Driving in France - mandatory items

cormie

Will report back when I get to my destination if not sooner anyway. I'll probably put most of my faith in Google and hope for the best!

CelticRambler

The continental route suggested by Google is the one I proposed earlier, so yes, that's the way to go. 3h16 is a bit generous though, unless you really floor it.

To get to Dover, I'd agree with TrailerBob - take the A2/M2 all the way down. Google is routing you via "Detling Hill" - a notorious accident hotspot (had a three-car crash yesterday).

cormie

That's cool, thanks a lot I'll try avoid Detling Hill too. I'll be taking it easy in France anyway, 110kmph so probably take longer still. Let's just hope all this is sorted out for the return journey anyway!

edburg

Would Portsmouth/Southampton to cherbourg be an alternative for those stuck??

Or is cherbourg under siege to.

CelticRambler

The problem is restricted to Calais (all to do with the sale of two ships owned by Eurotunnel) so the only "disruption" at the other ports is due to the increased volume of traffic, and that depends on whether the alternative port is of any use to the driver. Cherbourg and the Breton ports are really only of interest to people heading to western France or down to Spain, so not under so much pressure.

As of about two hours ago, the strikers have agreed to let P&O continue using the port until Tuesday, but they're giving no guarantee that they won't carry out other action in the meantime. However, in a separate development, several road hauliers informed the local authorities this afternoon that if the State doesn't sort the strikers out, they'll take matters into their own hands and "secure access" to the port themselves. So with that threat and the school holidays starting tomorrow, I'd say things will quieten down considerably over the weekend.

cormie

So here's how I got on...

Left SE9 in London later than I was hoping to incase of any delays getting there, I left at 14:40 to catch the 18:00 ferry. There was no traffic at all. I followed the exact route Google suggested above and there was no disruption or signs of Operation stack other than signs telling tourists to take the A249, but Google was suggesting that to me anyway. That road itself was fine and didn't strike me as being treacherous.

There was no queue at all to get in to the port area. I was stopped at the roundabout just by the port and asked if I was freight and I said I was booked as a passenger so the police woman didn't give me whatever it was she was handing out. There were HGV's queuing all along from the other direction into the port but this was the first I saw of any queues and avoided it by following the passenger line where I drove straight up to the queue-less passport check was asked what's in the van and then let go, queued at the ticket check for maybe 3 minutes and was talking to the guys at the check in. They were telling me I'd have to go back to the end of the Operation Stack as I'm freight :eek: but I told them to check the booking that I booked as a passenger vehicle within 7m/4m and the guy just said oh yeah that's right don't worry then, but we'll have to send you back out because you're too early and everyone here is about to get on the delayed 16:00 sailing, it was only 16:17 at this stage so I went back out of the port, waited 40 minutes at a garage and drove back in, saw the same police woman, the same passport control guy, he didn't even open his window and just waved me through, I was selected for a security check but that only took 3/4 minutes, again drove straight up to the passenger ticket check, another 3 minutes, he remembered me and I had my ticket in 20 seconds.

Had to wait in the queue as the 18:00 was delayed but we were on before 19:00 and arrived to Dunkirk around 22:00 local time, there was a minor delay of about 2 minutes getting out of the port area as only one side of the road was being used and they had a stop/go system, after that it was plain sailing following the route suggested above. No delays at all on the way to my destination. WARNING: Google was actually saying the A16 was 5 minutes faster to my destination once I was driving out of the port, I decided not to risk it for the sake of a 5 minute gain so I don't know what that would have resulted in.

I'm feeling very lucky and feel for all them HGV drivers, it's amazing what the difference of 40cm can do!

CelticRambler

cormie wrote: »

I followed the exact route Google suggested above and there was no disruption or signs of Operation stack other than signs telling tourists to take the A249

That is the sign of Operation Stack! You can't use the M20 beyond the A249 junction because it is being used as a lorry-park. Kent Police have (unfortunately) had a lot of practice putting it into effect, so it's a pretty smooth operation now.

cormie wrote: »

That road itself was fine and didn't strike me as being treacherous.

Therein lies the problem - too many drivers (especially of the German brands) think it's just another road ... until they flip their car over. One crash every five days is the official statistic, some worse than others obviously.

But pleased to hear the journey went okay for you. The French pyromaniacs were in action in Brittany last night (farmers complaining that people aren't paying enough for food ... )

TrailerBob

In a queue at check- in at Dover. Took the M2/A2 and flew down. No delays whatsoever. Took about 10 min to get from the ramp down into the passport control with police directing traffic. Never seen so many trucks in all my life!!! Anyhoo.... Onwards Jeeves