Eurotunnel CAMC booking

Quantox
Quantox Forum Participant Posts: 27

Hi

We are currently in France heading towards the tunnel - we are approx 5 hours off. We have a booking for tomorrow but would like to cross early evening today if poss but apparently because the booking was made through CAMC it can't be changed because their office is not open until Monday. Looks like we are stuck unless anyone has any knowledge of how this can be changed by Eurotunnel whom we have already contacted and were referred to CAMC. Thanks .

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited September 2017 #2
    The user and all related content has been deleted
  • KeithandMargaret
    KeithandMargaret Forum Participant Posts: 660
    500 Comments
    edited September 2017 #3

    My choice would be to turn up, explain the situation and pay the difference - if any.

    The Club will, I believe, charge you £20 to change any details of your crossing so if it's less than £20 difference you've got a bargain.

    Otherwise enjoy an extra day in France.

    Hope this helps.

  • Quantox
    Quantox Forum Participant Posts: 27
    edited September 2017 #4

    Thanks Deleted User. I have called Eurotunnel again and explained CAMC closed for weekend and eventually after referral to a supervisor they decided they could change the booking but it would cost £80 + so will stay with original booking.Unfortunately I can't find the email that gives me details of what to do if changes are required. The one I have just refers to a "brochure" ?? 

  • Quantox
    Quantox Forum Participant Posts: 27
    edited September 2017 #5

    Thanks Keith and Margaret - yes we will have a relaxing evening in France instead ! Might even go and stock up with a bit more wine tongue-out

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #6

    Vermonty, I can recommend the Cote d'Argent restaurant by the beachfront car park in Calais. We discovered it when we were in exactly the same situation as you, and went back several times afterwards. Free parking outside the door, even with a caravan. Bon appetit.

  • Quantox
    Quantox Forum Participant Posts: 27
    edited September 2017 #7

    Eurortraveller, is it not a tad risky to stay in Calais these days ? Think I'd rather spend the £80 smile

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #8

    75,000 people live in Calais. Do they go out and about ? Do they go to restaurants ?  Even British visitors are still writing reviews on Trip Advisor for that restaurant within the last few days. 

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #9

    Vermonty

    Whilst not what you perhaps planned but you can show up at the Eurotunnel terminal two hours early and they will get you on an earlier crossing with no extra charge.

    David 

  • RJLJ
    RJLJ Forum Participant Posts: 148
    100 Comments
    edited September 2017 #10

    We've had this in the past and eurotunnel have then taken over the booking.  I expect the £80 is probably the difference in price since you booked.  I now book direct with eurotunnel so changes can be made easily as the camc charge something like £20 for each change.  Enjoy your evening and then turn up early!

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2017 #11

    We have had this problem in the past and now always book direct. They will anyway charge you a fee which allegedly is the difference in fares but I am not convinced. If you use the auto check-in booth they will offer various different times at appropriate extra cost. Nowadays we find that even out of season they seem quite inflexible on alternative crossings. 

    We are currently in Italy and booked the tunnel three days ahead. The price was the same as if we had booked months ago but I have been monitoring and my conclusion is that the crossing price goes up substantially around two days before departure; anytime before that and the price doesn't seem to vary. Return is fare is no saving as the price is determined for each segment. 

    By the way, Lake Maggiore is glorious weather at the moment. Lucky Germans are just a few hours away and are arriving in droves for the weekend!

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #12

    We've never booked through the CAMC but always travel Eurotunnel, using Tesco vouchers.  We've turned up a day early a couple of years ago and got the next train without charge.  A year later we were very close to ET terminal so tried it again, but were told there was a charge, which we weren't willing to pay, so had an extra night in France.

    Not sure what it depends on, time and day, or the mood of the ET employee at the time.

    Sent from a sunny pitch in the south of France with church bells ringing from the nearby village, bliss!

  • KeithandMargaret
    KeithandMargaret Forum Participant Posts: 660
    500 Comments
    edited September 2017 #13

    And when those bells start ringing loud and clear at the crack of dawn you may not be so forgiving .........

    laughing

     

  • Quantox
    Quantox Forum Participant Posts: 27
    edited September 2017 #14

    We are now at a site close to Arras and it's a lovely sunny evening. We are off to Leclerc shortly for some last minute purchases.  As suggested we plan to turn up 2 hrs early tomorrow and hope to get on with no additional charge. The Eurotunnel lady was quite helpful but explained that if you try to amend to a same day booking it's much more expensive than if  I had called them yesterday. 

    Glad to hear some of you are enjoying the sun - we are returning from a last minute aborted trip to Croatia  (we diverted from Ossiach in Austria and have had a week in warm and sunny Esterel in France. OH has done 3500 miles so far in the last fortnight so we will be glad to have a rest when we get home tomorrow.

    Thanks all.

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #15

    Doesn't bother me, I'm an early-morning person anyway wink

  • Quantox
    Quantox Forum Participant Posts: 27
    edited September 2017 #16

    Just an update -  arrived at Tunnel 2h 30m early. Allocated to train 15 mins earlier than our booking. Very busy so much waiting about. Now on train waiting to depart -it's already 10 mins late. Can't understand why delays always on French side. 

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited September 2017 #17

    That's very much our experience with the tunnel. Fairly inflexible over trying for an earlier booking. Also, they seem to vary the capacity depending on how busy. Often run a few minutes late and seem to change the times when very busy. Still the best way to cross though!