The Eurotunnel is situated near to Folkestone in the UK and from most parts of England there is an adequate motorway system that will take you to an exit point at Junction 11A – Southbound on the M20, arriving right up to the Check-in booths.

If you have booked a villa in France, why not travel via the Eurotunnel which is located close to Calais, and arriving along the A16 Motorway you’ll need to exit via the slip road at Junction 42 to enter the Check-in booths directly.

Freedom and economy:
Taking your car across to France (and perhaps beyond) allows you complete freedom for the journey. Eurotunnel operates a fast cross-channel route in order for travel times to be kept to a minimum, and for you to arrive on the Continent sooner than you could imagine. Eurotunnel’s competitive fare-costs offer great savings at off-peak times, especially if you arrange your travel in advance. There are economical deals for families or larger groups travelling together, covering peak times too, which can also save you money if you do your research. Compared to flying, you easily save money by not paying for unnecessary costs like fuel charges or baggage fees, both of which can cause you additional hassle when you arrive to Check-in.

Roads in France:
Departing the shuttle, you’ll notice immediately that France has a superb motorway system that organises a free-flowing network away from the busy port area.

Dependable:
Thick fog, sea mist, a choppy sea or high wind, does not affect or cause delays to the shuttle service. Channel operating times are fairly regular, often with 4 departure crossings each way per hour during peak periods.

Checking-In:
Eurotunnel advises passengers to check-in at least 30 minutes prior to your allotted departure time, but not more than 2 hours before. This allows time for all security checks to be made at the British and French and border control centres, and also time to drive into the correct boarding lane.

Documentation:
Arriving at the check-in booth, all travellers will need a ‘booking reference number’ and the actual credit or debit card that was used to make the booking. If you booked on-line then it is the long number that appears on the booking confirmation screen or the number that the Contact Centre agent issued to you. Eurotunnel staff request that the cardholder must travel in the car as a measure against credit/debit card fraud.

Reservations:
Self Check-In is an easy way to check-in with your car and passengers, allowing you to print you departure ticket/hanger. When you arrive at Check-In, stop at the kiosks located before the main booths and simply follow the step-by-step instructions displayed on the touch screens to print your departure hanger. It’s easy and only takes an instant. There is an on-line demonstration-guide for all customers to use and print to take with you. In some cases you can pay to travel on the shuttle on the same day if you have not booked in advance, but places may not always be available.

Although you can make a payment in GB pounds, Euros, or Credit card, it is more often cheaper to book either online or via the Contact Centre at least one day prior to travel.

When you have completed the Check-In process, you can select to visit our Passenger Terminal for shopping or refreshments. If you prefer, you can drive directly through to the British or French border control section where your passport, vehicle and official documentation will be checked. This includes insurance and vehicle break-down cover.

Driving on the shuttle for the Journey:
Boarding is simple and safe – you will be directed to a carriage by Eurotunnel staff.
Passengers stay with their vehicle throughout the journey. The carriages are clean and tidy with air-conditioning. Passengers can relax or exercise a little during the journey in preparation for joining the motorway system ahead.

Visual display screens detail messages and information throughout the journey. Toilets are available and staff will be happy to answer any questions if you can find them. Coast to coast is normally a very quick and hassle-free experience that you will remember for the future.

On leaving the Eurotunnel terminal this is where you start to get excited about your villa rentals in France, but firstly fill up fuel where there are service stations on both the UK and French sides where you can re-fuel. You may also decide to leave the port area and fuel-up at a more suitable service area.