing which meant facilities closed, including some of the toilets. Pathetic.
I have always preferred Sea France to P & O but recently have been opting for the tunnel,
I still avoid the food on the tunnel as you feel like a prize cow at a farm show, everyone looks at the bloke who is eating Either because they are Bulgarian and havent eaten since leaving PYCE 3 months earlier, or they are Brits who know what it tastes like
I used train right from when it started and although in early times there were many teething problems, over the last couple of years things settled down to where you could nearly rely on it…
Average motorway to motorway times were between 60 and 90 minutes and even when there were delays you could expect to be across in 3 to 4 hours.
Since September I’ve been using P&O out of Dover
The only fair way to compare crossing times on the ferries it to take the time from Folkstone - Calais port exit gate or of course the other way round.
My very best time from Calais to the J12 at Folkstone is 2 hours 50 minutes although it has taken over 6 hours on a Wednesday afternoon.
Using the ferries cost us at least an extra half day on any round trip and now that P&O don’t sell road tax at their terminals that’s going to add another hour to crossing times going into either Ashford or Transmarck to buy tax.
If it’s speed you need the the train every time.
If you prefer a more relaxing crossing with hordes of screeming school kids and Christmas booze cruisers then take the Ferry.
Leaving rates out of it (because with a truck I never paid personally) it has got to be the train for the simple reason that the whole unsavoury business is out of the way that much quicker. Especially southbound when I wouldn’t dream of eating on the crossing (except perhaps on SeaFrance) and just can’t wait to get ashore and into some decent food .
).
which meant facilities closed, including some of the toilets. Pathetic.
Either because they are Bulgarian and havent eaten since leaving PYCE 3 months earlier, or they are Brits who know what it tastes like 
.