Eurotunnel

If you’re going to use the M25 from yours, it’s time to either throw your 1938 map of Britain and it’s Empire away, or buy a crap nav🖕
I don't need a so called satnav spent many a hour on the 25 with horse and cart going to ship out of Dover to France & Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, to name just a few 😁😁😁
 
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TJBi is talking about the economic theory of Opportunity Cost I think. You spend them on X but you could have spent them on Y. Therefore the opportunity cost is that you didn't use them on Y.

We see them as 'free' as we have no need of the vouchers for anything else (spending them just on Tesco food etc at a rate of 1-1 is not really sensible when there are so many 2-1 or 3-1 offers available) so for us there is no real opportunity cost.
But the true actual cost is zero, so they are free, Graham, UNLESS Tesco charge a premium on the goods purchased with the Tesco Card. In fact, one could argue that the actual cost is below zero; assume that you have to buy £65pw of household goods, and you also need to but a Eurotunnel crossing at £100. Your annual expenditure is 52*£65 = £3380 and your Eurotunnel crossing is free. I do not have a Tesco Card, so, assuming I buy the same level of household goods, and that I need the Eurotunnel crossing, I have to pay £3,480 to acquire the same goods and services as you ...

Steve [adjusting strap tension on tin hat ...] (y)
 
Appeals to us Yorkshiremen..
Nowt wrong wi' owt fer nowt.
 
Appeals to us Yorkshiremen..
Nowt wrong wi' owt fer nowt.
And Yorkshire folk do have the natural generosity whose lack so spoils the Aberdonian character ... :LOL:. But the Scots' ingenuity wins through with the strategic positioning of the Sporran. If a Scot is mugged, he has the consolation of having had good service for his money ...

Steve
 
But the true actual cost is zero, so they are free, Graham, UNLESS Tesco charge a premium on the goods purchased with the Tesco Card. In fact, one could argue that the actual cost is below zero; assume that you have to buy £65pw of household goods, and you also need to but a Eurotunnel crossing at £100. Your annual expenditure is 52*£65 = £3380 and your Eurotunnel crossing is free. I do not have a Tesco Card, so, assuming I buy the same level of household goods, and that I need the Eurotunnel crossing, I have to pay £3,480 to acquire the same goods and services as you ...

Steve [adjusting strap tension on tin hat ...] (y)

You can argue all you want Steve but its been done to death on this thread tbh mate...

The vouchers are not free per se but rather, an incentive which have value to some folk and not to others. Even at the most basic and cheapest point of 'free' (i.e. one end of the spectrum) you are still giving Tesco your personal shopping data. At the other end you are spending money with them on stuff you may well be able to get cheaper elsewhere.

It suits some folk, doesn't suit others. We get the equivalent of 1.5 crossings paid for in vouchers per year which means we use our Tesco CC for approx £2000-2500 spend per month (not just in Tesco). It suits us to do this as we welcome the benefit provided as it has value to us. There is a cost to doing this which can be measured in numerous ways, for example we could use a different CC and get a greater benefit from that, such as a cash back card; or we could shop at other supermarkets and get cheaper prices. There are also other examples I could use but you get the gist.

We personally like this incentive. We are aware that it costs but for us that cost is defrayed by the benefit we feel we get. It's a personal choice at the end of the day...

...as is reading anymore about this :)
 
Let me add slightly to this - I use a Tesco card but rarely shop there these days. All of my purchases, fuel, clothes, other supermarket foods are paid with it and so the vouchers are free. You don’t get as many points per pound spent outside of Tesco itself, but as the advert says “every Lidl helps“
 
Let me add slightly to this - I use a Tesco card but rarely shop there these days. All of my purchases, fuel, clothes, other supermarket foods are paid with it and so the vouchers are free. You don’t get as many points per pound spent outside of Tesco itself, but as the advert says “every Lidl helps“
Snap ..but aldi matters.🤣🤣
 
The vouchers are not free
banghead.gif
 
The tunnel is a breeze. Arrive at the Folkestone end and go through the ANPR entry system that recognises your MH registration and will automatically give you your boarding ticket. Although it wasn’t working 3 months ago (Covid perhaps?) and the ticket was being done manually. If you arrive a bit early you may sometimes get given an earlier train, bonus. Then if you have a pet you need to pop into the pet reception to get the paperwork verified.

