Childhood memories of cross Channel ferries are of lousy food and bathroom sinks full of vomit. Yeah, that good!

We used to travel to Spain by coach  when I was a child (my dad had a fear of flying). More recently (about 10 years ago), we took the ferry from Dover to Calais and there were no available seats, so we had to camp on the floor for the crossing.

Latterly, I’ve always taken Le Shuttle, which I’ve always found fast and efficient, if a little costly at peak times, but this year, me and Pablo, my rescue Podenco, gave ferries another go, this time travelling with P&O.

Surely things must’ve changed since the distant days of Townsend Thoresen, which became defunct in 1999. We decided to compare the two and offer our highly subjective opinion of which we prefer.

What we based our decision on:

• How easy were the ferry/tunnel to book?
• Which is cheapest: ferry or tunnel?
• What are facilities like at ferry/tunnel terminals
• What’s it like on board?
• How easy was it travelling with a pet by ferry/tunnel?
• Which is quicker: ferry or tunnel?

Tunnel: booking Eurotunnel Le Shuttle is easy, if a little annoying when you have to enter a verification code every time you try to make a booking via the app on your phone, especially if you live in an area with poor mobile reception, like me. 

Ferry: easy peasy, if a little disappointing that there’s no app, so bookings have to be made via the website. 

Winner: draw

Price

Tunnel: subscribe to the Le Shuttle newsletter to get emails about special offers and book way in advance to keep the price down. You pay per car, not per person, so fill the car with friends/family, or not, and fill it with booze at Cité Europe in Calais instead. 

If you’re going there and back within 24 hours, it can be as little as £69 each way, but book in peak season and it’s more likely to be nearly £200 each way. Ouch. 

It costs £20 each way to take your dog on the tunnel. 

Ferry: undoubtedly the cheaper option, it worked out to be £100 or so less than the tunnel. Access to the pet lounge was £6 each way and I saw an offer giving free access shortly before I booked too.

Winner: ferry 

Facilities 

Tunnel: the Folkestone terminal is fab. There’s a Leon, Starbucks and a few other decent places to eat, drink and shop. It’s spacious, relaxing and the loos are plentiful and clean. They also let dogs in (not in duty free, though). Big boards inside and outside the terminal tell you how long until you board. The Calais terminal is always frantic and isn’t big enough. I’m not a fan. 

Ferry: at both Dover and Calais, the terminal was by the side of the lanes where you queue to board and I daren’t venture over there, just in case everyone else boarded and left me. There were no signs outside the terminal, so I stayed in my car with Pablo.

Winner: tunnel (for Folkestone, not Calais) 

On board

Tunnel: you’re not on the train long enough for you to do anything (35 mins) and there are no facilities, other than (slightly stinky) loos. There’s a knack to the doors between carriages! We always take the opportunity to grab a quick nap in the car. You feel like you’ve barely closed your eyes and you’re there.

Ferry: things have improved since the days of Townsend Thoresen, I’m pleased to say. It’s definitely a relaxing way to travel and it felt decidedly better than the ferries I remember. There’s plenty happening on board (including a magic show for kids), with the option to upgrade to the premium lounge.

I still hate the pandemonium of gathering at the top of the stairs, waiting to be given the signal to head back to your vehicles, though. I’m just too keen to get to where I’m going!

Winner: this was a hard one to decide, as the ferry obviously has facilities, but the tunnel, which is basically a drive-on, drive-off train, doesn’t need any…so it’s a draw.

Pets

Tunnel: arrive an hour before departure and there’s a dedicated pet reception and quite a small pet exercise area (work was being done last time we crossed and the temporary one was quite ropey).

In reception, friendly staff check passports and give you a scanner to check your dog’s chip. Read here to get more information about pet passports versus health certificates and what you need to do before travelling with your pet. 

Ferry: if you have a pet, you have to arrive 90 mins before departure, but you don’t have to get out of the car at ferry check in, which is a dream. They simply check your pet passport at the same time as the human ones and pass you the handset to scan your in cat, dog or ferret (wtf?) yourself. This is a winner. It just feels so much easier. 

The pet lounge varies, according to the ship you’re on. On our first crossing, the lounge was small and the exercise area on deck was even smaller. On our second, it was much larger and had a lovely outdoor area, rather than the little pen on the first. 

Each had little booths for you to sit in with your pet and the stewardess comes round and says hi to all the dogs, individually, which was cute. 

There are also free hot drinks, water and a vending machine. The vending machine on the ferry on way out didn’t take cards and on the way back, it only accepted cards. If you’re not travelling alone, one of your party can go and get food and bring it to the pet lounge.

Winner: ferry

Speed

Tunnel: at 35 minutes, the tunnel speeds you to the continent quickly. On top of that, you seem to pass through check in quickly. On board, you barely have time to nap before you’re there. 

Ferry: my sister loves a ferry and I can see why. It’s relaxing and you can have a meal (or watch the onboard magic show). To me, it adds 90 minutes to your journey (plus time queuing to on or off) , when I’d rather just get there sooner. Maybe if you have kids with cabin fever, it gives you all a break (and potentially. time for the drive to nap).

Winner: tunnel (hands down).

Anything else

If you arrive early for the tunnel and there’s room, they’ll put you on an earlier tunnel crossing, which I love. It just means you get there sooner.

You’ll see signs as you approach the ferry terminal saying there may be people or objects in the road. Indeed, I remember desperate migrants blocking the road with burning tree trunks last time I went by ferry, 10 years ago. They were doing this to cause traffic to stop, so they could climb on board, we were told. 

Since the camp was moved, I’ve not seen any migrants, although there are miles of fencing and barbed wire. I’ve also heard of migrants trying to get into cars at Cite Europe, while people were still in their cars but I’ve been a million time and never seen anything like that at all. It’s a sad reality of the world we live in.

When we crossed, the Channel was as smooth as a pond. I’m not sure what it would be like if there was a gale blowing. For that, the tunnel triumphs. Whatever the weather, the conditions are always good.

And the winner is….

I understand why people opt for the ferry and it is by far the cheaper option. There’s something lovely about seeing those white cliffs disappearing into the distance as you approach the continent, but, for me, the anticipation of getting to my destination far outweighs that pleasure. The tunnel wins for me! Let me know what you think in comments.