Anyone taken the car Dover - Calais in the last few days?
Discussion
There's a lot of press attention at the moment on what look to be insane levels of queuing for coaches thanks to taking back control additional passport checks.
Are these affecting cars?
I ask as we are needing to travel (for a very special occasion) Dover to Calais on Saturday 29th April at around 4pm (I've not used Dover in over a decade, Hull/Zeebrugge/Rotterdam and Newcastle/Amsterdam being much more fun (and since there's only one boat a day the queues are finite). This is a bank holiday. Is this going to be totally mental? I'm hoping that the bulk of traffic will have gone Friday evening but I might be wrong.
Are these affecting cars?
I ask as we are needing to travel (for a very special occasion) Dover to Calais on Saturday 29th April at around 4pm (I've not used Dover in over a decade, Hull/Zeebrugge/Rotterdam and Newcastle/Amsterdam being much more fun (and since there's only one boat a day the queues are finite). This is a bank holiday. Is this going to be totally mental? I'm hoping that the bulk of traffic will have gone Friday evening but I might be wrong.
I suspect that the issues seen last weekend Dover- Calais were caused by greedy ferry operators over booking coach travel.
Unless Calais is an essential landing place, I would use one of the many alternates.
Heading further south?
Newhaven/Dieppe
Portsmouth/Caen
Must be northern?
Folkstone/Dunkirk
Unless Calais is an essential landing place, I would use one of the many alternates.
Heading further south?
Newhaven/Dieppe
Portsmouth/Caen
Must be northern?
Folkstone/Dunkirk
JB99 said:
I suspect that the issues seen last weekend Dover- Calais were caused by greedy ferry operators over booking coach travel.
Unless Calais is an essential landing place, I would use one of the many alternates.
Heading further south?
Newhaven/Dieppe
Portsmouth/Caen
Must be northern?
Folkstone/Dunkirk
It's already booked and paid for, unfortunately. As I said I won't normally travel on that route but we are in Tonbridge Wells in the morning and then directly to the boat. The return is a far more civilised Amsterdam - Newcastle.Unless Calais is an essential landing place, I would use one of the many alternates.
Heading further south?
Newhaven/Dieppe
Portsmouth/Caen
Must be northern?
Folkstone/Dunkirk
An hours or two wait I can handle.
Thanks for the update, DS.
My main concern using Calais/Dover is running the gauntlet of those desperate enough to force traffic on the approach road to a crawl to allow themselves the chance to climb aboard a passing vehicle.
As a retired person I use Newhaven/Dieppe, cuts my driving time/mileage when heading south. I can see the advantage of the south coast ports for landing in northern Spain, but the cost is out of all proportion to any time saving achieved !
My main concern using Calais/Dover is running the gauntlet of those desperate enough to force traffic on the approach road to a crawl to allow themselves the chance to climb aboard a passing vehicle.
As a retired person I use Newhaven/Dieppe, cuts my driving time/mileage when heading south. I can see the advantage of the south coast ports for landing in northern Spain, but the cost is out of all proportion to any time saving achieved !
JB99 said:
Thanks for the update, DS.
My main concern using Calais/Dover is running the gauntlet of those desperate enough to force traffic on the approach road to a crawl to allow themselves the chance to climb aboard a passing vehicle.
As a retired person I use Newhaven/Dieppe, cuts my driving time/mileage when heading south. I can see the advantage of the south coast ports for landing in northern Spain, but the cost is out of all proportion to any time saving achieved !
Not so much of a problem with the new port at Calais and only really an issue at the tunnel when it's really busy..My main concern using Calais/Dover is running the gauntlet of those desperate enough to force traffic on the approach road to a crawl to allow themselves the chance to climb aboard a passing vehicle.
As a retired person I use Newhaven/Dieppe, cuts my driving time/mileage when heading south. I can see the advantage of the south coast ports for landing in northern Spain, but the cost is out of all proportion to any time saving achieved !
Craigyp79 said:
JB99 said:
Thanks for the update, DS.
My main concern using Calais/Dover is running the gauntlet of those desperate enough to force traffic on the approach road to a crawl to allow themselves the chance to climb aboard a passing vehicle.
As a retired person I use Newhaven/Dieppe, cuts my driving time/mileage when heading south. I can see the advantage of the south coast ports for landing in northern Spain, but the cost is out of all proportion to any time saving achieved !
Not so much of a problem with the new port at Calais and only really an issue at the tunnel when it's really busy..My main concern using Calais/Dover is running the gauntlet of those desperate enough to force traffic on the approach road to a crawl to allow themselves the chance to climb aboard a passing vehicle.
As a retired person I use Newhaven/Dieppe, cuts my driving time/mileage when heading south. I can see the advantage of the south coast ports for landing in northern Spain, but the cost is out of all proportion to any time saving achieved !
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