Drive to the waiting area and park looking at the large display boards showing, clearly, the train departure times, and how long until your ticket letter is called. Once it’s showing allowing you to board you then drive through to the first border control, passports etc., then get shuffled to one side to ensure your gas is OFF. 100 yards and through to the French border control, passports at the ready, see if they ask for your Covid pass details - I wasn’t required to shown anything, just a grunt “double-vac?” And we are through.

Follow the signs and drive down and be directed into the side of the train, it may look a bit intimidating at first until you realise it actually is really wide enough. If you are first in the queue it feels like you’re driving to France as you are going down to the very front. First in, first out.

Park where asked by the attendant, handbrake on, engine off, windows down a touch (this is a chunnel requirement) then get out of your seats and make yourself comfortable on your bed/lounge and relax for the next 30/40 minutes. It’s a very smooth ride and you barely realise you’re moving or stopping. Once you are permitted to exit, remember to drive on the right.

When you get a free moment, you will realise it is soooooo much simpler and easier to travel compared to the channel ferries.
Brilliant detail thank you!
 
Has anybody used the “ Euro tunnel”
For their van , I’m getting a bit tired of 10 hour ferry rides or paying a certain channel island operator a fortune with long connections. ?

Is it a squeeze getting it on a train ?
The tunnel is quick and easy there's no need to be worried about space.
 
Is it a squeeze getting it on a train ?

You are having me on aren't you? :ROFLMAO:

As the largest single deck buses can get on the train, then even the largest American gin palace should be able to get on, that is if the driver has any kind of competence!
 
Has anybody used the “ Euro tunnel”
For their van , I’m getting a bit tired of 10 hour ferry rides or paying a certain channel island operator a fortune with long connections. ?

Is it a squeeze getting it on a train ?
We always go by tunnel, its a doddle, and the dog stays with us! 6.4 M long 2.95M High 2.35 m wide. Much more civilised than the ferry
 
We always go by tunnel, its a doddle, and the dog stays with us! 6.4 M long 2.95M High 2.35 m wide. Much more civilised than the ferry
I agree 100%. But let’s be honest. For those on a budget, it’s blooming expensive. I’m using it this time because I booked it about 18 months ago. For a covid cancelled trip. It was going to be a quick two week trip around Normandy. Travel time was an issue. I’ll probably return by DFDS Dieppe/Newhaven. Strokes/Folks init.😳
 
Del the tunnel works out cheaper than the ferry for me at nealy 9 meters. The ferry companies ask and charge for the size of van whereas the tunnel only ask if it’s a camper so same price for a T5 or an American Rv. But I’ve noticed they have started asking the length on booking so might be changing it in future.
 
Sod the cost ...The tunnel is so much better !
Well it has been for us as we have had no delays or problems.

I tell a lie ........ ONE problem when we got near and had to return home for forgotten passports.
But we got re-booked on later the same day at minor extra cost.
 
It's also cheaper the earlier you can book it too for a trip away. Also avoid popular times/days to cross as well to keep the price down.
 
Have a tunnel crossing booked in December, Covid permitting, first since Brexit. Has anyone been checked or searched for food imports? I can live without meat, but my favourite muesli includes pumpkin seeds, which are almost certainly forbidden!
Have been twice since the restrictions and never checked for prohibited food once
 
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Must admit I'm not a Chunnel fan - creaks, rattles, and bangs abound when the train is moving - how could someone say they didn't know when it was moving? My van was shaking like it does when parked in a hurricane. The trains may have been quite smart when they were new but it all looks terribly run down now.

I might use it again because of my dog, it may be better for dogs, but on the other hand I might not. Plus with the new AHC it's so expensive to take the dog I might just stay in blighty for ever.

DFDS also take Tesco vouchers and are a lot cheaper so you don't need so many. Personally I much prefer the ferry as it seems more like the "holiday" has begun and I enjoy wandering around and seeing the sea, leaving the white cliffs and seeing France up ahead.
 

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