Is Eurotunnel’s Flexiplus worth it?

I put LeShuttle's fast track service to the test

Me at the Flexiplus lounge en route to France. Pics: Kerry Parnell/LeShuttle

I absolutely love Eurotunnel – or LeShuttle as it’s now known – and regularly travel on it when I visit France with my family. It’s super-convenient for where we live and if you time it right is extremely fast – the crossing time is only 35 minutes.

However, as anyone who lives in the UK knows, if you don’t time it right and attempt to travel when everyone else wants to, like the first day of school holidays, or any day in summer, it can be a nightmare, with queues so long they make the news.

But there is an alternative – LeShuttle offers Flexiplus tickets, which are like a Fast Track ticket through the airport and a Business Class lounge, combined. The big question is, is it worth it? We travelled to France last week, so I put it to the test.

First, the cost. It’s not cheap. In fact, it’s double the standard ticket, but you do only pay for the car, not the people in it, so it’s better value if you are a family of four.

Secondly, Eurotunnel used to let you buy Flexiplus for one leg of the journey only, but when I booked for this trip, I was forced to do it both ways and to be honest, you’re slightly less likely to experience long delays at the French end, so need it less. I did feel that was annoying.

Food and drink on offer and the take-away bags you are given so you can take a picnic on the train. Pics: Kerry Parnell

What do you get?

When you arrive at Folkestone, you follow purple signs right from the start, so you have your own lane and can bypass any queues. You also have the freedom to travel on any train so you don’t have to panic if you are late and the tickets are fully refundable and last for a year, so if you change your mind, it’s no bother.

You still have to go through the normal customs process, but then after that, you follow a lane to a dedicated Flexiplus lounge with its own parking, just before the boarding area.

This lovely little lounge has areas to work, super-clean toilets (anyone who has had to go to the public ones in the boarding area will appreciate this) and the best part of all – free food and drink. Like a business class lounge in an airport, there’s hot and cold drinks and a huge array of cakes and pastries as well as sandwiches, salads and soup.

You can eat in there at one of the many tables, plus fill your paper bag with picnic items for the journey. Kudos to the chaps in front of me who emptied the entire plate of macarons into their bags…

We crossed to France mid-morning, so enjoyed a decent pain au chocolate (we were getting into the spirit early) and coffee, then took our lunch of tuna wraps, salad, crisps and chocolate brownies, with us, plus water and soft drinks for the journey.

The Starbucks booth. Pic: Kerry Parnell

By far the best part is the Starbucks booth, where you can get a caffeine fix and take it away if you want. I’m a Francophile and adore the country, but there’s one caveat - the coffee isn’t very good. Top tip: fortify yourself with a double-shot before travelling and pack your own coffee pot.

From there, you drive directly to the boarding area, where the Flexiplus ticket again means you queue-jump and go on the first train.

So, is it worth it?

It depends. If you’re on a budget or travelling on your own, then no, it probably isn’t worth splashing out, but if you are a family, or looking to ease your journey and have a relaxed start to a holiday, then I’d thoroughly recommend it. We had coffee, drinks and snacks, plus lunch, for four people, which offset a decent percentage of the extra cost and the rest of it was worth it to skip the queues, although I have to admit they’re not significant in October.

Finally, perhaps unsurprisingly, the food at the French end was way better than the British lounge – they had excellent salads and a much more extensive selection.

Would I do it again? Oui, bien sur.

The Travel List

• The cost: There are different rates depending on when you are returning, but I paid £209 each way for a Short Stay Flexiplus – which was around double a standard (non-refundable) ticket of £113.

• The perks: Flexiplus tickets are fully refundable, you can arrive whenever you want and change the return date for up to a year, so it does give you a lot of freedom. You get priority boarding and can skip any queues, so there is zero waiting about. And you access a lounge, with free food and drink, good coffee and pristine loos.

• The verdict: Ultimately, it depends on how much value you place on easing your travel. It’s not cheap, but I’ll definitely do it again. And again.

• How to book: Visit www.eurotunnel.com