Author Topic: First time driving in France and Belgium.  (Read 10186 times)

Kev_Mc

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #15 on: 20 July 2017, 11:38:51 AM »
I've driven in Belgium and Florida in the past. Generally it's not too bad - it's when it's quiet it's easier to make a mistake as there's no-one else setting the example for you!

fka

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #16 on: 20 July 2017, 11:59:27 PM »
I've driven a fair amount in France, Switzerland, Austria - mainly in the alps - and Greece (hideous roads) but always in lefthand drive, manual hire cars. I was really very nervous the first time, dealing with both a left-handed car and driving on the 'wrong' side of the road but got used to it surprisingly quickly. I think being in the lefthand drive car makes the whole experience feel much more natural but the obvious left hand turns at junctions, coming off motorways or dual carriageways and roundabouts, demands a lot of your attention (As already mentioned.) especially when you're tired.

Hope you have a great trip and get the taste to do a longer one next year! I'd love to do a long continental road trip, I think the whole airport experience ruins both ends of a holiday (especially now we have a toddler in tow). And you get to experience the country you're traveling through far more than at 30,000 feet!

Audax

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #17 on: 13 September 2017, 05:17:07 PM »
Well, that was a waste of time and a big disappointment.

Today was the centenary of my family members death near Ypres in the first world war and we had been planning to do a day trip to France and Belgium to visit the grave. So we got up bright and early to drove to the tunnel this morning, checked in with plenty of time made our way to the departure lanes with 20 minutes before our train was meant to leave. As it got closer to our departure time we started to get a bit confused as the boards said our train had left. We figured we'd done something wrong and were going on the next train and after 30 minutes we were advised that there was a delay due to "an incident in the tunnel". After waiting another hour and looking at the delays we asked to be let off the site as there was no way we would be able to complete the trip and get back again in any reasonable time as we'd only packed for a short day trip with the kids and they were advising of delays that would total 4.5 hours!

I'm actually really disappointed with Eurotunnel as they couldn't give us any advice and the staff just kept telling us that they had no idea what was going on, we only bought standard tickets which Eurotunnel say are non-refundable but I've asked them for a refund as we have no other plans to visit the continent and if we do then I really don't think I'd bother using Eurotunnel as the lack of any kind of customer care around what was going on was really not acceptable. 


Geoff1951

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #18 on: 13 September 2017, 10:19:27 PM »
Sorry to see this, Audax. Appalling "customer care".

sgould

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #19 on: 13 September 2017, 10:29:17 PM »
That is totally unacceptable! :(  Even if the incident was not their fault.  They used to divert people to the ferry if there was a tunnel closure,and vice-versa if there was a storm in the channel.  Slipping badly.

We came over a week ago.  We were delayed by an accident on the M25 and arrived 9 mins after our book in time.  They wouldn't let us on the train that we had booked "because we were late", and even though our train was still boarding.  We were booked on the next train.  We got to the loading area and found our original train was running 10 mins late and so we should have had plenty of time to catch it.  Then the train we were booked on was running even later and we arrived at our hotel over an hour late.  Not as bad as you, but putting this together with the general wear and tear that has been left unfixed, I would guess that Eurotunnel are struggling financially and have fewer resources than they need.  Hope we don't lose the shuttle.  Our daughter-in-law has been on holiday with us and won't go on a boat!!
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Audax

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #20 on: 28 September 2017, 06:39:56 PM »
Well, don't think I'm ever going to bother with Eurotunnel again, 15 days since I raised a ticket with them and there is *still* no response from them. If this is what they consider to be customer service then screw 'em, if they don't respond in the next few days I'll be instructing the credit card company to do a charge back for me.

David

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #21 on: 29 September 2017, 11:04:19 AM »
Having used the Eurotunnel once, I would choose the ferry every time. Much more of an occasion and you can enjoy a meal whilst travelling across the channel. I appreciate weather can be a problem, but there is less time waiting than the tunnel.
I would also recommend paying the extra £10 for Priority Boarding.

Audax

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #22 on: 29 September 2017, 01:55:58 PM »
That's the bit that really annoyed me is they were pushing adverts of how with Eurotunnel they don't stop when the weather is bad, the ferries were all running that day hours after a storm but they weren't! I had a moan at them on twitter and their response is I should wait 15 working days (Mon-Fri) for a response, utterly dreadful company.

Audax

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #23 on: 05 October 2017, 08:42:45 AM »
More than 15 days with no response... I'm now wondering why on earth would anyone use them? Is customer service always this bad?

*EDIT* They just replied to me on twitter, apparently it's now *19* days to get a response! If they don't reply this week I'm going to instruct the credit card company to get my money back.

Audax

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #24 on: 12 October 2017, 10:49:19 AM »
Wow, they finally responded to me a month after I raised the issue with them, they are refunding my money for the trip but not the insurance (which I'm not 100% happy with but I'm happy enough given the time wasted so far). Next time I will almost certainly take a ferry!

David

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #25 on: 12 October 2017, 04:19:52 PM »
Wise choice.
Recommend paying the extra £10 for Priority Boarding - you get on board first, so you get the best seats near the windows and no waiting for food. You also get off first, so no traffic.

sgould

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #26 on: 12 October 2017, 11:08:20 PM »
A refund! :)  Well done!
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Geoff1951

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #27 on: 14 October 2017, 09:57:33 PM »
Well done Audax. I hope the next trip is plain sailing...

Norfolk Jim

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Re: First time driving in France and Belgium.
« Reply #28 on: 16 October 2017, 09:47:56 AM »
That's in an un-marked boat Geoff :)

I hear people get there quicker by swimming!