Eurotunnel cost: how LeShuttle compares with the ferry to France

The Eurotunnel cost for a car starts from £124 each way on a standard LeShuttle ticket, or from £59 on a day-trip ticket, according to the operator's fares page. DFDS shows a ferry fare from £114 for a car and up to five people. Both are "from" prices, checked on 1 November 2026.

Eurotunnel is the car shuttle through the Channel Tunnel. The operator's own pages call it LeShuttle, also known as Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, and describe a car train service with 35-minute crossings from Folkestone to Calais. We set it against the DFDS ferry from Dover to Calais, because both operators publish a starting fare, a crossing time and a check-in rule on their own pages.

Neither price is a total. A "from" fare is the operator's own starting figure for one direction, and what you pay moves with the date, the time of day, the ticket type and the size of your vehicle. This guide gives the published figures, says what each one assumes, then compares the two crossings on time, check-in, pets and seasickness. Other ports and operators are in our guide to the ferry to France from the UK.

LeShuttle publishes six ticket types on its tickets and fares page, each shown as a "from" price per vehicle, each way. The cheapest is the Day Trip & Overnight ticket from £59, which must be bought as a return within 2 days. A Standard ticket, single or return and for any length of stay, is from £124.

Every LeShuttle fare is per vehicle, not per person: each ticket covers up to nine passengers and as much luggage as fits in the boot. LeShuttle's figures assume an average-sized car, which it describes as a BMW 3 Series, with no bikes, roof box, trailer or caravan. The DFDS fare is for a car with up to five people, so a group of six or more should check what DFDS charges for the extra passengers before comparing.

The ticket type matters as much as the operator. LeShuttle's cheaper tickets are the least flexible: Day Trip & Overnight cannot be amended or refunded, Short Stay Saver and Standard can be changed for a fee but not refunded, and only Flexiplus is fully refundable before departure. LeShuttle's Flexiplus pages also mention a peak day charge from £10 up to £250 per leg on busy days.

Both operators point to timing. LeShuttle says tickets bought at check-in on the day will vary, and that you can book up to 12 months ahead. DFDS says its prices are subject to availability. In practice, a cheap ticket for the date you want is worth more than a headline fare for a date you cannot use.

Compare the same day, the same time and your own car on both booking pages before you decide. A starting fare for the tunnel and a starting fare for the ferry are not measured in the same way, so the gap between £124 and £114 says very little by itself. A roof box or a bike rack, or a change of date, can matter more than the gap between operators.

The tunnel is quicker: LeShuttle's crossing from Folkestone to Calais takes 35 minutes, against 1 hour 40 minutes on the DFDS ferry from Dover to Calais. LeShuttle also runs up to four departures an hour, 24 hours a day, while DFDS lists up to 30 sailings a day.

The gap at sea is about an hour, but the two crossings leave from different towns, Folkestone and Dover. The drive to the terminal at your end, and from Calais to where you are going, often decides more of the day than the crossing does. Work out the whole journey from your front door before you let that hour choose for you.

LeShuttle lets you arrive early or late within a 2-hour window and says you may be offered a space on the next available departure at no extra charge. DFDS does not publish a comparable rule on the page we read, so a missed sailing is a question for the operator, not a rule we can state.

Allow at least an hour at the tunnel terminal, and a much longer margin at Dover. LeShuttle asks you to arrive no more than 2 hours and no less than 1 hour before your booked departure. DFDS closes check-in 60 minutes before departure and advises allowing 120 minutes before check-in closes, to give time for the border controls.

These are the operators' own rules for a booked vehicle, not a forecast of the queue. Border controls are run by the UK and French governments, not by the operator, and LeShuttle says there is one border check, before you board. Have every passport to hand when you reach it. The official wording on British passports is in GOV.UK travel advice for France.

On the day, the LeShuttle sequence is short. The steps below follow the operator's on-the-day page.

1. Arrive at the terminal
   No more than 2 hours and no less than 1 hour before your booked departure.
2. Check in at a kiosk
   Self-service kiosks read your number plate and find your booking. You may be offered an earlier crossing.
3. Hang the paper tag
   The tag carries a letter and number that match your crossing. Display it in your vehicle.
4. Pass the border check
   One check, before you board, run by the UK and French governments.
5. Wait for your letter to show as ready
   Boarding starts 25 minutes before departure and is announced on the terminal boards and in the app.
6. Drive on and cross
   The crossing takes 35 minutes.

On the DFDS side, check-in at Dover closes 60 minutes before departure, which is the one cut-off to plan around. The extra time DFDS advises, 120 minutes before check-in closes, is meant for the border controls ahead of that cut-off.

Yes, on both, and on both your pet stays in the vehicle during the crossing. LeShuttle checks pets in at its Pet Reception and asks you to arrive at least 90 minutes before your booked departure. DFDS charges per pet each way on its Dover routes and asks you to book in advance.

Because neither page gives a pet charge, ask for the price when you book, and have the documents ready before you leave home.

The full rules are on LeShuttle's page on travelling with pets and in the GOV.UK guidance on taking a pet to an EU country. Our ferry to France from the UK guide covers pets on the other ferry routes.

