As per the headline- does one need a reservation or can you just drive there and wait in line? The reservation is for a two hour window and that’s pretty hard to predict for me on a multi leg trip...

We recently booked but arrived 3 hours early and we were through to Folkestone at the time we should have been waiting in Calais. The flexi ticket would be a good idea foryou but it’s double the normal cost...

I would book an hour before you get to Calais and off-peak would get you through promptly I think.

Like Hausamsee said, its always good to pre-book a flexi ticket. I do the same and a makes the trip less stressful.

The price on the day is far higher, booking in advance is good as it's +/- 2 hours thats a 4 hour window, not that difficult TBH.

You can buy up to midnight the day before at a cheaper rate than on the day so you can wait to see where you are and then guess what time you'll arrive.


Last time I went I bought the ticket from the car at about 11:30 pm

According to their new rules implemented due to covid, you need to turn up for a booked ticket between 90 and 45 minutes before departure time. If you arrive early, you may be directed to a holding area, depending on volumes. If you're late, they'll do their best to get you on the next shuttle. A flexi ticket seems your best option.

The terminals are partially upon on both sides, but the French side has no food concessions open (at least, last weekend they didn't). One was open yesterday on the UK side. You may not leave your car at any time during the crossing, and the onboard toilets are closed.

I came back from the UK by Eurotunnel yesterday. The car in front had trouble checking in. Turned out they'd booked a Calais-Folkestone return...

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I don’t get that... what was the issue?

If they’re departing from Folkestone they need to book Folkstone-Calais return not the other way around.

As NAT said there are more restrictions now due to Covid-19 so you need to reserve in advance.

I've never driven back, but doggo and family matters may force my hand.
How much time does it take, from Basel to the Euro tunnel depot?

With short stops, can be done comfortably in 8 hours, assuming normal traffic. Personally I'd allow 10 hours.

I've done this countless times, and the best route is Basel - Selestat - Molsheim you pass the Bugatti factory) - Metz - Reims - then North to Calais.

Some GPS's send you via Nancy and Chalons en Champagne. I've found this in reality to be longer.

You can also go via Luxembourg and Belgium. You save on highway tolls and petrol. Ciggies and booze are also much cheaper in Luxembourg, but it takes longer and you have heavier traffic. Don't buy fuel on the highway, but if going via Luxembourg take the Strassen exit. Turn left and you have fuel stations and Romain Terzi that has the best prices for Tobacco and Alcohol. If with kids, in the opposite direction you have MacDonalds and Pizza Hut.

Best option for me has always been to book in advance, for a time that's at the later end of predicted arrival. If you arrive earlier than the checkin window allows there's just a very remote possibility of being told to wait, but in practice they will let you through anyway. We got to Calais once a whole day earlier (weather cutting short the skiing) and were initially not allowed to go through, but half an hour later at another booth they let us through with no questions, so keep trying.

What they may do then is to put you on a train that's an hour or more away, designated by the letter on the boarding card; but don't wait! In practice if you drive through and get it line they'll often (always, IME) let you through onto the next departure anyway. They're not strict about making you wait, going instead for ease of boarding the maximum vehicles in the minimum time.

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I used to do that trip almost every month. I would book the cheapest ticket some hours after I thought I might arrive. I would always arrive early and 90% of the time they would just put me on the next train.

If you book a departure close to when you think you might arrive, and you get held up in traffic, you could lose your ticket and have to pay a much higher price.

You don't need to book in advance. There were definitely flexi ticket holders travelling. But the advice given by many about arrival times and being let on early or late may have applied pre-covid-19, but not necessarily now.

We were on the French motorway at 12:30. Home 19:45, so 7.25 hours. And that was without speeding. Three brief toilet/coffee stops, but we were three drivers, so no need for longer breaks. Although other routes may be shorter or quicker, I really hate the Strasbourg road, so prefer to go Mulhouse, Troyes, Reims. Less traffic.

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I always used 7.5 hours as a rough guide, to our place near Basel. Can't see what's wrong with the Strasbourg route, which is the one I usually chose, at least once they'd beefed up the motorways so it didn't involve a 20km detour round the NE of the city.

Pre Covid:

Only prebook at peak times in August when it needs reserving. I have booked and arrived early and been offered an earlier shuttle at the automatic check in.

Once arrived without booking and was sold with knowing wink, when there were manned booths, a day-return ticket from Calais. This was £70 instead of £120 single.

My days of breaking my neck and doing the run in one 8 hour belt are over. I opt to stay overnight 1 or 2 nights in France each way. Tip: if you plan to stay in Calais at peak times prebooking accommodation is essential...

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I'd be looking to get it over and done with in a day, and overnight stay in Kent, before trekking onwards oop north.

A flexi ticket has still been purchased in advance just not for a specific train.
I believe just rocking up and buying a ticket at the terminal is not as easy as it used to be.

I came over on the Eurotunnel from UK to Switzerland 3 weeks ago but it was a Sunday so might be easier during the week.
Got to the Eurotunnel in plenty of time but so jammed up with cars I actually couldn't get my crossing and was put on the next one.
Returning to the UK you have to fill a questionnaire online about where you've been etc etc - I would definitely pre book a ticket - I think they are a lot more expensive if you do it on the day and I believe in the circumstances they are giving a 4 hour leeway.
Doing the same thing this weekend as like to drive on a Sunday as no lorries on the motorway in France but the weekend tickets are really expensive coming and going.

This is why we go via Molsheim. It's now a nice two lane road in each direction and you avoid Strasbourg, it's slightly shorter, and you save a few pennies on the tolls as you join just before "les Gres Rose de Vosges" bend on the highway.

Coming from Lugano, so adding+-3 hours to the journey. We'd stay in a hotel close to Calais, have a good dinner, breakfast in the morning and take a reasonably early crossing. Of course this was pre-Covid. On arrival I'd then book the crossing for the next day.

Just a thought, but in days of Covid I don't know what it's now like, we'd often take the ferry rather than the tunnel. Unless it's a stormy November we find it more pleasant than being stuck in a windowless tube. It's cheaper but of course takes longer.

I used to go that way even before the roads were sorted, but that's what I was referring to - now much quicker, although I did used to enjoy trying to, err, "make progress" on the single lane bits