I'm still recovering, Dale!

My camera wouldn't work so I'm waiting for some pictures to be posted elsewhere that I can put in my album.
I'll write a proper report but suffice it to say for now, I had a great weekend with good rides to and from and an excellent rideout on the day.
I promise I'll do it soon.

Mike,

I am curious, do you go across on a ferry (regular or a foil) or do you put the bike on a train or drive through the chunnel?

Hi Jdeereanton!
Haha funny language. For me is a second language, still bad, haha. I am Polish but in UK.
I will write more later when I get home, and take my dictionary, haha.
I very nice of you, posting your message. Have nice day.

Dale, I usually travel on the car-ferry from Calais to Dover - the P&O Company.
The crossing is around 90 minutes.
As bikes always go on first it means that I can get up to the food hall for a meal before the car and coach passengers are even on board so don't have to queue.
Being on the boat is much more comfortable and relaxing. There are large lounges, bars, a duty-free shop and an open area where smokers can go for a ciggie or two.
There's usually lots to see. The English Channel is a very busy seaway with three different ferry companies on the same crossing with around ten ferries in action at any one times as well as large and small freighters going up and down - massive container ships going to ports like Rotterdam and Zeebrugge, tankers......all sorts - and a myriad of smaller craft both sail- and motor-powered.
The Channel is only 22 miles wide at its narrowest so many pleasure craft nip over from Fance to England an vice-versa for the day.
Some people even swim across although I've not seen anyone doing it yet!
Very often, too, one can get on an earlier ferry as there's generall space for another bike.
The bikes are strapped down for the crossing. There are lots of dedicared spaces, each having a ring in the deck either side. There are ratchet-straps with a cushion on for the purpose. The strap is always put over the seat with the bikes on side-stands. I take an old towel to cover the seat as the straps can get very dirty if the weather's wet and there's water on the deck.

The Tunnel is much quicker - 30 minutes - but is not so good for bikers as there's nowhere to sit and nothing to see.
One has to take the train - there is no road. The trains are double-deckers with cars up and down. Bikes always go on the bottom - the ramps are very steep. It's quite a challenge riding along the train, usually four or five carriages, as the 'road-way' is only just wider than the track of a car and has raised kerbs either side.
If I go over for the day it's very convenient in terms of time saved.
Another minor niggle is that the Tunnel check-in is by machine - easy if you are familiar with it but hopeless when you get stuck behind someone who doesn't!
There are no tie-downs so it's important to stay close by the bike, especially at the beginning and end of the journey as the trains do lurch a bit over the points.

I've done a couple of different crossings. The other Channel one is from Ramsgate in England to Ostend, which is only 20 minutes from here. It's a 3-4 hour crossing, though.
I did the Fast-Cat from Portsmouthn to Cherbourg in France, too. At one point the GPS said we were doing 45MPH!

The bottom line is; I like boats!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P&O_Ferries

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolkline (goes from Dunkirk, not Calais)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_tunnel

http://images.google.be/images?q=channel%20tunnel%20shuttle&rlz=1I7DLUK_en-GB&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi pictures

If you scroll down in the 4th link you'll see an excellent shot of bikes on the train.
In fact they're in one of the carriages with no upper deck; these are used for tall minibuses and vans and for coaches. There are a couple in every train-set.

Mike,

Thanks for the write up - too cool - I think I'd prefer the boats too. Most of the ferries I've been on are short trips but they are so cool to ride on. First in line eh? One more advantage to riding a motor bike!

I forgot that it was just the train that goes through. Yes, quite a time savings, but all you can see are the walls of the tunnel?!!

"all you can see are the walls of the tunnel?!!"

Yes and the windows are quite low down so unless you're sitting in a car, you have to stoop to see out - for the first and last few minutes when the train is still in the open-air.
I forgot to mention that bikes board the train last usually although on one ludicrously wet day, a man in a van came along the queue gathering up the bikers and leading them down on to the platform where there is a canopy - there's no shelter otherwise and the whole area is very exposed.
The train isn't bad, it's just very 'mechanical' - at the docks there's always something to see.
Having said that, occasionally one's in the right place to see the big trucks driving on to their trains. Those drivers are so skillful and almost always get it right first time.
I'm looking forward to travelling on one of the two new ferries coming on the P&O fleet.

I find that going from UK to Europe is better on the train, as you don't lose so much time (Europe has a one hour time difference to the UK). It's so short a journey (40 minutes) that you are on your way before you know it. Coming back to the UK, I prefer the ferry as the time difference works in your favour and you have time to relax, have a meal, etc. and although its 1hr 45mins, you only lose 45mins due to the time zones.