Eurotunnel Le Shuttle
Operates in: FR, GB
Motorhome score: 3/5
Strong point
The fastest crossing at 35 minutes, you stay with your motorhome, no seasickness and the pet simply stays with you: the most pet-friendly crossing of the Channel, with four departures an hour, 24/7.
Watch out for
LPG propulsion is banned outright, the compulsory gas check takes time, motorhomes over 1.85 m pay a good deal more, and the gas rule of a maximum 80% fill that you must be able to prove is the strictest in Europe.
Gas bottles
- Maximum weight
- 50 kg
- Valve closed during the crossing
- Overnight stays allowed
- Declare at
- yes, you must declare it at check-in; a gas check follows at the terminal
- Fixed gas tank
- gas bottles for cooking and heating are permitted, an LPG tank as engine fuel is banned
- Particulars
- One bottle of up to 47 kg, or several bottles totalling a maximum of 50 kg. The bottles may be no more than 80% full and you must be able to demonstrate that. All gas appliances off before boarding and for the whole crossing. Arrive 1 to 2 hrs early for the gas check.
Pets
- Pets
- yes, the animal stays with you in the motorhome for the whole 35 minutes
- Kennels on board
- No overnight stays
- Pet-friendly cabins
- not applicable
- Price indication
- ±£22 to £25 per animal one way (2026 guide price), advance booking compulsory
- Walking deck
- Overnight stays allowed
- Particulars
- At the Pet Reception in Folkestone the microchip is scanned and documents are checked; there is a walking area before departure. For many motorhome travellers with dogs this is the single reason to choose the tunnel.
Dimensions & fares
- Height
- vehicles taller than 1.85 m travel in a single-deck carriage, which is twice as tall as the double-deck carriages, with wide entrances and no ramps
- Length
- the price rises with the length
- Max
- 18 m including a trailer
- Surcharges
- bike rack and roof box count towards the dimensions you declare
- Particulars
- yes, the height is measured at the check-in gantries
Booking & flexibility
- Open ticket
- FlexiPlus gives access to any departure on the day, priority at check-in and a lounge; Standard is tied to a time slot but rebooking for a surcharge is usually possible
- Cancellation & changes
- Standard non-refundable, FlexiPlus fully refundable
- Early-booking discount
- prices are fully dynamic, so book for July and August by the spring at the latest
- When it gets busy
- a medium-sized motorhome costs around 1.3 times the car fare on a quiet Thursday and up to around 1.9 times on a peak weekend; the difference can be €41 to €251 above the car fare
- Loyalty programme
- Frequent Traveller schemes exist mainly for cars and are of little relevance to occasional motorhome travellers
Vehicle deck during the crossing
- Vehicle deck during the crossing
- you stay in or beside your own vehicle for the whole crossing, the only Channel link where that is possible
- Power on the vehicle deck
- not available and not needed on a 35-minute crossing
- Accessibility & comfort
- You do not get out of your vehicle, so there are no stairs or lifts; for anyone unsteady on their feet or prone to seasickness this is the most comfortable crossing
Discounts
- Caravan and Motorhome Club: 9% off standard fares on Folkestone–Calais
- ADAC: the Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle car trains are a new ADAC partner from July/August 2026
- Travelling midweek saves more than any club discount, because the size surcharge is far lower midweek