Trailers on Le Shuttle

BikerGraham · Saturday at 3:23 PM

Am looking getting a scooter for the van which would be towed on a trailer.

For those of you that have used the channel tunnel. Have you declared a trailer or simply stated a longer van to cover the trailer and if so has there been any issues when checking in.

I ask as it’s quite a cost difference.

Thanks
Graham

Bolti · Saturday at 3:29 PM

Last time I was on the shuttle it was the same price for the trailer as the car.

BikerGraham · Saturday at 3:35 PM

Bolti said:
Last time I was on the shuttle it was the same price for the trailer as the car.

Yep makes it expensive adding a trailer. May have to use the ferry.

Odd-no-more · Saturday at 3:46 PM

I have towed a trailer every time I've used the shuttle with a MOHO, always declared it, don't want to be turned away or made to pay a huge supplement.

Googlebot · Saturday at 3:52 PM

I would always declare it, otherwise it’s just an excuse to make you pay more once you are there.

Rather like an Easy Jet cabin bag.

Weird that it’s so much more for the same length. I wonder if it’s because it makes it more difficult for them to fill the space as in a trailer and car can fit with another car but not 2 cars and trailers.

BikerGraham · Saturday at 3:59 PM

Googlebot said:
I would always declare it, otherwise it’s just an excuse to make you pay more once you are there.

Rather like an Easy Jet cabin bag.

Weird that it’s so much more for the same length. I wonder if it’s because it makes it more difficult for them to fill the space as in a trailer and car can fit with another car but not 2 cars and trailers.

Possibly. Yet the ferry’s do charge more but no where near as much more as the tunnel.

Might have a look at newhaven to dieppe costings

TheTwoOfUs · Saturday at 4:29 PM

The other thing that irks me is that we have a 7.4M long m/h plus a side loading trailer which is 2M long, total length 9.4M. We are charged for a 10m long m/h plus up to 4M long trailer when booking a ferry crossing. Where's the sense in that if I have paid for 10M of space with the m/h and don't occupy any more room. And yes, I have phoned them when booking but it's still a no-no.

bobnick · 2025-02-09T04:17:35+0000

BikerGraham said:
Am looking getting a scooter for the van which would be towed on a trailer.

For those of you that have used the channel tunnel. Have you declared a trailer or simply stated a longer van to cover the trailer and if so has there been any issues when checking in.

I ask as it’s quite a cost difference.

Thanks
Graham

As you know i have taken a bike on a trailer through the tunnel many many times.
I have always declared the fact i am towing a trailer. I have always chosen the smallest trailer option.
For me it's not worth the agro for the sake of a few £££s if you don't declare.

I will now read other answers.

bobnick · 2025-02-09T04:22:10+0000

Don't know for sure cause i've never checked but adding a 2.5 trailer does NOT increase the price that much.......i don't think.
I go for the convienance.
I did take a bike on a trailer on the Newhaven-Dieppe route once.....and once only.

BikerGraham · 2025-02-09T09:29:13+0000

bobnick said:
Don't know for sure cause i've never checked but adding a 2.5 trailer does NOT increase the price that much.......i don't think.
I go for the convienance.
I did take a bike on a trailer on the Newhaven-Dieppe route once.....and once only.

when I looked a few weeks ago it went from £317 for the van to £570 for the van and smallest trailer i.e. <4.5m

just checked again now for going out early May and returning early June and its goes from £346 to £630

that's a canny increase in price for the trailer.

cookie376 · 2025-02-09T09:30:43+0000

BikerGraham said:
Am looking getting a scooter for the van which would be towed on a trailer.

For those of you that have used the channel tunnel. Have you declared a trailer or simply stated a longer van to cover the trailer and if so has there been any issues when checking in.

I ask as it’s quite a cost difference.

Thanks
Graham

We booked ours in early and got it for £67. I've witness them pick up people with trailers as your ticket in the window highlights if you have one or not and made them pay £300 on the spot. I wouldn't take the chance. Make sure your dimensions are correct. We have a transverse trailer which only adds 2m to the length. CMF and armitage sell them.

BikerGraham · 2025-02-09T09:35:02+0000

cookie376 said:
We booked ours in early and got it for £67. I've witness them pick up people with trailers as your ticket in the window highlights if you have one or not and made them pay £300 on the spot. I wouldn't take the chance. Make sure your dimensions are correct. We have a transverse trailer which only adds 2m to the length. CMF and armitage sell them.

thing is the minimum trailer length choice on the tunnel is <4.5m.

that's a very good price you got.

BikerGraham · 2025-02-09T09:38:40+0000

thanks for all the replies folks.

the reason I asked was that I am sure someone commented on another post that they had rang the tunnel and questioned the very high cost of small trailers and it had been suggested to them they just do as I have mentioned above.

It would appear that I must have dreamt about reading it, from all your responses.

note to self - lay off the sauce a bit

Tasng4 · 2025-02-09T09:41:00+0000

BikerGraham said:
Yep makes it expensive adding a trailer. May have to use the ferry.

Same on the ferry, it was once cheaper to but my m/bike trailer on the car's roof rack and book a separate crossing for the m/bike.

