Eurotunnel Experience: A Guide to Driving from the UK to France
We’ve visited France and Disneyland Paris a couple of times before, this is the first time we’ve taken the Eurotunnel!
We hope this post helps if you’re considering driving or you have a trip coming up. It’s always best check the current legalities as things can change.
The things we mention were true to our knowledge in May 2023 and August 2024. BUT, any updates or changes will be added to the post with their date beside them!
To get to France from the UK, you’ll need to choose between the Ferry or the Eurotunnel.
While the ferry can be cheaper, we decided to go via the Eurotunnel. Times were much more flexible, quicker, and there was no risk of sea sickness!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DRIVE IN FRANCE?
1. High Visibility Jackets
You should have a high visibility jacket for everyone in your car, including children. These must be stored in the main car. Not in the boot! This is so you have access to them right away in the event of an accident.
2. Warning Triangle
We had a starter kit included on the purchase of our car. This contained a Warning Triangle, however these can be purchased easily online.
3. Full, valid UK driving licence
4. Proof of ID (Passport)
Everyone needs their passport including children to travel.
Your passport should have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave France. (France is part of the Schengen area).
You can renew your UK passport through the Government Website (or ask for a form from your local Post Office)
5. Motor Insurance Certificate
A certificate of motor insurance is proof that you hold the minimum 3rd party insurance for your vehicle, as required by law.
It is a 1-2 page document that you can get from your insurance company or broker, if you used one.
6. V5 Registration Document
This is your vehicle Log Book and is issued by the DVLA on registration of a vehicle in the UK.
7. UK or GB Sticker or Magnet
Some cars have UK or GB identification incorporated into the number plate. ours doesn’t so we purchased one online for around £4.
If you forget this, they are available to buy from the AA shop inside the Terminal at Folkestone.
8. Headlight Direction Adjustment
When driving on the right in France in a UK car, lights can blind oncoming traffic. This is due to them being directed the wrong way.
Check your car manual to see if you will need to adjust your headlights. You can also purchase stickers to stick onto them!
9. Breakdown Cover
We already had breakdown cover that included driving abroad. We’d recommend checking your current policy to see if you’re already covered.
10. Travel Insurance
We check comparison sites for the best deal on Travel Insurance. Then Top Cashback to see if there are any deals to save us money.
11. Snow Tyres
If you’re travelling in the winter and driving through a ‘Snow Zone’ you’ll need to check to see if you need Snow Tyres or Snow Chains. If you don’t comply with the law you could be fined.
12. ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System)
A new rule expected to come into effect mid-2025 called ETIAS – the European Travel Information and Authorisation System.
It’s not a visa and is similar to the ESTA which is needed for travel to the USA.
The fee is around 7 Euro per person.
There is only ONE official website to use so please be careful with scams!
13. A Road Trip essential…
Although this last one is not compulsory, who goes on a road trip without snacks and a good playlist?
Our favourite treats for a road trip are Pick and Mix from VeSweeties
AND they plant one tree with every order!
BOOKING THE EUROTUNNEL
We booked direct through the Eurotunnel website.
We used Tesco Club Card Points to pay for the crossing which helped us save money.
The ticket prices depend on the day and time you wish to travel.
The cheapest tickets are very early in the morning or very late at night. Trains leave every 30 minutes so there’s a time to suit everyone.
Before choosing your day and time you will be asked to enter the make and model of your car, or registration number.
After choosing the day and time window, you’ll be presented with a choice for several times, providing you with the time of departure and the arrival into Calais.
And Don’t forget the time difference – France is 1 hour ahead of the UK!
There are 4 ticket type options to choose from. Check the details of each ticket to see which one suits you best.
Following your booking you will receive a confirmation email. This provides all of the information you need before you travel and what to do when you arrive for your train.
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
Your booking confirmation will ask you to log in and complete your Advanced Passenger Information before you travel.
This is similar to the information you provide before a flight…name, passport number, date of birth etc!
This must be competed for everyone travelling inside the car and named on the booking.
Don’t worry if you don’t do this as soon as you’ve booked, Eurotunnel will email you to remind you a couple of weeks before you leave.
OUR TRAVEL DAY TO THE EUROTUNNEL
Our travel day was pretty relaxed and we opted for an early crossing time.
The Eurotunnel terminal is situated in Folkstone. We decided to book a Premier Inn room the night before so we didn’t have so much travelling the following day.
The prices for the closest Premier Inn were significantly higher in and around Folkstone!
We chose the Premier Inn at Ashford which was only a 10 minute drive to get to the terminal.
