Going by Eurotunnel |
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Tunnel of love
No Question About It, The Channel Tunnel Is Now An Established Part Of British Travelling Life. Jonathan Crouch Reports
These days, we're all so used to the Channel Tunnel that it's easy to forget just what an amazing engineering feat it really is.
Over 50km long with a 30km undersea section, it's the longest tunnel of its kind in the world, lying 40 meters below the seabed of the English Channel. In fact, to be accurate, we should say 'tunnels' for there are actually three, two rail tunnels through which the Eurotunnel shuttle, Eurostar, and international rail freight trains pass and a third central service tunnel. As well as providing access for maintenance crews, this tunnel has a higher air pressure level than the other two, so can act as a safe haven in the event of an accident, since it will always be free of smoke and fumes.For the casual Continental visitor of course, the tunnel has been great news, with owners Eurotunnel forcing the ferry companies to reduce their prices though tough-to-beat low rates that have stayed consistently competitive after a shaky start. As a result, over 57 million people - equivalent to the entire population of the UK - have travelled through the tunnel since it first opened.In 2003 for example, over 2.3 million cars, 70,000 coaches and 1.2 million trucks went through, along with 6.3 million passengers on Eurostar services and 1.7 million tones of rail freight. As far as tourism is concerned, Eurotunnel now claims over 47% of the market for cross-channel travel - and it's easy to see why.For a start, going by 'chunnel' takes less than half the time it would by ferry, and there isn't much to add to the actual journey time of 35 minutes. Just a few checks before you board, then just drive straight off the train onto the motorway at the other end. No sea sickness or messing about dragging heavy bags up and down steep stairs. Plus, if you want a meal or Duty-paid shopping at cheap French prices, there are large, fully-stocked terminals at either end of the route."For the casual Continental visitor of course, the tunnel has been great news..."For many travellers to the Continent, the speed and convenience of the Channel Tunnel has also made air travel a less attractive option than it once was. After all, when you add up the amount of time spent travelling to, parking at and waiting within airports, the total journey duration times offered by Eurotunnel are not that much different, and there's the advantage of not having to worry about excess baggage charges, especially useful if you're going skiing or you're off to the French Hypermarkets to stock up on food and drink.As for cost, well pick the right time to travel, fill your car with people and the savings stack up. Check out www.eurotunnel.com for all the details you'll need. The type of ticket you can buy is now a good deal more flexible than before, with durations ranging from 'Fun Afternoons' right up to open duration Long Stay excursions. If you're going for the Long or Short stay options, then a Super Saver fare may well save you money. It's also worth considering the option of going 'Club Class', which for only a little extra, gives you priority boarding, use of a lounge and complimentary food to eat on the journey. It's easy to forget now that a lot of people once had a lot of doubts about the Channel Tunnel. Was is safe, was it cost-effective and was it really needed? It's hard to find these people now. Eurotunnel has become part of the travelling fabric of our society. In fact, it's hard to imagine life without it.
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