That's a long journey there & back for just a week. I'd need another holiday afterwards to recover!
Turning up early at the Chunnel
- Thread starter wilbjr21
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I think from Cornwall I’d be looking at Brittany Ferries from Plymouth.I hate the journey to the tunnel and I’m only about 130 miles away
Seriously if I wanted to make that sort of trip on a regular basis I'd be looking to move out of Cornwall to somewhere more convenient. Cornwall's lovely but a nightmare to get to/from.
I'm only c. 550 miles further away than you!
I hate the journey to the tunnel and I’m only about 130 miles away
If we wanna rant, be my guests
One of my many trips on 2025 (car): the journey from central-ish London where I live, to the Chunnel took almost half the time it fucking took me from Calais to the Italian border.
Tangential: there is also more speed cameras in the first quarter of the journey (UK side) that the total of speed cameras encountered on the French motorway network all the way to Italy. And, somehow, the French are still alive.
One notorious case, summer before, the same home/Folkestone journey took 7 hours, but we start getting wildly OT.
He’s nearing careers end in the RN as an Engineer at Commander rank, so moved to Cornwall for a better life rather than be stuck in the Portsmouth rat race, and I can’t blame him. He’s an adventurous guy so quality of life wins for outdoor pursuits over convenience. With two young kids he has driven his family to Tignes and chose the Tunnel. It’s not going be a regular journey, just an annual one each ski season.
He’s no mug, I’m sure he would have considered the Ferry service from Plymouth as an option and not expected any stupid delays prior to boarding the tunnel by car.
My parents made a similar decision at retirement and moved to Cornwall; a decision they regretted later - as did anyone who wanted to visit them (I have to go down each week to care for my father but we can use a flat in Plymouth). We did briefly consider moving to Cornwall as we're in the SW already but intimately knowing the dire transport (road, rail or air) issues basically shot that down.
We'd normally take the ferries to France however we're taking the chunnel in the car later on this year for the first time but fortunately we can break our journey at my partner's mum's place in Barnes. I'm still not looking forward to it.
A jolly jaunt in June last year saw me driving from London to the Chunnel, joining the queue of two other cars after a stressless and easy drive down.
11ish train booked and was hotfooted onto a 10ish train.
No kids anywhere either.
11ish train booked and was hotfooted onto a 10ish train.
No kids anywhere either.
If I was heading to Tignes, I’d definitely hesitate before booking a ferry from Plymouth or Portsmouth, irrespective of my home address. If though I was heading to Spain or the western side of France, either would be pretty much on the cards.
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TBH when traffic's light and there's no road works, accidents or other hold-ups then driving in the UK can be OK. The problems occur when there are hold-ups and/or high traffic volumes at peak hours or in holiday times and then the lack of infrastructure investment and alternative routes across the country means that small delays very quickly escalate into major ones. It beggars belief that many major trunk roads still haven't been dualled.
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I guess that’s true of most countries, too.
I’d rather drive 200 miles on French roads than 50 on British roads
Yep.
I "just" spent 5 hours waiting to cross Mont Blanc back in December coming back. More people traveling after hols.
But we have to admit that viability, at least in the south of England, is particularly shit compared to most of the neighbours.
I really have no issue (actually sort of like it) to drive across France for 1000km than having to drive from here to Guilford to see friends.
"It is what it is"
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