Eurotunnel LeShuttle

Eurotunnel

The Channel Tunnel was opened on 6 May 1994 by Queen Elizabeth II and President François Mitterrand, after years of construction. At around 50 kilometres in length, with roughly 38 kilometres of it under the sea, it is one of the longest undersea tunnels in the world, and it turned a sea journey into a drive.

Eurotunnel operates LeShuttle, the service that carries cars, motorbikes, coaches and vans on trains between Folkestone and Coquelles, near Calais. You drive onto the train at one end, stay with your vehicle during the crossing, which takes around 35 minutes, and drive off at the other. There is no waiting on deck and no sea to worry about, which is why many drivers choose it for short breaks and for travelling with pets or small children.

The two terminals sit beside the motorways: the Folkestone terminal is reached directly from the M20, and the French terminal from the A16.