Crossing via Calais
I would like to start a new subject for discussion, IE using the Calais & Dunkirk ferry.
We go to Spain and Portugal every winter and have always used the Calais crossing, until last winter, I was getting very concerned about security in Calais so we opted for a different route, IE Poole to Cherboug only to find the over night comfort on the ferry unsuitable for us so this year we are thinking of using Calais again.
In the past we have always stopped over night in Calais so as to be on an early ferry but now I'm thinking of arriving for a later ferry. To avoid the possible problems on the road into the ferry docks.
Any input and experience would be welcome.
I have never had any problems my self but the things that are happening to commercial vehicles worry me.
Comments
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It would seem that the majority of problems at Calais occur during the hours of darkness so trying to avoid those periods seem to suggest there are few problems. Not sure what time of year you are returning so difficult to suggest places to stay. What we tend to do now is to stay about 60 miles from Calais and then book a late morning crossing. Although we only live in Milton Keynes we also tend to stop somewhere near the M25 overnight on the way home. Have you thought about using the Tunnel? One advanatage is that freight uses a different motorway exit.
David
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Yes, timing is everything. Apart from the Dover routes some other ferry services to France at sensible times are Newhaven to Dieppe at 0900 (10.00 in winter) , Portsmouth to Caen at 1445. and the comfortable overnight Portsmouth to St Malo service at 2015.
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It is being reported today in the Motorcycle press that a french motorcyclist heading for the tunnel had been knocked off by debris placed in the road by a group of migrants and killed . The bike has disappeared probably into the jungle.
I find it hard to accept that a migrant is going to stow away on a motorcycle so the only thing I can think of is that some migrants are now just nasty common criminals.
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It is being reported today in the Motorcycle press that a french motorcyclist heading for the tunel had been knocked of his motorcycle and killed by a group of migrants. The bike has dissappeared probably into the jungle.
I find it hard to accept that a migrant is going to stow away on a motorcycle so the only thing I can think of is that some migrants are now just turning into nasty common criminals.
Do you have a link to that? There is absolutely nothing in the French press about it which is surprising.
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Cannot find the link, just something on a facebook page but I will keep looking. I know what you are getting at though and I should have checked myself first.
This is a link to an incident a couple of weeks back.
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2016/august/eurotunnel-calais-blockade/
You will have probably already seen this one but it's not the one I mentioned earlier
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I have been using the tunnel over the last few years and have never encountered any problems due to migrants. I get an early afternoon train to Calais and drive 60 miles or so for a night stop. On the way back I stay on a local site and catch a morning train round about 9-30am. In the light of the recent troubles I might revise this and do as DK does except for the overnight in UK. Going to any other destination to cross the channel does not appeal, the tunnel is far more convenient and certainly cheaper than some of the longer crossings.
peedee
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We too now use Eurotunnel, and have just taken out a Frequent Traveller subscription. When we have the caravan with us we tend to get an early evening crossing and then stay overnight at the Aire de la Baie de Somme about an hour and a half down the road
towards Abbeville from Calais.Even at the height of the 'problems' with migrants we never witnessed anything untoward either at Eurotunnel or at Calais.
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Yes I agree with the comments about the problems at the times of dark and thats what we are going to do, take a later ferry, after 10:00 and stop over night well outside Calais.
For the over night stop in Dover we use that marine parade, overnighting is OK from 18:00 to 08:00, or it was 2 years ago.
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Might be a good idea not to travel next Monday (5 Sept) as French lorry drivers are planning a protest. A reference is available if required.
French haulage firms affiliated to the country’s leading trade federation, FNTR, are planning to block traffic around Calais next week in protest against what they claim is an upsurge in attacks on truck drivers and their vehicles over the past few weeks.
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I have been going to France twice a year for the last 25 years,this year because of the fuel crisis in June and their governments attitude to the "Brexit" vote I decided to holiday in Britain I haven't regretted it neither has the economy or the Club as the money I normally spend over there has been spent here.The only losers have been France.
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Interesting points raised there.
There is obviously going to be a re-evaluation of our relationship with europe but it's too soon to tell exactly what that will be.
We live in interesting times. (But we are still going in May next year)
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I have been going to France twice a year for the last 25 years,this year because of the fuel crisis in June and their governments attitude to the "Brexit" vote I decided to holiday in Britain I haven't regretted it neither has the economy or the Club as the money I normally spend over there has been spent here.The only losers have been France.
