Motorcycling and Using Eurotunnel le Shuttle

If you are planning to travel Europe am I right in saying that you want to get there as quick as possible to start that awesome riding on those awesome roads?

Well, Eurotunnel although quite along way from where we live has to be the way forward for me and my hubby.

Reason being that the journey is so quick. You really don't have time to mess about once the bike is parked up before you know it you have arrived.

Not like the ferry. The ferry is quite complicated I think. Not only do you have to tie you bike down with those horrible leavers which actually ruin the seat but you have to leave your bike below deck and you cannot see your bike until you get off the other end can you.

Eurotunnel you stay with the bike the whole journey. I think makes a good deal of difference.

You gain time in France by using the Eurotunnel but you have to ride further from Hampshire to get on it!

The journey is not to bad if you plan the route so as to take in the great scenery between Hampshire and Folkestone.

When we arrived we were quite surprised at what we found! We didn't expect the road leading to the actual tunnel to be so long, we seemed to ride a fair way before we got to the actual area.

We then had to stop and wait until we were told to board.

The guy in this video had a clear crossing it looks like the tunnel only had a few bikes and cars on that day. On the day we went it was heaving there were so many bikes, cars, coaches you name it, it was packed.

It was quite daunting actually, the video gives you an idea and sense of how small the containers were. You actually feel as if your head is going to touch the top of the container which I found a little uncomfortable with.

We were fortunate that we were in a container with other bikes but I have been told that sometimes bikes are put in with cars and I think this could be quite uncomfortable especially when the car starts it's motor because you must have to take in all of the fumes. I wouldn't like that.

Anyway, once we were in the container we parked up and that was straight forward. We got off of the bike and then just waited.

Whilst the eurotunnel was moving it felt really odd, the thought that we were under water was really strange.

We were lucky because there were other bikers on the tunnel at the same time as us so the time passed by very quickly.

I recall taking my helmet off and then all of a sudden being told that we were nearing the end of our journey. It was surreaul to say the least!

The return home was not as successful as going from the UK. It seemed to me that they had booked far to many people for the journey and had not allowed for any problems on the tunnel.

We had to wait an awful long time before they even called our number out for us to board.

There were people, cars, caravans, lorries and motorbikes all waiting to go onto the Eurotunnel and you could see that they were not amused that they had to wait because it defeated the object of going by Eurotunnel in the first place!

That said overall the experience was a good one.

Well it has to be said that Eurotunnel wins! My reasons are that it costs less by Eurotunnel, the journey is way, way quicker and the time spent on holiday proved to be longer as we arrived in France and were on our way straight away, where is by ferry you have the terrible rigmarol of getting off of the ferry!