For an anxious animal, the short crossing is often the deciding point. LeShuttle describes its 35 minutes as being with your pet by your side, while the DFDS crossing is 1 hour 40 minutes with the pet kept in the vehicle. Plan the paperwork before the day.

The tunnel, if seasickness is your main worry: LeShuttle's pages say "you can't get seasick on LeShuttle" and that you will not have to worry about the weather. That is the operator's claim about its own service, but a car train through a tunnel gives the sea no way to move you.

On a ferry the sea matters. DFDS's route page says sailing times may vary with the weather, and the crossing takes 1 hour 40 minutes. LeShuttle's page comparing the two options adds that stormy seas "can mean upset stomachs for young and old". That is a comparison written by the tunnel operator, so weigh it as marketing, but the point about a rough day is fair.

If someone in your car is prone to sickness, the shorter, steadier crossing may justify a higher fare. If the ferry is cheaper for your date and the forecast is calm, 1 hour 40 minutes is a short sailing. We do not give medical advice here: if you or a child suffer badly, ask a pharmacist or a GP before you travel.

Take the tunnel when time, weather or a nervous pet matter most, and the ferry when the fare for your date is lower or when Dover is the easier port to reach. The two lists below set out the reasons, using the figures above.

Choose LeShuttle if

• ✓
  You want the shortest crossing: 35 minutes from Folkestone to Calais, with up to four departures an hour.
• ✓
  You dislike the sea: LeShuttle's pages say seasickness and the weather are not a worry on its service.
• ✓
  You travel with a pet: Your pet stays in the vehicle, and the crossing is shorter for an anxious animal.
• ✓
  You have a full car: One LeShuttle fare covers up to nine passengers.

Look at the ferry if

• ✓
  The fare for your date is lower: DFDS shows a fare from £114 for a car and up to five people, one way.
• ✓
  Dover is nearer than Folkestone: The DFDS crossing leaves from Dover, so the drive at your end may be shorter.
• ✓
  You want more sailings to choose from: DFDS lists up to 30 sailings a day on Dover to Calais.

Neither crossing suits a foot passenger. LeShuttle says it can only carry people in or on a vehicle, and DFDS says foot passengers are not permitted on Dover to Calais. Without a car, the passenger train is Eurostar, which LeShuttle describes as a separate company that carries people only.

For ports beyond Dover, such as Newhaven, Portsmouth or Plymouth, and for other ferry operators, use our guide to the ferry to France from the UK. Once you land, the driving abroad hub and our travel tips cover the rest of the trip. To price your own date, use the DFDS Dover to Calais page and the LeShuttle fares page linked above.

• How much does the Eurotunnel cost?

  From £124 each way for a standard LeShuttle ticket and from £59 for a Day Trip & Overnight ticket, per car, according to LeShuttle’s fares page checked on 1 November 2026. The price you pay depends on the date, the time and your vehicle.

• Is the Eurotunnel cheaper than the ferry?

  Not necessarily. LeShuttle’s standard fare starts from £124 and DFDS’s Dover to Calais fare from £114, but each assumes a different car, number of passengers and ticket type. Compare your own date on both booking pages.

• Does the Eurotunnel cost per person or per car?

  Per vehicle. LeShuttle says its ticket prices are per vehicle and cover up to 9 passengers and as much luggage as fits in the boot. DFDS’s headline fare is for a car with up to 5 people.

• How long is the Eurotunnel crossing?

  35 minutes from Folkestone to Calais, according to LeShuttle. It runs up to four times an hour, 24 hours a day.

• How early should I arrive for the Eurotunnel?

  No more than 2 hours and no less than 1 hour before your booked departure, according to LeShuttle. Boarding starts 25 minutes before departure.

• How early should I arrive for the DFDS ferry from Dover?

  DFDS closes check-in 60 minutes before departure and advises allowing 120 minutes before check-in closes, to give time for the border controls.

• Can I take my dog on the Eurotunnel?

  Yes. Pets stay in the vehicle and check in at the Pet Reception, at least 90 minutes before your booked departure. LeShuttle says dogs, cats and ferrets need a microchip, an animal health certificate and a rabies vaccination.

• Can I take a pet on the DFDS ferry from Dover?

  Yes. Pets must stay in the vehicle during the crossing, and DFDS charges per pet each way. You must book in advance. DFDS’s page does not give the amount.

• Can I get seasick on the Eurotunnel?

  LeShuttle says you cannot get seasick on its service and that you will not have to worry about the weather. On a ferry, DFDS says sailing times may vary with the weather.

• Can I travel on foot through the Channel Tunnel or on the Dover ferry?

  Not on LeShuttle or the DFDS Dover to Calais ferry. LeShuttle only carries people in or on a vehicle, and DFDS says foot passengers are not permitted. Eurostar carries people only.

• Is the Eurotunnel the same as LeShuttle?

  Yes. LeShuttle says it is also known as Eurotunnel Le Shuttle and that Getlink operates it. It is a separate company from Eurostar.

• Can I change or cancel a LeShuttle ticket?

  It depends on the ticket. Day Trip & Overnight cannot be amended or refunded, Standard can be changed for a fee but not refunded, and Flexiplus is fully refundable before departure.