I recall that before Covid there were some very long delays at the start of school holidays. People waiting 24 hrs on the side of the road etc. Did it happen last year as well?
I will be going first week of holidays but can be flexible and leave on Monday. Just wondering whether it is worth delaying the departure by 2 days - that's assuming the protests and vandalim stops in France by then.
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Best time to cross channel this time of year is early hours mid week. We went at 01.10 crossing on Eurotunnel a week ago & not that busy. If you try & cross at Dover or Eurotunnel peak time weekends you will get delays due to passport stamping which didn’t happen until a couple of years ago. Only about 30 secs a person but add that all up equals delays when busy. Once down in rural central France though all is peace & quiet so worth the effort.
We came over on June 3 it was very quiet at Dover as was the ferry.
We are back on July 15, we never do school holidays since retiring.
Sites in France have all been quiet mainly us oldies! There are some families at weekends.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
Quote: Originally posted by longcol on 02/7/2023
Protests / vandalism are overwhelmingly confined to a few large cities. In market towns, countryside etc you'd hardly know it was happening.
We will be staying with a family just north of Paris in a small town. A supermaket was burned down a few km away from their home and there were plans to attack one of the local car dealers but the owner was warned by someone just in time.
Quote: Originally posted by chr4 on 03/7/2023
Thanks all. I booked for Monday. Hopefully it will clear the queue a bit by then.
Living locally I think that’s a good plan. The weekends in Peak times( school hols) have gridlocked Dover, Lorry queues etc. But it all dies down eventually!
2 hour delays at Dover checkin yesterday & over an hour currently & not yet school hols so this is not going to improve while there are still passport checks required.
There have always been passport checks, and since biometric passports came about, they are, have always have been scanned. 🤔🤷.
When you travel/traveled from the U.K. to Europe, you have had to produce your passport…..Always. Even travelling to Ireland would be unwise not to take your passport, as most carriers insist on a passport, and will not accept a driving licence etc as I.D.
I travel to Europe, at the very least, three times a year, the most was seven times, and have done so for 4 decades. I have NEVER got on a plane or a ferry without having my passport checked…..NEVER. We came back from France a couple of weeks ago, will be again at least two more times this year, and have not noticed any difference apart from a stamp which takes about 5 seconds. Once you are in the zone away you go, no more stamps until you leave the zone. Nothing could be easier.
If Dover is unable to cope, then may I suggest either PoD open a couple more checkin booths, or travel from somewhere else. All this scare mongering about EU travel is grossly exaggerated………It really isn’t a problem at all.
Quote: Originally posted by longcol on 02/7/2023
Protests / vandalism are overwhelmingly confined to a few large cities. In market towns, countryside etc you'd hardly know it was happening.
Didn't know it was till I read it on here,
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A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: start of school holidays - Dover (
Topic Closed)
via mobile 02/7/2023 at 9:25pm
