How do I take a car on a ferry or the Channel Tunnel?

Both crossings are simple, and both go wrong in the same two ways: arriving outside the check-in window, and leaving something in the car you then need. The differences that matter are that the tunnel is a single short shuttle journey where you stay with the vehicle, while a ferry is a longer crossing where you leave the car entirely and cannot return to it.

Safety

What you'll need

• Booking reference and vehicle registration
• Passports for everyone
• Pet documentation if travelling with an animal (optional)
• A bag with everything needed during the crossing

Step by step

1. Check the check-in window, not just the departure time.Operators state a window that closes well before departure — commonly around thirty to forty-five minutes for the tunnel and longer for a ferry. Missing it usually means the next available crossing at your cost. Arriving hours early does not necessarily get you on an earlier one either.
2. Have the booking reference and registration ready at the barrier.Number plate recognition does most of the work at the tunnel. Have the reference on a phone screen or on paper, not in an email you have to search for while a queue builds behind you.
3. Do border checks in the order the terminal directs.Passports are checked at the terminal before boarding on both routes, sometimes by both countries' officials in sequence. Everyone in the car needs their own passport in their own hand, and windows down.
4. Declare anything restricted before you get to the checks.Gas cylinders for a caravan or camper, spare fuel, and some tools and equipment are restricted or must be declared and turned off. Check the operator's dangerous goods list when you book, not in the lane.
5. Get everything you need out of the car before you drive on.For a ferry this is the important one — the vehicle decks are closed during the crossing and you cannot go back for a coat, a phone charger, medication or a child's toy. Pack a single crossing bag before you leave home.
6. Follow the marshals exactly and park as directed.Decks are packed tightly and the loading order is worked out to match the unloading order. Handbrake on, leave it in gear, fold the mirrors, and note which deck and which lane you are in.
7. Turn off anything that could drain the battery or set the alarm off.Lights, interior lights, and any motion-sensitive alarm. A flat battery on a vehicle deck holds up everybody behind you.
8. Handle pets according to the operator's rules.Rules differ: on the tunnel dogs usually stay in the car with you; on ferries they may stay in the vehicle, use a kennel, or be allowed in designated areas. Check when booking, and never leave an animal in a car on a hot deck.
9. Set the car up for the other side before you drive off.Headlamp beam deflectors on, vests within reach in the cabin, sat nav set, and everyone reminded which side you are driving on. Do it in the queue, not on the exit ramp.
10. Listen for the announcement and go down when told.Going down early does not speed anything up and the decks are not opened until it is safe. Have the deck and lane number you noted on the way in.

Tips

• Take motion sickness precautions before boarding rather than once you feel unwell — they work far better taken in advance.
• On a ferry, book a seat or cabin on an overnight or long crossing. A night in a lounge chair is a poor start to a driving holiday.
• Flexible tickets cost more but let you take an earlier or later crossing if the drive runs long or short. On a first trip that is often worth it.

Common mistakes

• Leaving essentials in the car on a ferry — Vehicle decks are closed for the whole crossing. Medication, chargers, warm layers and anything a child needs must come up with you.
• Arriving after the check-in window closes — The window closes long before departure. Missing it usually means paying for a later crossing, and there may not be space on it.
• Not fitting beam deflectors before driving off — You are straight onto a fast road on the wrong side with headlights aimed into oncoming traffic. Fit them in the queue.

Questions people ask