Important ferry check in advice 13 June
SHORT SEA PORTS ARE BUSY & CHECK IN TAKING LONGER
Due to high volumes of traffic going through short sea routes and increased security checks for Euro 2016, members should leave plenty of time to check-in and get through security. Also,please have your passports ready at check-in. P&O and DFDS - both
recommending arriving 1½ hours prior to departure at Dover and Calais/Dunkirk. Eurotunnel – as usual members can arrive up to 2 hours prior to departure.
Kind regards
Kimberley
Comments
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We were delayed by more than an hour before check-in at Calais, on the 2nd June - due, they said, to a security alert which had happened the Monday before - but they wouldn't give us details. Every single car was being opened and searched, including the top box on ours, and the queues were tremendous. About one car in five was sent into the shed for more extensive searching, where everything had to come out.
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Thanks for the warning, but last year we followed advice and arrived at Dover 1 1/2 hrs before our sailing. There was no hold up, we went straight to check in with DFDS only to be told we were too early and would have to leave the dock and return In half
an hour! We were not the only ones, it was very inconvenient, as caravanners know it is not easy to park in Dover. We ended up driving up and downn for 20 mins and then returned to find quite a big queue for check in, it was very frustrating? I complained
at the information desk when we eventually got aboard but they were not very interested. We sail in a fortnight I will have to see how things go in the next few weeks, but presume we will have to gamble and turn up early again.0 -
I'm surprised you were turned away at Dover. When we've arrived early we've always been either put on the next ship, or directed into the queue.
It can be different at Dunkerque, because there isn't enough space for all the cars for one ship, let alone more than one.
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Thanks Kimberley for that we sail Tuesday 13th at 08.25 and we are driving from Bristol so a very early start although i doubt the ferries will be on time !!
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Thanks Kimberley for that we sail Tuesday 13th at 08.25 and we are driving from Bristol so a very early start although i doubt the ferries will be on time !!
Write your comments here...Tuesday 14th actually... doh.
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Arrived one and a quarter hours early today and it took maybe 10 minutes longer than normal to get through but nothing really to worry about, there was a small queue getting into the port though, now currently in the lanes and ferry on time.
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we were early end july last year 2hours just put us in the queue for our ferry.we went in van had cuppa bacon sarnies and a nap.been eary few times never been told to come back.
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A couple of years ago we arrived early at Dover (1/2 hour) for a DFS sailing and we were told to leave the port!At that time there was a big laybye at the top of the hill (A20) which we used.Last year we noticed that the laybye had been closed !probably
to stop lorry drivers from sleeping there!It is very difficult to time a journey to the port these days and the ferry companies should realise this! (in my opinion)0 -
A couple of years ago we arrived early at Dover (1/2 hour) for a DFS sailing and we were told to leave the port!At that time there was a big laybye at the top of the hill (A20) which we used.Last year we noticed that the laybye had been closed !probably to stop lorry drivers from sleeping there!It is very difficult to time a journey to the port these days and the ferry companies should realise this! (in my opinion)
I must say, that in thirty-five years of camping and caravanning holidays in France, we've never once been asked to leave the port. We've arrived anything from several hours early, two hours early, half an hour early, half an hour late, two hours late, and several hours late, and always been put on the next available crossing.
We've used P and O, and DFDs - Dover to Calais and Dover to Dunkerque. However, as I said earlier, I have experienced queues which have exceeded the parking spaces available and the queues have snaked around right back to check in, so I imagine if you arrived early there you may well be asked to leave until there is room to park you in a line.
As we live in Yorkshire it's almost impossible to time arrival at the port accurately.
We always use low season crossings, but it may well be very different in peak season.
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We sailed over on Sunday - long queues. We arrived about 1 hour prior to sailing and only just made it onto the boat. Many people in the queue with us were for earlier crossings which they had therefore missed.
there were hundreds of cyclists all having to be individually checked through I guess that was the main hold up.
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I was at Calais on Sunday and arrived an hour early (6pm) hoping for an earlier crossing. Everything was checked - rear of car, gas locker, under bed, toilet, fridge, wardrobe and under all seats. I eventually boarded my original ferry (7.55pm) which was delayed by 20 minutes.
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I went through Dover-Dunkirk recently and was through check in and security in about 10 minutes- no delays atall.Main problem in Dover is getting in to the ferry port due to road works.
Write your comments here...Yes the roadworks don't help things do they ! Was wondering if it's better coming in from the A2 as when we were there a week ago the traffic coming that way seemed to get in quicker than I did coming in from the M20 side as they
have right of way on that final roundabout.0
