Some of my earliest childhood memories were the family holidays to the expansive soft sand beaches of Normandy and Brittany. My parents would shoe-horn just about everything but the kitchen sink into our poor little 1.2 litre split-screen VW camper and we would board the ferry for what always seemed like a long and tortuous journey, my mum struggling to find us somewhere to sit while my sister battled with seasickness. It all made the continent seem so far away.
But once the tunnel was opened, LeShuttle (originally known as Eurotunnel Le Shuttle) changed all that. Instead of a two-hour sea journey with all the potential roll, swell and further bad weather-enforced slow progress that comes with chopping through the English Channel, France could now be reached in under 30 minutes by going underneath it.
Like nearly 8 million people that use the service each year, the adult me has always loved the convenience of just driving off at Le Coquelles to then be filtering onto those smooth French A-roads literally within 3 minutes. So easy, so hassle-free.
we found ourselves fast-tracked utilising number-plate-recognition into our own dedicated Flexiplus check-in lane through passport control and then on to the exclusive car park for the luxurious Flexiplus lounge
But this time for our overnight trip to Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, we sampled the Flexiplus service which takes comfortable convenience to another level still. It’s a fast lane with VIP priorities. Following the purple signposts as we approached Folkestone from the M20, we found ourselves fast-tracked utilising number-plate-recognition into our own dedicated Flexiplus check-in lane through passport control and then on to the exclusive car park for the luxurious Flexiplus lounge.
LeShuttle Flexiplus lounge
Inside, just like the best travel lounges, the concierge invited us in to avail ourselves of whatever we fancied – either to eat there in the comfort of the lounge, or to take with us on our journey, from complimentary coffee, fresh cake and pastries through to salads, sandwiches and fruit.
But that was just part of the story. For us, a couple for whom meeting deadlines can cause anxiety and the occasional domestic, perhaps the biggest benefit is hinted at in the name. Being a Flexiplus traveller enabled us to rock up at whatever time we liked and just get priority boarding onto the next shuttle service. If the dreaded M25 caused us delays on the way there, or if our lunch at Le Touquet went on for longer than expected before heading home, no stress was going to take the edge off our little French sojourn.
In reality LeShuttle brings France that much closer. A weekend, or even just a night away, escaping to the continental vibe of charming Normandy towns, such as Saint-Omer, Lille or indeed Le Touquet, is about as easy as it would be to do the same in Torquay, Gloucester or Cambridge.
A night away in the Monaco of the north
Our journey from the French terminal to Novotel Thalassa Le Touquet was one hour. Yes, just sixty minutes to the town dubbed the “Monaco of the north” where examples of 1920s architecture combine with a long wide sandy beach dotted with beach bars. Our room, like many at the hotel, looked directly out over that seascape: our bed facing out offering a wake-up view unhindered by anything to detract from the view. Just blue sky, green sea and golden sand. If there was a prescription for a vision to enhance relaxation and an overnight state-of-mind recharge, this could be it. But if more were needed, the Novotel also has an indoor pool, sauna plus massage and Hammam facilities to super-charge your overnight chill-out.
Our room, like many at Novotel Thalassa Le Touquet, looked directly out over that seascape: our bed facing out offering a wake-up view unhindered by anything to detract from the view
There is also a restaurant and bars, both as you would expect, offering excellent places from which to watch the sun set over the channel. But a short walk along the beach will take you into the town itself which caters well for those wishing to dine on everything from really fresh seafood to Normandy staples such as excellent Camembert, all washed down with a local Calvados.
On the subject of food and wine, our little relaxing 36-hour adventure also provided us with the perfect excuse to replace a weekly Waitrose provisions trip with one to Cité Europe (or indeed a local market) and all the delicious continental produce and wine that come with it. We could take our time, not looking at the clock, knowing that we could board the next shuttle whenever we felt ready to return, supper courtesy of our Flexiplus lounge.
While LeShuttle already makes France just seem like an extension of Kent, the Flexiplus option turbocharges the experience still further, dissolving any remaining travel anxiety and genuinely providing a fast-lane, VIP start to any continental trip. Although often a down-to-earth sceptic, Mrs P is since a convert, saying that we must do it again – but in her electric car next time (fast charging is considerably cheaper in France)! And she’s right: for the modest additional cost, the benefits of Flexiplus offer exceptional value.
It’s a service that if only my parents with that trusty old split-screen VW could look back on and see from the viewpoint of the 1960s,they would have found both incredible and a must-have option for their continental road trip!
LeShuttle Flexiplus
Novotel Thalassa Le Touquet
This article appears in the autumn edition of Premier Magazine