Still time to change your mind, Hammer. I booked a ferry yesterday to sail across in a week's time. No point staying here to teach their government a lesson for their attitude to Brexit is there?
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I have been going to France twice a year for the last 25 years,this year because of the fuel crisis in June and their governments attitude to the "Brexit" vote I decided to holiday in Britain I haven't regretted it neither has the economy or the Club as
the money I normally spend over there has been spent here.The only losers have been France.What exactly is 'their attitude to the Brexit' - it was some of the British who voted for it, not them! We've found nothing but friendship, humour, and perhaps some bemusement in France - no different to normal years! We've certainly never come across
a member of the French Government who expresses his viewpoint to us!0 -
We travelled over last Sunday with absolutely no problems at Calais and certainly haven't been treated any differently to our visits over the last thirty years.
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I have been going to France twice a year for the last 25 years,this year because of the fuel crisis in June and their governments attitude to the "Brexit" vote I decided to holiday in Britain I haven't regretted it neither has the economy or the Club as
the money I normally spend over there has been spent here.The only losers have been France.What exactly is 'their attitude to the Brexit' - it was some of the British who voted for it, not them! We've found nothing but friendship, humour, and perhaps some bemusement in France - no different to normal years! We've certainly never come across
a member of the French Government who expresses his viewpoint to us!Remember: Never let the the truth get in the way of a good story.
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We have been crossing Dover - Calais, or Dover - Dunkirk, or Tunnel, and return, twice a year for the past ten years, never even seen anyone who resembled the TV or Daily Mail version of a Migrant.
We have a 300+ drive to Dover, so, our usual tactic is:
drive to within a short distance of Dover, stay overnight, then take an early morning crossing, and head off from Calais / Dunkirk in which ever direction we are heading.
or
Drive to Dover and take an evening crossing, then, depending on which direction we are going next, park and sleep at Gravelines, or, drive to Aire at Baie de Somme, and sleep.
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I think it depends when you go. I travelled in the school summer holidays and got jammed up at Folkstone last year for nearly 8 hours, this following my son having been on a school trip the week before when the coach got surrounded by migrants banging on
the windows etc. However, i think if you follow the advice of those more experienced it can mitigate some of the issues, other when the terminal gets locked down following a break in. I avoided it this year but i understand security has improved dramatically
so i guess the risk is a lot less. Certainly seen a lot less reports of the terminal being closed (Euro tunnel)0 -
"I was getting very concerned about security in Calais so we opted for a different route, IE Poole to Cherboug only to find the over night comfort on the ferry unsuitable for us so this year we are thinking of using Calais again".
We have used many of the routes across and it depends on your start and finish points as to which crossings are most suited. The number of crossings on longer routes is obviously not as great but there is still a reasonable choice that avoids overnight travel
if that is a problem.
As we live in Cornwall we use the Brittany Ferries from Plymouth when possible but have on many previous trips used Dover routes, and would do so again if the circumstances were favourable, BUT the reasons we dont use Dover currently are nothing to do with
the 'problems', be they actual or perceived,but because many other routes are just as cost effective and the journey to,but especially from, Dover is something to be endured and we prefer to enjoy.In 2015 we used Stena from Harwich and it was cheaper than DFDS from Dover. Our price for next May/June with BF overnight to Roscoff is just £188 + cabin if you get an ITX fare.
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We have always used the tunnel, although as relatively new to European travel. We find it more convenient and even when going south we prefer to take in the scenes than a cabin view. We travel at different times of day and night and have never had any problem
either.0 -
Hi all, I was wondering if anyone had experienced any significant problems in recent days or weeks travelling to and from the port of Calais as I am booked to drive over in the middle of September. We arrive around 5.30 am and return 18.00 at the end
of the month. I am concerned about the violence and our safety. Thank you.0 -
We've had a succession of visitors to our house in France during this summer, all of whom have used Dover/Calais. Not one of them reported any problems at all. Friends, travelling during the 'miles and miles of traffic queueing for passport control at
Dover' set off eight hours early to try to make sure they crossed when they had booked. Guess what, they found no queues and were put on an eight hours early ferry.I don't think you should have any problems and please don't let it put you off travelling to Europe.
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