ARRIVING AT THE FOLKESTONE TERMINAL
The Folkestone terminal is easily reached via the M25 and M20.
Take Junction 11a and head to the Check-in booths.
You are asked to Check-in at least 1 hour and no more than 2 hours before your booked departure time. You’ll need your booking reference number or credit/debit card you used to book.
On the check in screen, there may be options to board an earlier train. Changing to another train can be free.
BUT if it’s a peak time it can sometimes be available for an extra charge.
You will be provided with a hanger. This must be visible in your car at all times while waiting to depart and during travel.
For your return journey the Calais terminal is easily reached via the A16 motorway. Come off at Junction 42 and follow “Tunnel sous la Manche” straight to the Check-in booths.
Again, you are asked to check-in at least 1 hour and no more than 2 hours before your booked departure time.
The French Check In seemed much smoother as the cameras at the booth recognised our registration plate and pulled up our booking on the screen before we could enter it manually.
Once through Check-in, you can head to the Passenger Terminal Buildings for services, shopping and refreshments before boarding.
In Folkstone, there is World Duty Free, WHSmith and places to get snacks and drinks. There were plenty of options for a quick breakfast to eat inside the terminal or take with you for the train journey.
The Calais terminal is very similar, with a few chain resturants and other places for snacks and essentials.
You can find the Customer Service desks, toilets and baby changing facilities in the terminals.
This is also where we found the AA shop for the forgotten UK car sticker!
It’s recommended you use the toilet facilities before boarding as they cannot guarantee there will be use of toilets once on board.
Next, drive straight through to the British and French frontier controls where your passport, vehicle and official documentation will be checked.
You may need proof of where you’re staying so a print out of that booking can be helpful.
We were taken for extra security checks which took a while but we still made our train in plenty of time.
BOARDING THE EUROTUNNEL
Boarding starts 25 mins before departure time.
Follow the green arrows to your allocated slip lane ready for boarding. Depending on the height of your car, you will need to follow signs for single-deck boarding or double-deck boarding.
We were informed our car was a ‘low vechile’ on our booking reference so we were asked to follow the small and medium signs upon boarding.
We were directed to drive up the ramp and then made our way to the front of the train. This meant we were first off as they unload the top first once arriving in Calais.
Once onboard eurotunnel staff are there to guide you and give you further direction – windows must remain open and engines must be off.
It’s a relatively smooth journey, taking around 35 minutes.
You are able to get out and stretch your legs, use the toilet or you can sit back in the car and relax.
DRIVING IN FRANCE
Once you’re off the train you head directly to the main road. There are plenty of signs to remind you to drive on the right and following everyone else, you very quickly get used to it.
It’s all main roads to Disney and very easy driving, taking around 3 hours.
There are plenty of service stations on route and we stopped at a supermarket to pick up supplies for our self catering accommodation.
We often relied on our SatNav and Google Maps for directions, having made sure our phone plans did not charge us extra to use roaming data within the EU beforehand.
On our trip in august 2024 we booked accommodation to stay overnight in Calais as our crossing time was quite late.
It was a really lovely stay and the house was great, sleeping up to 6 with one double and two twin rooms.
TOLL ROADS IN FRANCE FROM THE EUROTUNNEL
On our way to Paris we used a toll road which cost around $25 euro each way.
On the start of the toll you’re required to take a ticket. At the end you enter your ticket to the machine and then you can pay by card.
If you prefer to use cash toll machines there were some available – so use the signs above and head to your preferred payment option.
DIRECTIONS – EUROTUNNEL TO DISNEYLAND PARIS
From the terminal the route to Disneyland Paris is straightforward.
On leaving the train terminal you follow signs for the A26 to Arras/Paris and then the A1 heading South toward Paris.
Take exit 6 after Charles de Gaulle airport, onto the A104 which then takes you across to meet the A4, where you simply head North/East for Disneyland Paris.
The return journey is equally as straightforward, however on our first trip somehow we ended up missing a turning and ended up on terminal one of the airport!
Luckily we were not on the runway, so after a quick lap of the terminal and some plane spotting, we were back on the A1 heading to Calais.
On our second trip in August 2024 we made it there without detours!
WOULD WE DRIVE AGAIN?
We would definitely drive to Disneyland Paris again using the Eurotunnel.
It was a simple, low cost option and we loved being able to pack anything and everything into the car.
Having taken the Eurotunnel to France we were also able to eat offsite from the Disneyland parks which saved money and gave us more options.
For our first trip we stayed at the Davey Crockett Ranch.
For our second trip we stayed at Villages Du Nature in Paris.