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Lots of travellers are browsing the internet for travel options that do not require flights. There reasons vary from concern about the environmental impact of flights to potential worries about volcanic ash and other general flight associated delays such as security scares. Some people resent the fact that when you fly you have to check in 2 hours or so before the flight is due to leave. On long haul flights this is not too much of an addition to the journey time but on a short haul flight of up to 4 hours or so you can literally spend more time waiting than you do travelling. For this reason many people are taking their family car to France and looking to get a cross channel crossing. There are a surprising number of travel options across the channel and we shall look at the most popular of them. Ferries, there are a number of popular ferry services from ports along the south coast of the UK. Carriers such as P&O, Seafrance, Condor and Norfolk line. There are 2 main classes of ferry, a traditional ferry which has many onboard facilities and a capacity for 100's of cars and passengers and a relatively sedate speed or the smaller catamaran ferry which has a smaller capacity for cars and passengers and doesn't have as wide a choice of on board facilities as the Ferry but will typically make the cross channel crossing in a relatively quick time. Rail travel is another popular option since the channel tunnel opened. The two carriers from the UK include Eurotunnel and Eurostar and it is worth noting that the two offer very different services. Eurotunnel is for vehicles only (Goods vehicles and cars), passengers stay inside their vehicles for the journey (or can get out and wonder the compartment they are in). Travel takes place from Folkestone to Calais only with no stops on the way or beyond these destinations. Travel is fast and convenient with trains running at least every 30 minutes running 24/7. Eurostar is more akin to a flight, where foot passengers only are taken. Journeys can start from London and Ashford and go directly to Paris and other popular European cities in very short journey times. For those wanting to use the excellent continental passenger services around cities this is an ideal option and gives one the freedom and a hassle free way to explore northern France. Once in a main destination you can easily get trains to other French destinations. Even if your hotel is a distance away from the station there are excellent and helpful taxi services. Eurostar runs daytime/early evening only and times vary from hourly to 3 or 4 trains per day, depending on the destination selected and the season you travel in. Eurostar cater well for business travellers with plenty of facilities and a comfortable first class upgrade service. Booking direct is not always the best way to do it, a good tour operator is able to offer a competitive package deal on hotel and travel and through their bulk booking are able to offer generous discounts. Plus if a single element of your travel plans were to fail the travel agent can re arrange this seamlessly giving you just one point of contact. When it comes to getting the cheapest price we suggest that you get quotes for different times of the day and different days of the week. An low peak travel rate can be much lower priced than an on peak rate. A good travel advisor or tour operator is able to provide advice on the most cost effective times to travel in. With many travel options it also proves to be much cheaper the further in advance you wish to travel. Book at least a couple of weeks in advance for the biggest savings. We also strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance which covers you in the event that due to health issues (your party or even close family members) you are unable to travel.
Article Source: http://sports-articles.net
Andy Holiday is a travel writer and researcher providing coverage and exposure to sites like Eurostar Holidays and Eurotunnel Bruges breaks
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