4.9
4.6Channel Tunnel: All you need to know
What is the Channel Tunnel?
The Channel Tunnel, the Chunnel and the Eurotunnel: You may have heard these names before, but did you know they all mean the same thing? That's right, if you’ve ever taken a train between the United Kingdom and France, then you would’ve travelled via the Channel Tunnel.
The Channel Tunnel comprises of three separate tunnels, two to transport people and freight trains and the third is a service tunnel that isn't open to the public. When using the Chunnel, you can travel as a passenger with Eurostar or via car with Le Shuttle.
It’s kind of mad to think there’s a tunnel transporting millions of people underneath a body of water. But it’s true and completely safe!
Where is the Chunnel?
The Channel Tunnel, or Chunnel for short, runs between the United Kingdom and France. If you’re getting the Eurostar, you’ll most likely get on at London St Pancras. From here, the train goes past Ebbsfleet and Ashford before going underneath the Channel at Folkestone, Kent. It pops back up in Calais, France and continues on to Paris, and other European cities, such as Amsterdam and Brussels.
If you decide to take your car through the Channel Tunnel, you get the Le Shuttle from Folkestone in Kent and on the French side you drive off at Calais.
Popular routes using the Eurotunnel
You can visit many of Europe’s biggest capital cities via the Eurotunnel. Find a list below of the most popular routes that use the Channel Tunnel.
| Train Route | Fastest journey time |
|---|---|
| London–Paris | 2h16m |
| London–Amsterdam | 4h28m |
| London–Brussels | 1h56m |
| London–Rotterdam | 3h45m |
| London–Lille | 1h22m |
| London–Bruges | 3h38m |
Everything you need to know about the Eurotunnel
How long is the Channel Tunnel?
At 25 miles long, the Channel Tunnel is the longest underwater sea tunnel in the world.
How deep is the Channel Tunnel
On average, the Channel Tunnel is about 50m underwater. At its deepest point, the Channel Tunnel is 75 meters below sea level.
How long does the Eurotunnel take?
The time of your Eurotunnel experience depends on where you start your journey and where you depart (i.e. London to Paris will take less time than London to Amsterdam). From London to Paris, it takes roughly two hours and 22 minutes.
Fun fact: You only spend around 23 minutes in the Channel Tunnel itself.
When was the Channel Tunnel built?
Well, gather ‘round children, because it’s quite the tale. There were talks of building the channel tunnel all the way back in 1808—they even started digging in 1887, but it wasn’t to be.
They parked the idea for over 100 years and it wasn’t until 1987 that the building restarted. The channel tunnel officially opened in 1994.
Facts about the Channel Tunnel
Become a mastermind in everything Channel Tunnel, with these impressive facts.
- When building the first Channel Tunnel, the architect wanted to hide mines at the entrance with the detonator being all the way in London. He wanted to do this as a precaution, in case the French invaded!
- The original tunnel is still intact today and even intersects the modern-day tunnel at some point.
- Made entirely from the chalk spoils from the dig, Samphire Hoe is a man-made reservation area just underneath the White Cliffs of Dover.
- In the 1880s, there was talk of the Chunnel being a Bridge—had it had happened, would it have got the nickname the Chidge?
- Margaret Thatcher wanted the Chunnel to be for private cars only, it was only after she told of the potential dangers that she agreed it would be better for trains.
- In 1990, Eurostar proposed a night train, the Nightstar, but it never came to fruition.
- Queen Elizabeth II was the first passenger to travel through the Channel Tunnel.
- Around 13,000 workers from both France and the U.K. helped build the Chunnel.
- Since the Eurotunnel opened, it's carried around six times the U.K.’s population in passengers.
- Over 2 million animals have traveled in the Eurotunnel since the Millenium.