LeShuttle
- Visit: 60–90 min
- Ideal for friends
- Good on a rainy day
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Why go
- The 35-minute crossing, with your own car kept on the train to Calais.
- The Class 9 locomotives at both ends of each train, most rated at 7 megawatts.
- The club car, where lorry drivers ride, with free Wi-Fi, toilets and vending machines.
- The Flexiplus lounge, where you eat in or take a grab-and-go bag for the journey.
- The cafés and duty-free shops in the terminal building for passengers arriving early.
Know before you go
- Open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
- Crossings are booked on the LeShuttle website, where you can also create an account.
- One vehicle ticket covers the vehicle and up to nine passengers, with no luggage limits.
- Both terminals have check-in booths and pre-boarding border checks, with customs and border police from both sides.
- Motorcycles cannot board first, for safety reasons, so they are excluded from Flexiplus priority boarding.
- Lorry drivers must leave their vehicle and stay in the club car for the whole journey.
- Passengers stay in or beside their vehicles during the crossing.
- Peak Day Charges are payable on busy days, even with a Flexiplus ticket.
- Short Stay Saver tickets must be bought as part of a 5-day return.
Tips for your visit
- Book online in advance. Fares are quoted for advance booking, and tickets bought at check-in on the travel day vary in price.
- Check the peak time calendar on the site to find the quieter periods for travelling.
- Arrive early to use the cafés and duty-free shopping in the terminal building.
- Flexiplus holders can use the lounge, either eating there or taking a grab-and-go bag for the journey.
- Outside lounge hours, Flexiplus travellers can use a lobby with free coffee and toilets.
- Toilets are fitted in every third carriage of the shuttle train.
- Top-tier tickets let vehicles board any time on the travel day, subject to availability.
- Top-tier tickets are fully refundable if cancelled before departure.
Best time to visit
- Trains run throughout the day, with up to four departures an hour depending on the time of day.
- At busy times a full crossing between the motorways takes at least 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Peak Day Charges apply on busy days. The peak time calendar on the site shows the quieter periods.
Interesting facts5
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If one locomotive fails, the other can pull a whole shuttle on its own.
LeShuttle - Wikipedia -
On the English side, the tunnel runs 16 km on a steady 1.1% gradient.
LeShuttle - Wikipedia -
Because of their larger loading gauge, the shuttle trains run only in the tunnel and between its two terminals.
LeShuttle - Wikipedia -
Both tunnel terminals have a loop where trains can turn around.
LeShuttle - Wikipedia -
2024
61% of cars carried in 2024 were about the size of a BMW 3 Series.
Eurotunnel LeShuttle™ Tickets & Fares: Chunnel Tickets
Shorts
History
It is run by Getlink, which owns the Channel Tunnel.
- 1986The Cantorbéry treaty gave Eurotunnel a 55-year operating concession.
- 1987Works began officially and employed up to 13,000 workers, engineers and technicians.
- 1994The tunnel was officially opened by Elizabeth II and François Mitterrand, and the shuttle service started operating.
- 1996A serious fire on a lorry shuttle inside the tunnel closed it for several weeks.
- 1997Lorry shuttle service resumed after stronger safety measures were introduced.
Show all
- 2008A fire on a lorry shuttle forced 32 people to be evacuated. No one died.
- 2019A 150 million euro contract to renovate the passenger fleet went to Bombardier Transport.
- 2023The service was renamed from Eurotunnel Le Shuttle to LeShuttle.
How to get there
- 90 minCarDrive to the terminal on Ashford Road, Folkestone. The whole crossing, from motorway exit to entrance, takes about 90 minutes.
- 35 minTrainShuttle train to Calais with your vehicle. Planned travel time is 35 minutes, with up to four trains an hour.
Sources: LeShuttle - Wikipedia · Eurotunnel LeShuttle™: Folkestone To Calais In … · Eurotunnel LeShuttle™ Tickets & Fares: Chunnel … · Eurotunnel LeShuttle™ Standard Single & Return … · Eurotunnel Le Shuttle - Wikipedia · LeShuttle - Wikipedia · LeShuttle: booking (its own site) · Disneyland® Paris: Eurodisney Offers – Eurotunn… · checked 25 Oct 2026
- Website
- eurotunnel.com/uk/
- Phone
- +443443353535
Questions and answers
How long does a LeShuttle crossing take from Folkestone to Calais?
The train crossing is planned at 35 minutes, and the average over a year was 35 minutes 17 seconds. The whole trip from motorway exit to terminal entrance takes about 90 minutes.
Is LeShuttle open 24 hours a day?
Yes, LeShuttle is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Trains run up to four departures an hour, depending on the time of day.
Do I need to book a LeShuttle crossing in advance?
Crossings are booked on the LeShuttle website, where you can also create an account. Fares are quoted for advance booking, and tickets bought at check-in on the travel day vary in price.
Can I take my own car on LeShuttle?
Yes, cars, vans, buses, motorcycles and bicycles travel in the shuttle trains. One vehicle ticket covers the vehicle and up to nine passengers, with no luggage limits.
Can children travel on LeShuttle?
Children travel as passengers in the vehicle, since there are no passenger carriages. Passengers stay in or next to their vehicle for the 35-minute crossing, and toilets are fitted in every third carriage.
How do I get to the LeShuttle terminal in Folkestone?
The terminal is on Ashford Road, Folkestone. Drive to it from the motorway; the whole crossing from motorway exit to entrance takes about 90 minutes.
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