Ferry to Folkestone (LeShuttle)

Folkestone

Folkestone was once known as the gateway to the trenches. Between 1914 and 1918 more than ten million men passed through its harbour on their way to or from the Western Front, marching down the steep slope that is now the Road of Remembrance. At the top, the Step Short memorial arch, unveiled in 2014, recalls the order given to the troops to shorten their stride on the hill. Further along the Leas clifftop, Mark Wallinger's artwork Folk Stones, built from individually numbered pebbles, remembers the 19,240 British soldiers killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Today the revived Harbour Arm, with its bars, food stalls and sunset views, is a cheerful place to wait for a crossing.

The ferry port at Folkestone

Where the trains leave from: LeShuttle, the Channel Tunnel shuttle for cars and other vehicles, leaves from the UK terminal on Ashford Road near Folkestone. The terminal has its own exit, junction 11A, from the M20, which leads straight to the check-in booths.

Sat-nav: Use the "UK check-in booth" prompt or the GPS coordinates 51.0934, 1.1193. LeShuttle warns against any route that includes "Terminal Service Rd" or the postcode CT18 8XX, which will not lead you to the check-in booths.

Check-in: Check in at least one hour and no more than two hours before your departure. The crossing takes about 35 minutes.

At the French end: The French terminal is at Coquelles, near Calais, off junction 42 of the A16. Follow the signs for "Terminal tourisme", not "Terminal fret".