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Eurotunnel prices

tuppence

By tuppence
in Travelling to/from France

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tuppence Newbie

tuppence

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I have often wondered why Eurotunnel charge so much more on a return crossing from France than they do from the UK. I would have thought that after their recent bad publicity blaming French snow for delays etc that they would have started to use an up to date exchange rate for fares. I tried to book yesterday for a return crossing from France......€162, but if I used my address in the UK it was £116. Even with the exchange rate at €1.11, this made a difference of £29. Wake up Eurotunnel, why should we be fleeced for living in France?

tuppence

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Judith Community Regular

Judith

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I think it's because from England you have to cross the sea to get anywhere and thus have to return across the channel (there is a name for the type of market it is but I can't bring it to mind right now).  In other words, since once you have left you have to return (usually!!!), so the price is fixed as it is a necessary step.

I'm more annoyed that they won't let you buy a single without hiking the price exorbitantly, but maybe this is all part of the market plan (as described above whose name I cannot remember!).

Definitely time for lunch, the brain needs feeding obviously!

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Chancer Newbie

Chancer

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It can be swings and roundabouts, sometimes their promotional fares, 48 hour returns etc are cheaper when paid in Euros even taking into account the exchange rate.

I always check the price using both countries as my residence and also clicking on the pay in pounds or euros box, it can sometimes throw up an anomoly.

Also speaking from my own experience one should not be frightened off by the supposed penalties from booking a cheap return ticket and only using the outbound leg, I have done this several times with Eurotunnel and the other operators without penalty............  Yet! [:)]

I travelled in to the UK in early December for £13.86 IIRC as I paid in Euros (€15) for a promotional day return, I didnt return [;-)], it would have cost £15 if booked from the UK.

Editted, It actually cost me £13.56 for the €15 debitted from my Nationwide card.

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PaulT Newbie

PaulT

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[quote user="tuppence"]I have often wondered why Eurotunnel charge so much more on a return crossing from France than they do from the UK. I would have thought that after their recent bad publicity blaming French snow for delays etc that they would have started to use an up to date exchange rate for fares. I tried to book yesterday for a return crossing from France......€162, but if I used my address in the UK it was £116. Even with the exchange rate at €1.11, this made a difference of £29. Wake up Eurotunnel, why should we be fleeced for living in France?

tuppence
[/quote]

Was it not EUROSTAR that had problems with French snow thereby having their trains breakdown in EUROTUNNELS tunnel, hence causing delays to EUROTUNNELS customers?

Personally, I find Eurotunnel to be very customer focussed including allowing us to change our boooked crossing time of 22:20 to 17:20 at 14:00 on the same day instaed of having to give the required 24 hour notice. And, having arrived even eralier, getting on the 16:20 Shuttle.

Paul

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  • 2 months later...
Judith Community Regular

Judith

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[quote user="tuppence"]I have often wondered why Eurotunnel charge so much more on a return crossing from France than they do from the UK. I would have thought that after their recent bad publicity blaming French snow for delays etc that they would have started to use an up to date exchange rate for fares. I tried to book yesterday for a return crossing from France......€162, but if I used my address in the UK it was £116. Even with the exchange rate at €1.11, this made a difference of £29. Wake up Eurotunnel, why should we be fleeced for living in France?

tuppence

[/quote]

Just been checking prices, and I find that (using exactly same dates and times) I can get a crossing (France to UK and back) quote in sterling for £133 (though they did ask me if I really did want to cross from France) but the euro price is 186€ which at 1.1 I get to be £169. 

Seems that tuppence's research is quite correct - though I have no UK address to give, if I actually get as far as booking.  It is still the easiest way for me to travel across, esp when I'm on my own - so I may see if I can book from France and pay in sterling (obviously not a problem, still got the UK accounts) and see what transpires - but it is very annoying, even allowing for the exchange rate, it does seem quite a rip-off!

I'll update when I've tried to book it .....

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tuppence Newbie

tuppence

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Hi,

I've  recently received details of yet another cheap day return via Eurotunnel in April. So me and 2 friends decided to go over to Canterbury for the day. From UK to France £22 for a day return. From France to UK €30 (or on todays exchange rate £27). So no change there then [6]. But the good news is that with 3 of us on board it only works out at £9 each.

tuppence

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Judith Community Regular

Judith

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I can't use the promotional fares as I'm going for a week - and I have never understood why they charge less for a shorter time "abroad",  surely they have to transport you whatever the length of time you stay - or, yes, of course -  it's a marketing ploy...... stoooopid!

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Judith Community Regular

Judith

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Reporting back.  It let me book in sterling even though I was crossing Calais - Folkestone first (and as before, it questioned it, but accepted a positive reply, and it even let me put in a French address.  I used a UK credit card (which has a French address attached, though I don't think it did very much checking of the address by the time it spent, and it went on to confirm the booking.  So it seems that it is worth trying to pay in the currency you want.  As I have money in both countries it doesn't really matter to me, but I don't see why I should pay more just because I live in the country they want to charge more for!!!

So, moral of this story is - if you don't try, you will never know.

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mint Newbie

mint

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Thanks for that, Judith, I shall remember next time I book.  After all, even Easyjet lets you choose your currency.

Mind you, I always pay them by Carte Bleue because I don't have an Electron card and these are the only cards that they don't charge you a fee for using.

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Chancer Newbie

Chancer

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It is usually cheaper to pay in pounds however the last two times that I have used them have been the £15 day return promotions although I only used the outgoing leg, on both these occasions I paid 15 Euros using a Nationwide debit card by phoning the French call centre number (actually its the same bureau as the UK number) and saved the princely sum of £1.80 each time.

Every little helps [;-)]

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Judith Community Regular

Judith

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Sweet,

It's always worth trying, as until you press the confirm, you can back out at any moment, if it looks as though it's doing something you don't like. I quite often do a "recce" search before committing, and also at that time you can get used to the system, especially is it is new to you.

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