Eurotunnel - stopped at terminal travelling with Ocean on high car ticket.

[Amarillo]

So when you did you’re epic journey you had No storage, No cooking facilities, No gas cylinders, Just the table, chairs and bed?

By you’re own admission you had all those items and facilities in your Beach. We even saw photos.

We had no cooking or storage facilities •as part of the van’s living accommodation•. After we last discussed this very matter I emailed ET for confirmation as I said I would. And as I said I would I posted their response.


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[Loz]

ET could easily do this fairer based on length and height but they choose not to as its a private unregulated business.

The only way to change their ways is by a massive social uprising that would loose them more money than they make on the overcharging.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Yeah, go by ferry...
6 days later you arrive in France. You’ve been bounced around your cabin, sick 67 times, contracted gastrointestinal virus of sorts from the restaurant, find scratches all over your van or perhaps another car parked in it and then wait 7 hrs to get off the bloody boat.

Eurotunnel is worth every penny.

 

[Freeley]

Yeah, go by ferry...
6 days later you arrive in France. You’ve been bounced around your cabin, sick 67 times, contracted gastrointestinal virus of sorts from the restaurant, find scratches all over your van or perhaps another car parked in it and then wait 7 hrs to get off the bloody boat.

Eurotunnel is worth every penny.

Lol
Good to see there's still some humour on here, I really don't understand how some of these threads stretch on for so long with the same old arguments being bounced back n forth, with apparently no agreement at the end of it.
We use the tunnel once a year for our 2 week jaunt in September.
I just book our ticket as a camper van seeing as that's what our SE is and they have the option on their website.
Why try to be clever and beat the system and cause possible aggravation to save a few quid?
We've booked ours late as always, we're catching the 2336 crossing in a few Fridays time, and we don't want any hiccups or hold ups when we get there. Return price was £230, we're happy with that and is a minor cost in the overall holiday.
I think with forums it's possible to over think things sometimes!

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[Amarillo]

ET could easily do this fairer based on length and height but they choose not to as its a private unregulated business.

The only way to change their ways is by a massive social uprising that would loose them more money than they make on the overcharging.

I think that the reason for the higher charge for campervans is ET’s insurance, and that vehicles with integrated gas cookers carry a higher risk than those without.

I’d love to know if my guess is right.


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[GrannyJen]

We can argue this all day long but still not see any light at the end of the tunnel





sorry

My coat's over there ...... no need to throw it .....

 

[Velma's Dad]

I think that the reason for the higher charge for campervans is ET’s insurance, and that vehicles with integrated gas cookers carry a higher risk than those without.

I’d love to know if my guess is right.

Naah, I don't think it's about that at all. The risks, safety design/regime and insurance of the tunnel operations will always have assumed from day one that a proportion of vehicles carried will have gas canisters on board. Their insurance costs aren't (I bet) going to vary with the actual number of gas-carrying vehicles they carry.

After all, they don't price differently based on whether you book a car with a highly flammable/explosive petrol tank or a much less hazardous diesel tank.

Anyone who has worked in marketing will know that in a fixed-cost business profitability depends on filling all the positions on the demand curve. Some classes of potential user are more price-elastic than others so the aim is to segment the price offer accordingly. Hence different price structures for commercial vehicles (vans) from leisure (campers). Although they've implemented it clunkily and are now struggling to find arbitrary ways to sort the sheep from the goats.

 

[BerndRos]

It’s simply about rip off UK & France. I think it’s that simple.

 

[Amarillo]

It’s simply about rip off UK & France. I think it’s that simple.

The pricing on Grimaldi Lines was somewhat refreshing, broken down to:
Length of van
Number of adults
Number of children
Pets in kennel
Sleeping accommodation (with a discount for taking all four bunks in a four berth cabin)


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[sidepod]

I’d happily pay more if they just reduced the f***ing around at check in.

Through the barrier. Straight to the next train. On. Go.
Forcing you around into the shopping area to wait drives me mental. I’m there to cross a bit of water not faff about.

 

[Sandyvan]

We paid £72 return on the ferry in June booked the day before, over £200 for the same trip through the pipe. That's a fair few gallons of Diesel or campsites, its not the money its the principle, we want VFM. it says diesel car on the V5 the same as a 3 ton range rover. I've been on with ET once what a faff at check-in as opposed to the ferry at dover, I also got fed-up with people walking past the van with zips and handbags swaying about near my paintwork, I must be getting old and grumpy but what is it with people who don't keep there kids or themselves under control or women who have no spatial awareness with their handbags. so its not just ferry's where damage can happen. And as for gas on board I did not get asked one way, then coming back was just asked if it was turned off, 10 seconds of a hi-viz clad chaps time. I book as a high car, add bike rack which did not increase the price on the ferry, never an issue. I stay in the van until everyone's parked around me then return first so I'm with it to observe peoples door opening habits which are quite shocking TBH. Some parents should teach their children manners and to respect theirs and other peoples property its hard earned but easily damaged by numpties.

OCD maybe but the vans never been damaged.

