Tunnel 😳

[jongood]

The route to Italy via Folkstone-Dover/Calais to Italy would have a three figure sum in French motorway tolls. Each way.
The route to Italy via Harwich/Hook and Germany would be toll free.

With the Harwich/Hook ferry, you treat it more like a mini cruise.

You can have a very good restaurant meal on board and wash it down with a fine wine before retiring to your very nice cabin for the night. After a shower in the morning you then can have an early breakfast on board, or after disembarkation you fire up the turbo and you can make the German border in time for a late breakfast.
You will already on the autobahn heading south before your compatriots have got off the ferry/train in Calais
(Or out of the Aire if they crossed the previous night)

rubbish. anyone with any sense would go belgium, Luxembourg and not pay any tolls until they got to Switzerland.

 

[Brains]

rubbish. anyone with any sense would go belgium, Luxembourg and not pay any tolls until they got to Switzerland.

A quick check on google maps shows (using London/Florence as an example)

984 miles Via Calais, France and Switzerland (and French tolls and the Swiss alpine tolls plus vignette)
1050 miles via Calais and France (and French tolls) Bypassing Switzerland.
1070 miles via Harwich/Hook via Belgium and Luxembourg, Basel (and the Swiss alpine tolls plus vignette)
1157 miles via Harwich/Hook via Nuremberg (no tolls, €9 vignette for Austria)

Less than 175 miles/half a tank/3hrs driving between the four options.

The shorter the distance the more you pay in tolls and given that fuel is currently cheaper in Germany than France (if you can get fuel in France!) you would need to do some work on a spreadsheet to work out the best option for you, but as you can see it would be very close between all the options.

I think you will find that the 4th option would be the cheapest and may be the fastest.

 

[jongood]

A quick check on google maps shows (using London/Florence as an example)

984 miles Via Calais, France and Switzerland (and French tolls and the Swiss alpine tolls plus vignette)
1050 miles via Calais and France (and French tolls) Bypassing Switzerland.
1070 miles via Harwich/Hook via Belgium and Luxembourg, Basel (and the Swiss alpine tolls plus vignette)
1157 miles via Harwich/Hook via Nuremberg (no tolls, €9 vignette for Austria)

Less than 175 miles/half a tank/3hrs driving between the four options.

The shorter the distance the more you pay in tolls and given that fuel is currently cheaper in Germany than France (if you can get fuel in France!) you would need to do some work on a spreadsheet to work out the best option for you, but as you can see it would be very close between all the options.

I think you will find that the 4th option would be the cheapest and may be the fastest.

not for most of us who are over 3500kgs it wouldn't.

 

[John Russell]

We're 50-60 miles closer to Harwich than Folkestone or Dover and according to Google Maps, Hoek van Holland to Florence is 926 miles avoiding tolls via Holland, Germany and Austria.

Harwich-HvH looks like a good crossing for us to reach Chamonix and the Italian Alps, if we ever manage it!

 

[Old Gibber]

Ah well. If you prefer to be stuck underground in a box with a dog for 35 mins you must pay for the privilege.

Can't be any worse than being stuck in a steel box, with or without a dog, floating precariously in the middle of the sea.

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[Brianmor]

We're in the middle of a weeks trip to France, the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry was £135 return without any discount as we had to book at the weekend ,you have to phone them to get the discount. So much cheaper than the approx £400 Brittany ferries wanted

 

[martin2603]

Checked with the CAM just now crossing 0n 9th Nov at 11.20 return 13th Nov 11.20 am £243.00 in total.

 

[PeterCarole29]

I keep looking at this, and havent tried the route......yet...
Technically, I could say I am a pensioner having pulled a couple of pensions, but it is an outright lie, based upon age, which will be caught out when I present passports, I presume

Is anyone aware of any other discounts for this route ? (I dont do Tesco vouchers)

Well when my wife phoned she was not asked our ages and we filled out the crossing forms on line only days before. so i think it was done on trust.

 

[suavecarve]

Well when my wife phoned she was not asked our ages and we filled out the crossing forms on line only days before. so i think it was done on trust.

Thank you. I am not a person to be trusted

 

[bigwood]

My recent trip to Germany with our son was Harwich to the Hook return. I can’t remember how much it cost but it worked out easier than getting to Dover. We left home at lunch time and had tea in Harwich before boarding. The breakfast on board was acceptable and it meant we were in Wolfsburg by tea time stopping for shopping and lunch en route.
We had considered Hull to Rotterdam making it less than an hours drive but the price was silly.

