Can you take a car on Eurostar?

Why people ask this (and why it is confusing)

Eurostar and Le Shuttle both run through the same Channel Tunnel, both connect Britain to mainland Europe, both launched in 1994, and both start with Euro. It is an easy mix up. But they are two entirely different services run by two different companies:

• Eurostar is a high-speed passenger train. You board on foot at London St Pancras International and arrive in a city-centre station in Paris, Brussels, Lille, Amsterdam or beyond. No cars, no vans, no motorbikes, only people and their luggage.
• Le Shuttle (formerly Eurotunnel) is a vehicle-carrying train. You drive your car onto an enclosed shuttle at the Folkestone terminal, stay with the car, and 35 minutes later drive off at Coquelles near Calais. This is the one that takes cars.

So if your plan is to bring your own car to France, you want Le Shuttle, not Eurostar. Searches for "car eurostar", "can cars go through the chunnel" and "car crossing to France" almost always mean Le Shuttle.

How taking a car through the Channel Tunnel works

You never actually drive through the tunnel, there is no road inside it. The tunnel is rail-only. Instead, your car is carried on the train:

1. Book Le Shuttle online for a Folkestone departure (terminal at M20 Junction 11A, postcode CT18 8XX).
2. Arrive, pass through check-in (number-plate recognition) and UK and French border checks, both done before you board on the British side.
3. Drive onto the enclosed double-deck shuttle train when your departure is called. Up to 4 trains run per hour at peak times.
4. Stay in or beside your car for the 35-minute crossing. No passport queue mid-journey, no getting out on a car deck like a ferry.
5. Drive off at Coquelles and you are straight onto the French motorway network.

What it costs to take a car

Le Shuttle charges per vehicle, not per person, so a car of one pays the same as a car of nine. That is the key reason it works out cheaper than Eurostar for families. These are the main car fares (sampled May 2026; fares are dynamic, confirm live on leshuttle.com):

All fares cover the vehicle and up to nine passengers, with no per-person or luggage charge. For the full breakdown by vehicle type, fare tier and season, see the vehicle cost guide and the cheap crossings playbook.

What if I do not want to drive to Folkestone?

Then Eurostar is your friend after all, just not with your car. Take Eurostar as a foot passenger from St Pancras to Paris, Brussels, Lille or Amsterdam, then hire a car at the destination. That suits solo travellers and couples on city breaks who do not want the drive down to Kent. For families, road trips, pet owners and anyone with bikes or bulky luggage, loading your own car onto Le Shuttle is usually cheaper and far less hassle. The full head-to-head is on the Eurotunnel vs Eurostar page.