Cathryn
Legendary Member
- Location
- Marlborough, Wiltshire
Our big family tour kicks off on Tuesday...assuming we get through Dover!! If anyone has cycle through Dover before, do we check in as foot passengers or with the cars? Any bright ideas?
Checking in at Dover port
- Thread starter Cathryn
- Start date
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Neither.
If on bikes, You find and follow what is called the red route. Which is basically a red line on the road. That will take you to security where they will give you a pass and direct you to the check in building. At the check in They will allocate you your own lane to board the boat and you'll ride on to the ferry before the motor vehicles.
If on bikes, You find and follow what is called the red route. Which is basically a red line on the road. That will take you to security where they will give you a pass and direct you to the check in building. At the check in They will allocate you your own lane to board the boat and you'll ride on to the ferry before the motor vehicles.
see "Cyclists and Pedestrians" at https://www.doverport.co.uk/ferry/ferry-information/
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Cathryn
Legendary Member
- Location
- Marlborough, Wiltshire
Well you win the 'most useful CC-er tonight' award. Thank you.
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
Where are you going?
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Be aware that the red line takes you through security in a car queue for a bit, so you won't completely escape if it's queued up like this weekend, but the NCN cycle track will bypass any queues outside the port for sure and I think the red line will bypass part of the one on the approach.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Some friends caught ferry from Dover yesterday. Went straight past the queuing cars straight to front of queue then onto ferry. No delays if on bike.
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
I can attest that the red route works well, once you've found it.
I've found it a bit pot-luck whether you get off the ferry first or last.
I've found it a bit pot-luck whether you get off the ferry first or last.
wiggydiggy
Guru
We will never know, but in 12 years someone will ask this same question😉
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Cathryn
Legendary Member
- Location
- Marlborough, Wiltshire
Calais to Annecy and then Geneva! Cannot wait!
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Cathryn
Legendary Member
- Location
- Marlborough, Wiltshire
That is VERY encouraging. Thank you!
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
Just a quick related question as I'm not sure if my memory is playing tricks on me. I'm absolutely not trying to start a political debate.
As far as I can recall UK citizens entering France have always had to show a passport whether we were EU members or not. Is that correct?
There's nothing suddenly new about this requirement from the French authorities?
As far as I can recall UK citizens entering France have always had to show a passport whether we were EU members or not. Is that correct?
There's nothing suddenly new about this requirement from the French authorities?
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
Yes, UK citizens theoretically had to show identification when crossing the French/UK border because the UK was not in the Schengen agreement, which allows for open borders between members. This also always applied for EU/Non EU citizens entering the UK and ROI. (The ROI agreeed to stay out of the Schengen agreement to preserve an open UK/ROI border)
This used to mean a passport or ID card for EU citizens but I think the UK is now insisting on passports for EU nationals entering the UK.
The big difference is that UK citizens had the right to enter any EU country for up to 90 days, whereas now they have to follow the immigration rules for the point of entry to the EU, and the 27 EU members can set their own rules for third country citizens.
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
@Andy in Germany thank you. That's how I understood things to be previously. Could you help me a bit more as I've struggled with this. Ridiculous I know.
We visit France a lot. Usually flying Manchester Nice or when the kids were small by ferry. We've always done a passport check. I don't think we have ever walked straight off the plane and in either entering France or the UK.
As far as I know I don't suddenly need a visa to enter France so why has it all gone so badly wrong all of a sudden?
We visit France a lot. Usually flying Manchester Nice or when the kids were small by ferry. We've always done a passport check. I don't think we have ever walked straight off the plane and in either entering France or the UK.
As far as I know I don't suddenly need a visa to enter France so why has it all gone so badly wrong all of a sudden?
Extra customs facilities were provided at Dover earlier this year so it probably is in part simply the typical UK problem of lack of adequate infrastructure; holding lorries on the motorway so restricting the flow of traffic on it for a start. A west Sussex resident was interviewed on Five Live this morning who had left home at 3am yesterday and, using Eurotunnel, had a 22 1/2 hour journey to their French holiday let. They were of the view it was volume that was the issue as they passed through customs the same as before. They said it took 7 hours to travel the last 2 miles to the terminal.
