Travelling to Hunstanton from Switzerland

Mode of Travel

We always travel to Hunstanton using a combination of car and ferry (P&O Ferries).

Time

Pure driving time from Switzerland to Calais is about 8 hours.

The ferry takes 1.5 hours to cross the channel. You cross timezones while on the ferry, so the crossing to UK shows 0.5 hours on your watch, and 2.5 hours the other way.

Pure driving time from Dover to Hunstanton is about 3.5 hours.

Travel Documents

Every traveling person needs their passport.

Since April 2025, every person will also have to apply for an "Eletronic Traveling Authorisation" (ETA). There is an app for that.

Driving

Side

Driving in the UK is on the left-hand side of the road.

Speeds

If your speedometer cannot switch to "mph", stick postits on your speedometer at the common speed limits:

30 mph (48 km/h), 50 mph (80 km/h), 70 mph (112 km/h)

Gasoline

"Diesel" in France is called gazole or gasoil. Pump nozzles are colour coded yellow.
"Diesel" in the UK is called the same.

"Benzin" is called "sans plomb" or "super".

Headlights

If your car is made to drive on the right-hand side of the road, you will need to change your headlights so they don't dazzle oncoming traffic in left-hand side traffic.

This can be done e.g. using "Eurolites" stickers (http://www.travelspot.co.uk/product-eurolites.html)

Dartford Crossing

On your way, you will likely use the "Dartford Crossing".

This will incur a fee, and if you don't pay within 24 hours, you will get a heavy fine.
You can pay online or make an account beforehand to register your numberplate (then the fee will automatically be booked to your account).

Toll Stations in France

You will pass several tool stations. You can either take a ticket and pay using cash or credit card.
Or you can make an account with www.bipandgo.com/en/ - they will send you a box to fit to your windscreen, and then the tolls will be booked to your bank account. This saves you some time and hassle at the toll stations.

Stops

We like to use the following stops on the trip through France:

• Aire de Toul (455 km to Calais)
  maps.app.goo.gl/ducE6gkrachs8NgA9 

• Aire de Reims (300 km to Calais), after that the rest is just down the same motorway to Calais
  maps.app.goo.gl/FcktoyBGJadMXgL5A 

• Aire d' Urvillers (185 km to Calais)
  maps.app.goo.gl/MiitnbtVfaTUhe1x9 

In the UK:

• Birchanger Services (good half-way stop)
  maps.app.goo.gl/26ftfg7SHv3giZ16A