Driving from Manchester to Cologne

unstoppable

Hi,

We are a party of 4 and will be driving from Manchester to Cologne (Germany) midweek week next week and back again over the weekend.

Google maps is giving me a route via Folkestone/Eurotunnel train (Dover-Calais) but I've noticed that ferry (Dover-Calais) works out cheaper. Is there any reason why we should consider the train route over the ferry one? I've never done this route by car so have no idea what's better!

Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Moto2

The tunnel is quicker all round, is less prone to french disruption or poor weather.

Saying that, the ferry is OK but never my first choice

unstoppable

Moto2 wrote: »

The tunnel is quicker all round, is less prone to french disruption or poor weather.

Saying that, the ferry is OK but never my first choice

Hi Moto2 - what sort of disruption can I expect? Train is almost double the price you see. But I don't want to be stuck for hours either.

PeacefulWaters

Bad weather is the main threat to ferry crossings.

unstoppable

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Bad weather is the main threat to ferry crossings.

Thanks for your reply. Does that usually result in delays or cancellations? I know weather is unpredictable but has anyone here experienced such delays very often, or is it a rare thing?

powerful_Rogue

I use the tunnel a few times a week for work and its atrocious.

Delays, trains breaking down and getting stuck in the tunnel, trains being cancelled if there isn't enough traffic.

For the difference in price, i'd use the ferry 100% of the time.

Happy to answer any questions.

powerful_Rogue

unstoppable wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. Does that usually result in delays or cancellations? I know weather is unpredictable but has anyone here experienced such delays very often, or is it a rare thing?

The weather down in Dover is very pleasant. Its very very very rare that a ferry gets cancelled.

zagfles

Have you considered the Hull-Rotterdam ferry? The crossing will be more expensive but it'll save you about 300 miles driving. Hull is 200 miles closer to Manchester than Dover, and Rotterdam is about 140km closer to Koln than Calais.

A friend of mine drove up from Kent to Manchester recently and it took him 7 hours :eek:

Moto2

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

I use the tunnel a few times a week for work and its atrocious.

Delays, trains breaking down and getting stuck in the tunnel, trains being cancelled if there isn't enough traffic.

For the difference in price, i'd use the ferry 100% of the time.

Happy to answer any questions.

Is that the freight or car service?

I don't use it that much, once a month maybe but have had zero issues in the last couple of years.

Moto2

unstoppable wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. Does that usually result in delays or cancellations? I know weather is unpredictable but has anyone here experienced such delays very often, or is it a rare thing?

I've been held up a couple of times in the last year with some sort of protest or demonstration on the French side

powerful_Rogue

Moto2 wrote: »

Is that the freight or car service?

I don't use it that much, once a month maybe but have had zero issues in the last couple of years.

Car service.

If you use it irregularly then its easy to lucky, however when you use it upto 4 times a week, you then realise how shoddy the service is.