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[jongood]

We're 50-60 miles closer to Harwich than Folkestone or Dover and according to Google Maps, Hoek van Holland to Florence is 926 miles avoiding tolls via Holland, Germany and Austria.

Harwich-HvH looks like a good crossing for us to reach Chamonix and the Italian Alps, if we ever manage it!

I can see how it works for folks who live nearer to it. I would avoid Austria if I was you John. Gobox rates for > 3500kgs would be over 100 euros, whereas you can get through Switzerland for about E25 and its actually less hilly. The Italian tolls the otherside would be very similar and actually pretty reasonable. And contrary to what Brains says you can go either route from either ports or tunnel.

 

[Parrot Face]

O

A quick check on google maps shows (using London/Florence as an example)

984 miles Via Calais, France and Switzerland (and French tolls and the Swiss alpine tolls plus vignette)
1050 miles via Calais and France (and French tolls) Bypassing Switzerland.
1070 miles via Harwich/Hook via Belgium and Luxembourg, Basel (and the Swiss alpine tolls plus vignette)
1157 miles via Harwich/Hook via Nuremberg (no tolls, €9 vignette for Austria)

Less than 175 miles/half a tank/3hrs driving between the four options.

The shorter the distance the more you pay in tolls and given that fuel is currently cheaper in Germany than France (if you can get fuel in France!) you would need to do some work on a spreadsheet to work out the best option for you, but as you can see it would be very close between all the options.

I think you will find that the 4th option would be the cheapest and may be the fastest.

Where about in italy are you heading?

 

[busby]

A quick check on google maps shows (using London/Florence as an example)

984 miles Via Calais, France and Switzerland (and French tolls and the Swiss alpine tolls plus vignette)
1050 miles via Calais and France (and French tolls) Bypassing Switzerland.
1070 miles via Harwich/Hook via Belgium and Luxembourg, Basel (and the Swiss alpine tolls plus vignette)
1157 miles via Harwich/Hook via Nuremberg (no tolls, €9 vignette for Austria)

Less than 175 miles/half a tank/3hrs driving between the four options.

The shorter the distance the more you pay in tolls and given that fuel is currently cheaper in Germany than France (if you can get fuel in France!) you would need to do some work on a spreadsheet to work out the best option for you, but as you can see it would be very close between all the options.

I think you will find that the 4th option would be the cheapest and may be the fastest.

Tolls aren't compulsory,,other than tunnels..BUSBY.

 

[Brains]

Tolls aren't compulsory,,other than tunnels..BUSBY.

No, but Vignettes are for Switzerland!

My point was the fastest/shortest way.

If you exclude toll roads and also exclude the Austrian Vignette (only needed on the motorway) for all four options then option 4, the Harwich, Nurnberg, Austria route wins hands down on cost and also probably on time.
It certainly wins on ease of driving and navigation.

As I said, what you really need to do is fill in a spreadsheet with distance, ease of driving & navigation, time, tolls/vignettes, ferry/tunnel cost, fuel cost for the two refuels you will need to do (different countries) and then run a comparison, comparing cost per hour or cost per mile

Given that there is less than 175 miles between all of the options, it will be the tolls that make the difference as to the best route.

 

[Brains]

O

Where about in italy are you heading?

"A quick check on google maps shows (using London/Florence as an example)"

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[Lenny HB]

we had to book at the weekend ,you have to phone them to get the discount.

How did you manage that? Their call centre is only open Mon to Friday 9 to 5, it used to be open Saturday and until 8 weekdays.

 

[gus-lopez]

Can't be any worse than being stuck in a steel box, with or without a dog, floating precariously in the middle of the sea.

It could. If there is a problem I can swim. How good at tunnelling are you?

Well when my wife phoned she was not asked our ages and we filled out the crossing forms on line only days before. so i think it was done on trust.

The dob is on your passport details.

 

[MitchandJenny]

Ah well. If you prefer to be stuck underground in a box with a dog for 35 mins you must pay for the privilege.

Don’t have dog anymore.
Tunnels can’t sink any further.

Mitch

 

[Brianmor]

How did you manage that? Their call centre is only open Mon to Friday 9 to 5, it used to be open Saturday and until 8 weekdays.

