XSeries-forum

Has anyone on here got experience of using Le Shuttle to/from France?

I’m planning a road trip for later this year and having discovered the unreal cost of flights and then needing a hire car, have just decided we’ll go an a bit of an adventure and drive it. Will be going to the Dordogne area.

Having only even gone via Eurostar in the past, is there a ‘good practice’ to use when booking the Shuttle? I mean do you book specific slots, or a travel window? Outbound would be an easy slot, but the return would depend upon the vagaries of French traffic given it will be a weekend return. It feels like going for a ‘window’ both ways might be safer.

What has the learned assembly on the forum done that’s worked well? Is there anything you just do not ever do? We’ll probably book into a hotel the night before as the thought of the M25 & M20 is frazzling at the best of times, worse if there are deadlines!

I’ve used it a few times. It’s fairly trouble free and rapid, except, after Brexit the passport checks take a bit of time. But that too has improved.

They’re not too bothered about the specific time slot you book. I’ve missed it a couple of times on the return (was there on time, but the Brexit queue was too long, by the time I got through it was too late). They’d just get you into the next train.

In my experience the UK end is quite decent with a coffee / shopping area to hangout in. The France end has a duty free but twice now we were in late trains and the place was closed. Had to twitch our thumbs and kick tyres for a couple of hrs.

There’s nothing onboard the train except toilets, but then it’s only about 40mins. You will be hanging around the car, can walk about. We generally take breakfast / coffee to have onboard. At the other end u just drive off.

Much appreciated

Been a few times myself as said pretty easy, just keep in the rails or you find yourself bouncing about on the side walls of your tyres and there are a couple of bits that stick out halfway down the carriages on one side so wise to fold your mirrors in when you get to them, I was in my X6 so a bit wide....then just put your seat back and take a nap....before you know it your there....

Le Shuttle came back with a warning that my car is either very low (it isn’t) or very wide! I guess they’re trying to tell me the X6 (E71 version) has a big a**e