Driving to/through France from UK right now
Discussion
Seeing as every passport has to be looked at and stamped that has got to be 45 seconds per person.
Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
croyde said:
Seeing as every passport has to be looked at and stamped that has got to be 45 seconds per person.
Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
Yawn.Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
Well, they had planned for it, but it didn't go to plan. According to The Times there are 12 booths and they were going to open 9 of them on Friday and all 12 on Saturday. But yesterday, because of staff no shows and a technical problem too, they only had 3 open initially and then 3 more later on, total 6 of the 12. Today it's gone to plan with all 12 open, but obviously after yesterday's problems there's a backlog.
Tyre Smoke said:
croyde said:
Seeing as every passport has to be looked at and stamped that has got to be 45 seconds per person.
Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
Yawn.Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
These posts and my mind is made up by them.
Tyre Smoke said:
croyde said:
Seeing as every passport has to be looked at and stamped that has got to be 45 seconds per person.
Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
Yawn.Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
Brexit benefits are like rocking horse s
t. 
Yes - Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving.
Of course the Russians were behind the Brexit vote but as the last Government got their way, it will never be investigated as it suited their agenda.
The Russians were quite happy to split us from Europe as it makes us & Europe weaker.
Probably worth reading John Sweeney’s book “Killer in the Kremlin” to get an idea of what they’re capable of.
Of course the Russians were behind the Brexit vote but as the last Government got their way, it will never be investigated as it suited their agenda.
The Russians were quite happy to split us from Europe as it makes us & Europe weaker.
Probably worth reading John Sweeney’s book “Killer in the Kremlin” to get an idea of what they’re capable of.
Caddyshack said:
Tyre Smoke said:
croyde said:
Seeing as every passport has to be looked at and stamped that has got to be 45 seconds per person.
Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
Yawn.Times that by the amount of people per car, then the amount of cars.
Brexit going well then.
Been a few years now and I'm still waiting for the benefits.
At this rate I'll be long dead if they ever come at all.
These posts and my mind is made up by them.
But never let an opportunity go to waste. Whether relevant or not. You'd almost believe there was no passport control pre Brexit.
Our Tunnel ‘experience’ from Friday/Saturday.
Original plan: Leave home at 2130 to get to Folkestone for midnight ready for an 0230 crossing to be spat out France side for just after 0400 local for a leisurely drive down to the Dordogne. Who knows? Might even get an earlier train….
Reality: Saw the ensuing chaos on M20/Dover etc. so left home at 1900. Utter carnage on the M20. Forced off the motorway onto a minor road about 2 miles from the Tunnel.
By this time it was around 0200. We waited for a gate to be opened that joined the access road to the tunnel booths. Massive queues and was probably around 0400 by the time we got checked in. Then another 2 hr wait to get through passport control.
No real delays actually processing passports, it just appeared they weren’t open so was backed up all the way to the terminal. Possibly holding off until trains available?
Lady at the final check where they put you in lanes claimed it was the M20 issues that basically meant they had far fewer travellers Friday evening and then a huge wave turn up early hours Sat.
We spoke someone processing a pet for travel and they’d been queuing for 2 hours and weren’t even close to the front.
We finally got an 0630 train and made it to Tremolat for around 2000 with stops and a power nap!
I hope it’s better going home in 2 weeks!
Original plan: Leave home at 2130 to get to Folkestone for midnight ready for an 0230 crossing to be spat out France side for just after 0400 local for a leisurely drive down to the Dordogne. Who knows? Might even get an earlier train….
Reality: Saw the ensuing chaos on M20/Dover etc. so left home at 1900. Utter carnage on the M20. Forced off the motorway onto a minor road about 2 miles from the Tunnel.
By this time it was around 0200. We waited for a gate to be opened that joined the access road to the tunnel booths. Massive queues and was probably around 0400 by the time we got checked in. Then another 2 hr wait to get through passport control.
No real delays actually processing passports, it just appeared they weren’t open so was backed up all the way to the terminal. Possibly holding off until trains available?
Lady at the final check where they put you in lanes claimed it was the M20 issues that basically meant they had far fewer travellers Friday evening and then a huge wave turn up early hours Sat.
We spoke someone processing a pet for travel and they’d been queuing for 2 hours and weren’t even close to the front.
We finally got an 0630 train and made it to Tremolat for around 2000 with stops and a power nap!
I hope it’s better going home in 2 weeks!
Avoided Friday in the end - asked to have ability to change which DFDS agreed to.
Thinking of going tomorrow now - sailing around 6pm. Was tempted to go much later but not sure it is necessary.
Will try and hit Dover around 3pm - do you think this is past the worst of it or still risking big delays?
Thinking of going tomorrow now - sailing around 6pm. Was tempted to go much later but not sure it is necessary.
Will try and hit Dover around 3pm - do you think this is past the worst of it or still risking big delays?
Dog Star said:
Apart from the physical stamping of your passport (why?) could anyone tell me why the checks should take longer. They still go face down into the scanner in the passport officers booth. Has some connectivity with U.K. systems been stopped?
This is from 2014 - this is broadly how I recall Dover passport control by the French pre-Brexit. Watch at 1:20. A cursory wave through. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdra2-P7vFk&ab...
I've now got 4 pages of stamps since the start of this year (2022) for all my trips - stamped in and out every single time.
TDK-C60 said:
This is from 2014 - this is broadly how I recall Dover passport control by the French pre-Brexit. Watch at 1:20. A cursory wave through.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdra2-P7vFk&ab...
I've now got 4 pages of stamps since the start of this year (2022) for all my trips - stamped in and out every single time.
Indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdra2-P7vFk&ab...
I've now got 4 pages of stamps since the start of this year (2022) for all my trips - stamped in and out every single time.
I can only assume that anyone who can’t see that Brexit has complicated EU travel has little experience of travel.
I usually fly a few times a month and often accompanied by my EU partner so can see first hand the hoops I must go through and what she does not.
Before leaving the EU there was no passport stamping and very often there wasn’t even border guards. When I fly inter-EU now that is often the case. Flew Spain - Denmark a few weeks ago and it brought back happy memories of no border force either end.
Usually when I fly Spain-U.K. it’s now a second long queue for the non-EU holding pen. You have to allow another hour at busy times for that. The other week the flight was then delayed 4 hours after the Mrs had gone to that holding pen ready to board. Thankfully, as her Danish passport hasn’t been stamped, the border guards were happy to allow her back into the main terminal to go back to the airport lounge and work. Glad I wasn’t accompanying her on that trip as I’d have been left fuming in the non-EU pen.
I appreciate Brexit instantly brings conflict between people. Not wishing to stir that but just the above is the practical reality of how things have changed. You can decide yourself if it was worth it but that is very much on an individual subjective basis. If you don’t travel much within the EU then an extra hour here and there doesn’t really make much odds.
Shnozz said:
Indeed.
I can only assume that anyone who can’t see that Brexit has complicated EU travel has little experience of travel.
We crossed numerous European borders in the last few weeks by car with no idea we even entered a new country till the cars speed limit display changes.I can only assume that anyone who can’t see that Brexit has complicated EU travel has little experience of travel.
Regardless of anyones political idealogies, traveling into/out of the UK is now a hassel versus traveling anywhere else in Europe.
As a tourist it actually makes little difference for a few hours of delay versus none, but for the lorries and businesses the addtional time and effort needed now vs before must be paid back somewhere by someone?
Edited by gangzoom on Monday 25th July 05:49
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