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Driving to France / continent a thing of the past?


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  • Bedfordshire Bronco changed the title to Driving to France / continent a thing of the past?

You've not been to an airport recently then? 

Someone I know had their flight from Heathrow to the US delayed by a day this week due to no baggage handlers, and when they did arrive in the US, there was a problem on the runway because the baggage had all been loaded at the back of the plane, and the pilot was worried about "stability issues" if the passengers got off before the luggage...

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Give it a go. It's no different to how it used to be when we were in the Common Market prior to the EU. I'm currently in the Netherlands on the last week of a one month holiday here and in Germany. Took the Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry. The only hold-up, 30 mins, was queuing to get through Dutch passport control at the Hook of Holland, which was undermanned. EU and non EU passport holders shared the same queues. 

Dutch customs were picking vehicles at random to check, maybe 1 in 25 or fewer.

We had longer delays than that on the Autobahn network owing to lots of roadworks, accidents, traffic levels. Got help up at one point by almost an hour cos road was closed owing to a relatively minor accident.

Son and family went to France high summer, Dover to Dunkirk, no hold ups.

 

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Just back from a week in Brittany, but we went via Plymouth/Roscoff. A few minutes longer at the checks going but even quicker than normal coming back.

When these new checks come in I imagine it’ll be bedlam even away from Dover. Let’s hope it’s not as bad as expected. We’ve a Depeche Mode tour to follow next year, so we’ll get there whatever.

Whilst I do not suffer fools gladly, I will always gladly make fools suffer

A man is getting along on the road of wisdom when he realises that his opinion is just an opinion

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12 hours ago, JohnM said:

Give it a go. It's no different to how it used to be when we were in the Common Market prior to the EU

 

A nice way of saying we deliberately turned the clock back 50 years.

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Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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9 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

So why has there been all these headines if you've all had decent journeys ? 

Is it just Dover?

We went in April to the Somme region so maybe things have changed since then.

The way back took far longer as it clashed with fans returning from the Champions League final in Paris via car and train transporter.

On the whole it was slick though and problem free - not sure if that’s because certain aspects of Brexit hadn’t kicked in though.

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22 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

So why has there been all these headines if you've all had decent journeys ? 

Is it just Dover?

The main delay was as a result of a perfect storm: people getting away immediately schools had shut for summer, channel tunnel technical problems, UK border force and French passport control undermanning.

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On 29/09/2022 at 18:59, JohnM said:

Give it a go. It's no different to how it used to be when we were in the Common Market prior to the EU. 

 

In fairness, only people in their 70s or above can remember what that was like, driving in those days. Road traffic since then has increased roughly tenfold!

The vast majority of people have never even used the term "Common Market" so it is impossible for us to envisage what you are talking about. 

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To put it another way. Like shopping at the Trafford Centre, avoid weekends, bank holidays, the start and finish of school holidays, Dover-Calais. Make sure your paperwork is in order, that you know what you can take with you (meat and dairy products not allowed) , evidence that your stay is temporary and that you have funds to support you whilst you are there, EHIC or its successor. Make sure your passport is stamped both on entry and exit. 

In other words, exactly the same situation as US, Canada, India, Australia, NZ, Nigerian, Egyptian, Brazilian etc visitors . They seem to manage to go to the Holy Roman Empire and live to tell the tale.

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