EuroTrotters · 2025-02-09T09:42:09+0000

It’s a rip of, so use an alternative

BikerGraham · 2025-02-09T09:45:33+0000

EuroTrotters said:
It’s a rip of, so use an alternative

looking at newhaven to dieppe and its much cheaper with the trailer.

maison · 2025-02-09T09:45:34+0000

It always annoyed me that with our last motorhome, 6m long, plus a trailer just over 2m long we paid double the 6m cost while an 8m motorhome paid much less.

We knew we could vote with our feet and shift our business to the ferries but the speed and convenience of the Shuttle, together with the use of Tesco vouchers, kept us there.

BikerGraham · 2025-02-09T09:46:33+0000

Tasng4 said:
Same on the ferry, it was once cheaper to but my m/bike trailer on the car's roof rack and book a separate crossing for the m/bike.

that unbelievable

EuroTrotters · 2025-02-09T10:09:03+0000

I almost got to the job of adapting our camping trailer to sit on the back of the tow bar like a bike rack. Then on the other side, take it off, attach to the tow bar as normal and fill up

Bill-H · 2025-02-09T10:49:42+0000

When I was loading onto the Shuttle with a trailer behind me, the chap directing my onto the 'on' ramp told me to turn on my hazzard lights so that the man at the far end who was ensuring you were parked correctly knew that the vehicle coming towards him had a trailer behind. I assumed this was so that we were fitted into the one carriage and didn't straddle over two (fire doors?).
Only used the Shuttle once for the experience, and declared the trailer. Worked out quite a bit dearer than a ferry.
I rather like travelling on ferries, always give me the feeling that the holiday has started and the extra few hours it takes over the Tunnel time is of little consequence to me.

Some ferry booking systems don't ask for your exact vehicle or trailer length, rather 'between 7 and 10 metres long' or 'up to 7metres', so I usually add mine together and book the nearest combined length. e.g a 7.6m motorhome and a 5.3m trailer gets booked as a 7m + 5m - or some such combination - as long as I'm not paying too much over the odds.

DucatoMan2 · 2025-02-09T10:58:15+0000

I was specifically stopped in the queue to double check the trailer was paid for, which of course it was. But the cost does seem excessive and I too stick to ferries now.

chesterfield hooligan · 2025-02-09T10:59:26+0000

I've just booked the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry for May to June 7meter van conversion plus a 5meter trailer daft o'clock £193 return with the over 60 discount.

stevewagner · 2025-02-09T11:18:36+0000

maison said:
It always annoyed me that with our last motorhome, 6m long, plus a trailer just over 2m long we paid double the 6m cost while an 8m motorhome paid much less.

We knew we could vote with our feet and shift our business to the ferries but the speed and convenience of the Shuttle, together with the use of Tesco vouchers, kept us there.

You can use Tesco vouchers on Irish Ferrires

Mark1965 · 2025-02-09T12:06:26+0000

BikerGraham said:
Am looking getting a scooter for the van which would be towed on a trailer.

For those of you that have used the channel tunnel. Have you declared a trailer or simply stated a longer van to cover the trailer and if so has there been any issues when checking in.

I ask as it’s quite a cost difference.

Thanks
Graham

Last time I took my previous scooter on a transverse trailer it asks about any trailers or roof box's and racks etc. You just put in what you have when booking..

Clive Mott · 2025-02-09T13:24:28+0000

Always tow a trailer and it has to be entered as a trailer.

Speve · 2025-02-09T13:36:43+0000

We always tow a trailer and declare it .
I am with those that think if you had 12m motorhome you would pay just for that.
Those of us that tow a trailer with a motorhome with trailer with total length of single vehicle have to pay twice the price I actually wrote to Le Shuttle stating this and claimed we were being singled out asking them to look at the pricing structure to make it fairer but just got a reply stating they thanked me for my input and would look into it . Never heard anything since

tribalbrit · 2025-02-09T18:06:12+0000

Put a tow bar on the bike and ride it on to the train towing the trailer. Wonder if they have the trailer option on bikes?? I used to tow one on the Wing but always used the ferry.

Stoosal · 2025-02-09T18:27:06+0000

Speve said:
We always tow a trailer and declare it .
I am with those that think if you had 12m motorhome you would pay just for that.
Those of us that tow a trailer with a motorhome with trailer with total length of single vehicle have to pay twice the price I actually wrote to Le Shuttle stating this and claimed we were being singled out asking them to look at the pricing structure to make it fairer but just got a reply stating they thanked me for my input and would look into it . Never heard anything since

I emailed them as well re overall length of vehicle, trailer and weight compared to prices for longer and heavier vehicles. No reply…..so Ive emailed them again!

Garry - June · 2025-02-09T22:27:36+0000

I recently booked Newhaven/Dieppe for April... 8.5m van and Motorcycle trailer £138..

Platelet · 2025-02-10T09:44:30+0000

Would a politely worded email to BBC Watchdog explaining the situation with “Fun members” complaints prove useful. Would the threat of a publicised boycott from members (only a threat) induce any reaction from ET.

Trailers on Le Shuttle

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