
01Section
Kent and the M20
The route leaves London through the Blackwall or Dartford crossing depending on the collection point, then follows the M20 through Maidstone and Ashford towards Folkestone. It is a fast road and the drive to the terminal takes around ninety minutes from central London outside peak hours.
Freight management schemes operate on this corridor when cross-Channel traffic backs up, and sections of the M20 can be given over to lorry queuing at short notice. Where that is in force, the timing of the departure from London changes and we tell you why.
Folkestone serves Eurotunnel Le Shuttle at junction 11A. Dover is reached by the A20 beyond the end of the motorway for ferry sailings. Both terminals require arrival well before the booked departure, and that margin is built into the plan.









