Channel Tunnel
Photo: Original uploader was Xtrememachineuk at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
The Channel Tunnel (French: Tunnel sous la Manche) is a railway which connects the United Kingdom with France, beneath the English Channel.
The undersea route is around long, with trains carrying freight and passengers, including car shuttles. High-speed passenger services connect London with several cities in mainland Europe, including Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Car shuttles carry drivers between the road networks in England and France. The tunnel's portal in England is at Cheriton, near Folkestone, Kent. In France, trains dive under the sea floor at Coquelles, near Calais, Hauts-de-France.
The English Channel is known as La Manche in French.
UnderstandThere are two principal ways to cross the English Channel by train: using car shuttles; or, using intercity high-speed trains.
PrepareCross-channel travel between the UK and mainland Europe requires a passport.
Get inDrivers travelling from the into will need to use the Folkestone terminal. It is signposted throughout South East England as "Channel Tunnel".
GoUndersea journeys last approximately 35 minutes.
Stay safeLeShuttle and Eurostar display safety advice within each carriage. LeShuttle journeys also begin with a safety announcement, and general advice is to remain within your own vehicle for the duration of the journey.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Channel Tunnel" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Original uploader was Xtrememachineuk at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons