This is now, post-Brexit, even more an exercise in French love of bureaucracy meeting British tendencies to get tangled in red tape. The doubling up of Border Controls at both ends being a case in point - there are many gates at the French line for EU/EEA/CH passports and only one for All Other Passports - which now includes the UK. The UK line reverses this, which doesn’t help because you can’t move between queues in between the two sets of gates.
It’s all very stop-start - not good for a bike engine or battery. Just FYI.
Also, the terminals leave a LOT to be desired. They could afford to be more airport-esque, in terms of facilities.
However, once checked in, checked through all passports gates with accompanying removal and replacement of buff, glasses, helmet etc (it’s an open face helmet, people, which shows my whole face, so seriously, what, other than a jobs-worth power trip, is the point in holding up the whole queue by making me take it off and put it back on again?)
They always put all the bikes together on the train (and try to tell you how far over your bike leans. Somehow I think bikers know their bikes better than random rail workers), so you do at least get to chat and swap route tips. And returning from Calais to Folkestone has the added kick of arriving before you leave.
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