I meant we had to book online because it was the weekend and couldn't get the discount

 

[jongood]

No, but Vignettes are for Switzerland!

My point was the fastest/shortest way.

If you exclude toll roads and also exclude the Austrian Vignette (only needed on the motorway) for all four options then option 4, the Harwich, Nurnberg, Austria route wins hands down on cost and also probably on time.
It certainly wins on ease of driving and navigation.

As I said, what you really need to do is fill in a spreadsheet with distance, ease of driving & navigation, time, tolls/vignettes, ferry/tunnel cost, fuel cost for the two refuels you will need to do (different countries) and then run a comparison, comparing cost per hour or cost per mile

Given that there is less than 175 miles between all of the options, it will be the tolls that make the difference as to the best route.

Austria only wins if you have less than 3500ks on your v5. But by the time you get there it makes precious little difference whether you came via Calais Dunkirk or Hoek.

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[jockaneezer]

Christian Marks, the vet in Bernkastle Kues warned us against using the tunnel because "It is built wiz French steel !"

 

[Reallyretired]

We only ever book one way. Who knows when and how we re going to want to come back.

We only book one way. I may be mistaken but it always seem cheaper to book the tunnel from France

 

[gus-lopez]

We only book one way. I may be mistaken but it always seem cheaper to book the tunnel from France

It probably is. I use the French dfds site as it is cheaper than the UK or.com one.

 

[jongood]

We only book one way. I may be mistaken but it always seem cheaper to book the tunnel from France

I think so t00 and I think it's better if you pay in euros (as long as you have a decent deal on exchange)

 

[Brains]

Austria only wins if you have less than 3500ks on your v5. But by the time you get there it makes precious little difference whether you came via Calais Dunkirk or Hoek.

For Austria you only need a Vignette (under 3.5t) or a GoBox (Over 3.5t) if you use the motorway across Austria.
With a good navigator it perfectly possible to cross the country without using the motorway.

Our van is over 3.5t
We just had 2 x normal vignette for Austria
We spent 10 days there and then went into Italy for a bit, and then crossed back across Austria and bought another Vignette.

Whilst there is at least one person on this forum who was 'caught' doing this, from what we have heard is it's the lorries and big vans they are trying to ensure that have GoBoxes.

As long as your van looks like a van and it under about 7.5m then they are unlikely to check.
Keep in mind that motorhomes over 3.5t are rare within the EU, and most of those that are, look like small coaches or lorries.

I'm not suggesting you do this, but we followed the example of others we met en-route, and not seen or heard of anyone being caught first hand.

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[barsteward]

Christian Marks, the vet in Bernkastle Kues warned us against using the tunnel because "It is built wiz French steel !"

Thank god it wasn't Russian steel.

 

[EuroTrotters]

£244 One way 6.5mtr Van ! ! !
For a refundable ticket ! ! !
Bloody hell.
Mitch

Tunnel - Road ? Oh sorry, thought we were playing word association !?

Plenty of other options. If you put the dates, where you live, do you like ferries?

 

[Minxy]

Christian Marks, the vet in Bernkastle Kues warned us against using the tunnel because "It is built wiz French steel !"

If that's the vet that makes very un-PC remarks about the war etc, other nationalities, then I wouldn't go anywhere near him!

 

[jockaneezer]

Yup, he's very un pc, he even managed to slip in a dig about Jehovah's witnesses too, but he does seem to be a very capable vet with a well appointed surgery ?

 

[missmollie]

For Austria you only need a Vignette (under 3.5t) or a GoBox (Over 3.5t) if you use the motorway across Austria.
With a good navigator it perfectly possible to cross the country without using the motorway.

Our van is over 3.5t
We just had 2 x normal vignette for Austria
We spent 10 days there and then went into Italy for a bit, and then crossed back across Austria and bought another Vignette.

Whilst there is at least one person on this forum who was 'caught' doing this, from what we have heard is it's the lorries and big vans they are trying to ensure that have GoBoxes.

As long as your van looks like a van and it under about 7.5m then they are unlikely to check.
Keep in mind that motorhomes over 3.5t are rare within the EU, and most of those that are, look like small coaches or lorries.

I'm not suggesting you do this, but we followed the example of others we met en-route, and not seen or heard of anyone being caught first hand.

We done a similar thing in Poland last year.

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