It's a real hassle in a hire car. The only way I could figure out to do it was register the hire car onto my account, and then un-register it afterwards to stop the next person who used that car costing me money.

I've only done that once, the next time I needed to go to Kent for work in a hire car I dropped down the M11 onto the North Circular and used the (free) Woolwich ferry instead. It didn't seem to take much longer than going round the M25

We live in a village between Northampton and Towcester. We used to use the crossing routinely going over to France 2-3 times a year and to Kent with the caravan. However, on one occasion, returning north, there was disruption around the tunnel and/or on the NE quadrant of the M25. Satnav etc suggested M20/M26/M25W then M40/A43. Worked fine apart from the usual jams around Heathrow and took no longer. Cobham services are a sprawling mess but a lot easier to use with a caravan than either Thurrock or South Mimms.

In fact if, going the other way, you approach the M25 from the Southbound M40 the info signs give you times to the Channel going round the M25 either way.

Because of using that route, crossing from Portsmouth a couple of times and Covid cramping our style my Crossing Account has been suspended. Really should ask for my £12 back but it can wait until we're able to go down again.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 05/02/2021 at 14:19

I have a pay as you go account which I believe stays active whilst the payment card is in date. They will email you prior to the card expiry date.

My son has the same and like me is an infrequent user. Last year he was planning on crossing and went online a couple of days before to check he had updated his car (which he had) and was required to update his payment card. A week after crossing, two fines arrived for non payment. Phoned them and was told reactivation of the account isn't immediate (nothing to say so online), but they cancelled the fine and took the fiver over the phone. No argument, although no apology either.