Channel Tunnel

Understand

There are two principal ways to cross the English Channel by train: using car shuttles; or, using intercity high-speed trains.

Car shuttle Drive-on, drive-off trains shuttle between 1 Folkestone and 2 Calais, with journeys taking around 35 minutes. LeShuttle carries cars and coaches, cycles (using a bookable cycle service) and freight including HGVs.

Intercity trains

Eurostar operates intercity trains through the Channel Tunnel. They can reach 186 mph (299 km/h) on high-speed lines in Great Britain and across mainland Europe. Cross-channel routes form part of a wider network across western Europe. In the United Kingdom, you can join Eurostar trains at:

3 London St Pancras International. In Central London, St Pancras International is near Camden and Bloomsbury. It is around 15 minutes' walk from the British Museum and around 30 minutes from London's Oxford Street shopping and the nightlife in Soho. Change at London St Pancras International for onward travel using National Rail and London Underground lines CIR H&C MET NOR PIC VIC . London King's Cross station is nearby. (updated Aug 2024) In France, you can join Eurostar trains at:

4 Paris Nord. Gare du Nord or Paris Nord is towards the north of the city centre. The terminus is within 30 minutes' walk of the Sacre-Coeur Basilica and the artsy hillside neighbourhood at Montmartre to the west. To the south-west, it takes just over 30 minutes to walk to the Palais Garnier opera house in the 9th arrondissement. Change at Paris Nord for SNCF routes for onward travel in France, and within Paris using Paris Métro lines 4 5 from Gare du Nord and 2 from La Chapelle. Paris Est station is nearby. (updated Aug 2024) 5 Lille-Europe. This interchange is on the edge of Lille city centre. It is around 20 minutes' walk from Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille Cathedral, the Palais des Beaux Arts museum and city shops. Change at Lille-Europe for onward rail travel in France and Belgium, and within Lille using Lille Metro line M2 and trams R T (updated Aug 2024) In Belgium and Netherlands, you can join Eurostar trains at:

6 Brussels-South (Gare de Bruxelles-Midi/Station Brussel-Zuid). This major interc

Prepare

Cross-channel travel between the UK and mainland Europe requires a passport. When using the Channel Tunnel, passports are checked by passport officials from both the country of departure and country of arrival before entry to the train. Border agents may also need to scan or inspect your luggage before you travel. Most services require a booking:

Eurostar LeShuttle LeShuttle Bicycles LeShuttle Freight

Get in

LeShuttle - Folkestone terminal Drivers travelling from the United Kingdom into France will need to use the Folkestone terminal. It is signposted throughout South East England as "Channel Tunnel". You can get to the terminal using either (junction 11A) or for non-motorway or local traffic.

From London - follow then to junction 11A. From London Orbital clockwise (Potters Bar, Brentwood, Dartford) - exit southbound at junction 3. Join and follow to junction 11A. Tolls apply to drivers travelling on the and across the Thames Estuary Dartford Crossing - including the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge southbound and the northbound tunnels. To pay the Dart Charge, use the UK Government website (https://www.gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge). From London Orbital anticlockwise (Heathrow Airport, Redhill, Sevenoaks) - follow eastbound onto at junction 5. Merge onto and follow to junction 11A. After leaving the motorway, drivers should follow signage to find the correct lane. Car and coach drivers and motorcyclists should use "Passenger Traffic" lanes. The first barrier is a check-in booth, where you can use a touch screen to "check in" using your credit/debit card details or booking reference. A hanger - which you can display on your rear-view mirror - features the details of your shuttle crossing. Proceed to a car park for the terminal building, where you can get refreshments if time allows. Departure screens in the terminal and car park display boarding information. Leaving the car park, proceed to UK and French passport and immigration control, where you will need to show your passport. Your luggage may be checked. Boarding starts 25 minutes before departure. Follow green arrows to your slip lane - which will usually match the letter displayed on the hanger. You may be held for a short while until boarding begins. Staff will direct you onto the drive-on carriages and into a spot. Cyclists must pre-book for a minibus pickup from Holiday Inn Express Folkestone.

LeShuttle - Calais terminal Drivers travelling from France into the United Kingdom will need to use the Calais terminal. It is signposted throughout Hauts-de-France as "Tunnel /s la Manche", "Tun

Go

Undersea journeys last approximately 35 minutes.

Stay safe

LeShuttle and Eurostar display safety advice within each carriage. LeShuttle journeys also begin with a safety announcement, and general advice is to remain within your own vehicle for the duration of the journey. There are toilets on all trains. The Channel Tunnel comprises two railway tunnels and a service tunnel between them, which enables emergency teams to reach affected areas and for evacuations to take place in very rare circumstances. To call the emergency services either side of the Channel Tunnel: United Kingdom: ☏ 999 (☏ 112 also works in the UK). Use ☏ 101 for non-urgent police enquiries or ☏ 111 for NHS healthcare help. France: ☏ 112 for foreign travellers, or alternatively ☏ 15 for emergency medical care, ☏ 17 for an immediate police response during a live emergency or ☏ 18 for the fire brigade in an emergency. Belgium: ☏ 101 for urgent police assistance or ☏ 112 for any emergency. Alternatively ☏ 1722 for non-urgent fire service assistance or ☏ 1733 for the on-call doctor, for medical issues which cannot wait until personal doctors' opening hours. Netherlands: ☏ 112.