Eurotunnel - Early arrival?

[sidepod]

Considering a 1am arrival at Folkestone for a 6-30 train. Park up/roof up/sleep.
Never tried this before as we normally stay offsite the night before.

Will the Eurotunnel Hi Viz jobs worths

a) Object and evict
b) Clamp us
c) Charge us mad money for parking

Any/all/none of the above?

 

[pchmlk]

They might just let you on the next crossing? Then park up once over.

 

[sidepod]

They might just let you on the next crossing? Then park up once over.

Hmmm, the exact opposite of what I wanted tbh. The thought of parking overnight anywhere within 100miles of Calais is out!

 

[vbk1975]

Considering a 1am arrival at Folkestone for a 6-30 train. Park up/roof up/sleep.
Never tried this before as we normally stay offsite the night before.

Will the Eurotunnel Hi Viz jobs worths

a) Object and evict
b) Clamp us
c) Charge us mad money for parking

Any/all/none of the above?

They have doubled down on not arriving early messages in the app & booking emails, however we tend to get 5:20am Shuttle ~(03:50 arrival at terminal) and there always seems to be a handful of campers that look like they have parked up with blinds closed etc (inc. a few pop tops with roof up), clearly don't know when they have arrived, so they might have only been there a few hours, but my view is a lot longer. I think the overall staffing overnight is very light esp. as the early shuttles are 2 hours apart.

We tend to stay at the Caravan & Motorhome club site just down the road using the Ferry pitch, but cost keeps going up.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

You’re not allowed to show up that early. I doubt you will be let through the first barrier.
They don’t want their car park becoming a campsite.
I would guess 2 hrs max. I think it’s pretty clear on the tickets, emails and texts they send you. Used to be 45 mins, with EES now 60 mins.

Ferry companies like at Santander allow this but I very much doubt Eurotunnel will. Their model is all about movement.

 

[sidepod]

You’re not allowed to show up that early. I doubt you will be let through the first barrier.
They don’t want their car park becoming a campsite.
I would guess 2 hrs max.

My thoughts exactly. I mean, god forbid they turn it into something resembling a convenience!!

 

[dspuk]

TBF to the Eurotunnel staff I’ve never found them to be jobsworths, always friendly and accommodating. I’ve always found, the odd delay not withstanding, the Chunnel very convenient and heading through via motorbike on Sunday.

While I would agree that they don’t run a campsite, for obvious reasons, I can’t see any issue in turning up and “sitting” in your van, any different to how someone would in a car.

You can turn up, technically, up to 4 hours before your trip and they will let you in “space dependant”.

So, 2.30am would be the earliest you can arrive. There is always Folkstone Services if you want to snooze with the lorry drivers and pay the carpark fee, like this fella.

 

[Black Forest]

Considering a 1am arrival at Folkestone for a 6-30 train

The answer here, Shirly, is get a DFDS ferry to Dunkirk. 2hrs on the boat, nice and quiet and probably cheaper.

And don't call me Shirley....

 

[S&F Parker]

May depend on departure time, but we were told check-in opens 2 hours before scheduled departure time, and we have been sent away when arriving 2.5 hrs before this time, and told to return not more than 2 hours before our booked time. We've been put on an earlier train sometimes, but recently it's been nothing but delayed departures way beyond our booked times, and it just seems really poorly organised and run since it became Le Shuttle. Once on, it's quick and handy.

 

[willwander]

Try it and report back.
You may not get through the first gate.
2+hrs fine, dogs done we
Usually get put on an earlier train.
We nearly always overnight at Canterbury park and ride, £8

France is baking hot right now, it’s relentless.
We’ve had to escape to the Alps.

 

[Alied]

I have slept at Sandling train station car park. Be aware that there are ANPR cameras, so need to book https://www.apcoa.co.uk/find-parking/locations/hythe/sandling-station-sandling

 

[Betsycalifornia]

Canterbury park and ride, 30 mins to the tunnel, safe, tidy large car park. Must have been 50 vans there last weekend. Cost us £6.40 overnight.

 

[OGII]

Had the opposite experience on return crossing yesterday. Got to Calais at 8pm for a 5.24am crossing, thought we'd just see what happened, our best case being rest/sleep.

Better than that the auto check in offered us a 03:24 crossing.

On arrival in car park by terminal services type building was told to park up, wait and see as they could probably get us on an 11ish pm crossing. Did that and was put on an extremely quiet 10pm crossing. Faultless and friendly.

 

[Ruddster]

STOP 24 is also a consideration - the nearest motorway services (9 minutes away). Has a large car park and coaches often pick up passengers who leave their cars there for the duration of their holiday. Have done this with a boys ski trip where we left several cars and all decided we would never get on a coach for a ski trip again.

 

[Drumtian]

T

Considering a 1am arrival at Folkestone for a 6-30 train. Park up/roof up/sleep.
Never tried this before as we normally stay offsite the night before.

Will the Eurotunnel Hi Viz jobs worths

a) Object and evict
b) Clamp us
c) Charge us mad money for parking

Any/all/none of the above?

Tried this last night!!
You won’t get past the first check-point. They’ll tell you to come back max 2 hours before departure.
They gave us a departure tag and watched us exiting the site.
We ended up parking up at a village nearby of which there are plenty.
Hope that helps.