As Granny Jen says argue but no light , pay your money take your choice

 

[Amarillo]

I’d happily pay more if they just reduced the f***ing around at check in.

Through the barrier. Straight to the next train. On. Go.
Forcing you around into the shopping area to wait drives me mental. I’m there to cross a bit of water not faff about.

Always ask if there is an earlier train. We have rarely had to wait long, but as we live just an hour from the Folkestone terminal, perhaps it’s easy for us- plus we travel at quiet and cheap times.


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[Domip]

I use DFDS Dover to Dunkerque, relax in the first class lounge arrive refreshed and have never paid more than £45 for the crossing pls £6 on the door for the lounge, won't give ET my money for their rip-off policy.

STOP using abbreviations ... it's not clear for everybody who DFDS or ET is...

 

[Joseph]

If you are a member of Camping and caravan club you get 10% discount by booking through them

 

[Erbster]

I’d happily pay more if they just reduced the f***ing around at check in.

Through the barrier. Straight to the next train. On. Go.
Forcing you around into the shopping area to wait drives me mental. I’m there to cross a bit of water not faff about.

Couldn’t agree more. However, rest of family happily trot off to buy expensive coffee and buns during our enforced wait. Ker-ching!


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[MattBW]

I always find it a bit odd that people who are prepared to pay £50k for a Cali quibble about paying a few 10s of £ (at most) to use the tunnel. You know their policy..it's been the same for years. Yes, it's a bit galling to be paying the same as a big motorhome, but you could go by ferry.
Ps my gas bottle is physically checked (glanced at) probably every other crossing

You’re taking like every Cali owner is automatically bursting with oodles of disposable income lol

In reality because I spent so much on a vehicle I don’t have cash to burn, thats the simple answer. Once it’s paid off I’ll probably worry less about it. For me the Campervan price is slightly over what I feel is reasonable when compared with similar sized vehicles. I have a beach but I’m still nervous about being stung for cash I’d rather spent on holiday.


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[MattBW]

STOP using abbreviations ... it's not clear for everybody who DFDS or ET is...

DFDS is a company. ET = Euro tunnel.


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[GrannyJen]

DFDS is a company.


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ET is a squeaky voiced pointy ears grey person who pesters people.

Well, that was Mr Jobsworth I met at the terminal, I do believe there was also a character in a film of that name

 

[MattBW]

Haha I nearly lost my mouthful of tea then

 

[Ali&Nig]

Interesting read, we booked as a campervan last year, when the lady scanned us whilst we were on the eurotunnel she said, you’re not a campervan., you paid too much! So I emailed when I got back to the UK and I have an email to say next time ring with the booking to get the high car rate and they gave me a £50 voucher discount code to use next time. Just a bit of consistency would be good. We booked as a high car many years ago with the ferry and got told off by a nasty bloke at the UK check in at Portsmouth and have always booked as a campervan ever since. We also don’t like paying the extra for a bike rack as they park the next vehicle right up to our bumper anyway, so why do we pay more for a bike rack as well

 

[Sandyvan]

Interesting read, we booked as a campervan last year, when the lady scanned us whilst we were on the eurotunnel she said, you’re not a campervan., you paid too much! So I emailed when I got back to the UK and I have an email to say next time ring with the booking to get the high car rate and they gave me a £50 voucher discount code to use next time. Just a bit of consistency would be good. We booked as a high car many years ago with the ferry and got told off by a nasty bloke at the UK check in at Portsmouth and have always booked as a campervan ever since. We also don’t like paying the extra for a bike rack as they park the next vehicle right up to our bumper anyway, so why do we pay more for a bike rack as well

Because if everyone turned up with a bike rack and they did not know then the last few cars would be left on the key side. when a ship or train is booked they need to know what's going on to allocate space (length). I did two searches for the same crossing in June with and without the rack to see how much it was going to cost irrelevant really as the bikes are useful. But the cost was the same.

The worst thing is if you don't declare height, you may be directed to follow the standard height cars on to the lower decks of some ships, then they lower the deck above ouch!

 

[Stow]

In July I booked my Ocean as a campervan. On the French side they initially said I could go as a high car in future but then they noticed the kitchen and so changed their line and said campervan was correct.

From reading all of this thread and my experience, it seems like a Beach is high car and Ocean is campervan.

 

[andrew149]

We also got pulled up on this coming back from France, we were very very lucky though as it was when they had the horrendous delays so she let us through but she did say if it had been a normal day they would of cancelled our ticket and would of had to re-book.

No worth chancing it any more as the staff are obviously checking more

 

[Jabberwocky]

When I booked the ferry earlier this year there was a dro down window asking for make and model of vehicle. VW California was one of the options - no doubt possible. Booked using Aferry.com

I use aFerry too. No issues, on the drop down you can select height and length too in case you have bikes/roof luggage etc. It’s totally unambiguous.

 

[bigmac77]

I’d happily pay more if they just reduced the f***ing around at check in.

Through the barrier. Straight to the next train. On. Go.
Forcing you around into the shopping area to wait drives me mental. I’m there to cross a bit of water not faff about.

Flexiplus?