|
Our first view of check in! Not as bad as I was
expecting
|
|
Head for a lane with a Green Arrow. The
lights above indicate which side the check in machine is located |
On reaching the check in machine and
pressing 'book in' on the large touch screen it came up with our booking
immediately (due to number plate recognition!) We arrived just over an
hour before the booked time and were offered the earlier Shuttle 30 min
before ours at no extra cost. We accepted this and it printed out a
boarding label/hanger with a Boarding letter, in our case it was Z. We
then proceeded to the waiting car park near the terminal/shops. Well
sign posted for caravans and plenty of suitable parking. |
|
|
At the car park and
in the terminals are large screens with details of boarding times, just
follow the instructions for your letter. We had plenty of time to go
into the terminal and especially in Calais it had a good selection of
wines at good prices and of course most importantly toilets! |
|
When called forward for boarding, you
proceed to another check-in, where they inspect the Gas bottles, to
ensure they are switched off and allocate you to a queuing lane, where
there are again toilets. |
|
|
Then its off to the train! |
|
|
This is the part that I and most first
time users worry about, no matter how much reassurance given before
about how easy it is. Well, it is easy, take it slow and remember you
can steer over to the far side and straighten quite easily without
cutting the corners. |
|
|
Then ahead of you is the length of the
train and you move forward to your carriage. Don't follow the vehicle in
front too closely as you need to ensure that you can fit into the
carriage without straddling between them. This is easy, wait to be
called forward by the train marshal who will position you. On both
occasions we were first in a coach. |
|
|
There are doors at the end of each coach
which close and then shutters come down. There are passenger doors
either side which can be opened by pressing a release button. |
|
|
Although it feels a bit narrow there is
plenty of room. The only strange thing we found was that when it moved
off the motion was like a train but you were sitting in a car! |
|
Well, before you know it, we were there
and being called off. Very easy and considering when we used it there
were gales in the Chanel much more comfortable and no delay. |
|