24/06/2026
It's been a challenging and tiring week - for drivers and clients (human, feline, and canine). The heat in Paris and northern France has wreaked havoc on the Eurotunnel/LeShuttle.
Train engines were overheating. Shuttle cars had to be removed from trains because of non-functional air conditioning, meaning that some trains were only operating at 1/3 or 1/2 of their scheduled capacity - or not at all. Information boards were either completely inaccurate or non-functional, resulting in LeShuttle personnel having to shout about boarding.
Our delays with clients ranged from 4 to 7 hours. Unfortunately, there's not much to do other than stay in the air-conditioned vehicle or go into the over-priced duty-free shops and restaurants. But the majority of the restaurants had run out of ice cold drinks.
Sometimes you can learn about delays on the Eurotunnel website, but we find it's not terribly accurate. And once you check-in for your journey, you're stuck; you can't leave and go to a nice cafe in town (or the beach). You're just there, waiting.
The shuttle cars are nearly 40 years old and the most experienced mechanics are retiring. To our knowledge, there is no plan to have new shuttle cars made (£££££ as they would be a custom order).
If we get another heat spell this summer, please keep the potential delays on the Eurotunnel/LeShuttle in mind. And maybe consider the P&O ferry from Calais to Dover, which accepts pets.
