First time to france in over 15 years,noticed the odd story of bait being confiscated by customs when using the ferry?? Whats the likely hood of this happening? Mates being going to france twice a year on tunnel with no problems.

Any pros or cons?

Thanks

In reply to Post #1
I personally would use the tunnel anyway but the chances of having bait confiscated are very very slim.

In reply to Post #1
Never had a problem with the tunnel taking bait over

Same as the post below 👍

Ferry for me as its usually cheaper, i can grab a bite to eat and put my feet up for an hour before setting off to the lake.

In reply to Post #1
The tunnel is fine. I usually get the handles and steering whell swabbed on the way out but that's it. The only time i've had a van searched was getting on the ferry.

In reply to Post #1
I've used both plenty of times. I get sea sick, so the tunnel is a better option for that. Cost wise it's usually around £30-50 more expensive, but that's split between 2 people. It also saves 1 hour crossing time and around 15 mins less driving. Driving from Manchester, I appreciate saving that time, especially on the drive home. With the train there are crossings every 20 mins, so you can travel earlier if you get there earlier. I've also never been searched on the tunnel, not fully. They've opened the boot, seen bait (since Brexit) and not bothered. They do a swab for explosives.

In reply to Post #1
Always the tunnel, just find it more convenient.
Boot searched once last yr in 7 trips but not interested in the mountain of bait they took out.
Like most things, price rises over last couple of years been massive

In reply to Post #1
Tunnel all day long , by the time that ferry has left the port you're hammering your way through the French countryside

Depends where in France im going to
but whenever possible I would use Tunnel,so easy.

In reply to Post #10
Tunnel all day long.

having done both ferry and tunnel, id never use the ferry again, takes far too long and adds more time onto the journey

In reply to Post #1
Pro's and cons to both, especially if you have a long drive down. Don't forget if you have tesco club card points, it can make the tunnel much cheaper. I only had to spend £20 last year. Would have cost 340 without the club card points.

Tunnel for cost & ease, I also had a reel stolen on a ferry once from a rod bag on the roof which wont happen on the train as you stay with the car!

Michael

Tunnel for me all day long . It's just easier and quicker

Tunnel no brainer

Tunnel, drive on and straight off, id never use the ferry again

In reply to Post #16
I agree with you the tunnel is slicker and easier however its very expensive compared to P&O.

In reply to Post #17
The last time i went there was a £60 difference return compared to the ferry.

Also you can normally jump on a earlier/later train without being charged.

In reply to Post #17
Disagree with it being 'very expensive' compared to P&O. Think it very much depends on the vehicle being used. For a Trafic style van i rarely find more than a £30 difference between the 2 (may be different for a car). I've just checked our May trip and it is exactly that. For me, the gain of an hour each way, less chance of weather affecting travel and delays, faster loading process, no sweaty farting Polish lorry drivers, no smell of sick and disinfectant and staying with the vehicle and 1000's of pounds worth of gear is worth twice that difference. Personal choice of course but no brainer for me.

When I went last year the difference in price was something like £50 more for the train than the ferry.

I've done both many times but used the tunnel exclusively for my last half a dozen trips , as said below it's much more convenient on the tunnel and don't mind paying a little extra

I think if you're travelling from around the south east, the tunnel makes perfect sense. However, I travel from the northwest which is 600 miles of fuel and a 5 to 7 hour drive depending on traffic it's sometimes nice to decompress on the ferry and relax before the 2nd leg of the journey.

In reply to Post #22
I have been crossing the channel up to twenty times a year for the last twenty years.
These days I don't use the tunnel in the summer or at peak times .
As it's to unreliable. It breaks down and then they lie about what's happening.
When it works it's brilliant but it's just not reliable.

In reply to Post #23
Granted two years ago I think it was an overhead cable was pulled down in the tunnel resulting in me have a 3 hour wait.

After complaining a few days later I got a full refund of the outward journey and a free return trip on the tunnel to be used in the next calendar year, can't say fairer than that 👍

The ferry would have most likely given you a mouldy old sandwich as a sorry 🤮

In reply to Post #24
The cut of point for getting some compensation is two hours.
They have even paid my ferry crossing when the quee is five or six hours.
The problem is the number of times the delay is one or two hours and then you get nothing.
These small delays when you do it regularly just become tiresome.

But if you're delay is over two hours Hassel them for compensation.

The service is not as regular as it used to be either.

In reply to Post #25
When you take bad weather into consideration though Ferries do get cancelled whereas the tunnel doesn't

Tunnel all day long......