Trouble at Calais?

Bear100
Bear100 Forum Participant Posts: 9
edited January 2016 in Overseas Campsites & Touring #1

Hi all, has anyone experienced any hassle or trouble at calais towing a caravan? I am wanting to travel to France and Spain this year but a bit hesitant as my kids will be with me.

 

thanks 

Comments

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #2

    Do you mean in the summer? I don't think any of us can see what the situation will be by then.

    But if you are worried, and as you live in South Wales you may prefer to use a ferry from Portsmouth. Good wishes.

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited January 2016 #3
    This content has been removed.
  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004 ✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #4

    We crossed lots of times last year, just in the car, and saw no problems at all in either Calais or at the Eurotunnel terminal.  

    If you do decide on a longer crossing then the Alan Rogers/Caravan Club are offering a Portsmouth/Cherbourg crossing, even on some dates during the school holidays, for just £276.00 return.

    Here are the details I posted just a few days ago:

    We've just received a flyer from Alan Rogers, offering a return car and caravan crossing, from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and including seven Camping Cheques for just £276.  If you calculate
    that the Camping Cheques are worth £105.00 then the ferry crossing element is just £175 for a return crossing.

     

    The 'terms and conditions' on the flyer are:

     

    "Based on low season dates: Portsmouth Cherbourg from 21st May to 23rd July and 18 - 31 August, and Cherbourg-Portsmouth from 22nd May - 6th August, Car and Caravan and/or motorhomes.  No oversize supplements.  Route only operates on Sundays fromm
    29th May - 28th August!.

     

    It also states 'Other Ferry Routes available - contact us for details'. 

     

    Telephone 01342 488360 for details.




    We're going back through Calais in the middle of next month, and I'll report back on the situation as we see it then.

  • TheAdmiral
    TheAdmiral Forum Participant Posts: 506
    edited January 2016 #5

    Only problem we have had is a four hour delay in October on return journey

    Admiral

  • Bear100
    Bear100 Forum Participant Posts: 9
    edited January 2016 #6

    Thanks for the reply's, 

    wow that's cheap valDa! Going to look into that!

  • Lena
    Lena Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited January 2016 #7

    Hi, we travelled via Calais with car and caravan at the end of September 2015. Because of a pet passport issue we had to go into the ferry terminal two days running.  The first day there were significant hold ups and all traffic was diverted off the motorway. 
    There was a lot of migrant activity which was a little concerning but in truth they were only interested in lorries and never bothered us.  I would liken it to driving through a football crowd in so far as it was a little rowdy and predominently males but
    there was a significant number of police keeping things moving.  The second day we  drove straight to the ferry terminal. There were no hold ups and not a migrant to be seen.  I wouldn't have any qualms about using this route in future - I did not feel caravans
    and motorhomes were a target.  John

  • rosco49
    rosco49 Forum Participant Posts: 10
    edited January 2016 #8

    Also received the Alan Rogers flyer advertising the low-cost crossing from Portsmouth to Cherbourg with Condor Ferries. Got quite excited at the thought of trying a new crossing and saving quite a bit of money. However, the snag for caravanners seems to
    be that the crossing is limited to caravans no longer than 5 metres - so it's back to the drawing board for this year's trip to France!

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004 ✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #9

    Also received the Alan Rogers flyer advertising the low-cost crossing from Portsmouth to Cherbourg with Condor Ferries. Got quite excited at the thought of trying a new crossing and saving quite a bit of money. However, the snag for caravanners seems to be that the crossing is limited to caravans no longer than 5 metres - so it's back to the drawing board for this year's trip to France!

    Don't go back to the drawing board yet!  Like a lot of people do, you've taken that information from the ferry company website, but this is a 'special offer' and if you actually phone the number on the offer you'll find that longer caravans are accepted.  Make a phone call and check it out for yourself.  

    It's a joint Alan Rogers/Caravan Club promotion and here is a staff member's response to my earlier post of the offer:

    Good Afternoon.

    As you are probably all aware, Alan Rogers is now part of The Caravan Club so both entities act as UK distributors of Camping Cheques.  The flyer that ValDa refers to was sent by our Alan Rogers team to promote the Condor Ferries Summer route between Portsmouth and Cherbourg.   The route only runs on Sundays from 29 May to 28 Aug 2016 and operates with a conventional ship so there`s no vehicle size restrictions unlike some of the other Condor vessels operating to the Channel Islands.  As most of you have commented, this package price is fantastic if you can travel Sunday to Sunday.  If you need to travel on other days of the week then we have other package deals on the Brittany Ferries routes with some of the best prices on Portsmouth-Caen (outbound afternoon sailing and morning inbound sailing) and also their Poole-Cherbourg route.

    Kind Regards

    Kimberley

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