Dunkerque suggestion (1 Viewer)

WynandJean

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Recently did our few weeks in France. Booked our return ferry for 6.00am. from Dunkerque. Stayed at Gravelines the night before. Got up at 4.30 to be at the port in good time (it's about 15-20 mins drive). Now fast forward to us arriving at passport queue at 6.00 and seeing ferry slowly moving away in front of our eyes! On reaching the passport desk I said, "I suppose that's our ferry just leaving". The girl said, "No, were running an hour late" Phew we were so relieved. Now you might ask why it took so long to get from Gravelines to the port. We were travelling in the dark, headlights pointing the wrong side of the road. Had put the address of Dunkerque Port in satnav - that took us into centre of Dunkerque (maybe it was their business address) So tried to follow the signposts to the port. The signage is very poor. The girl at the desk (who is local and worked for the port authority, usually at Calais but tarnsferred temporarily during Calais problems) said she had been unable to find it, also the UK border man said how bad the signs for the ferry were.

The fact that Calais port is not far creates further confusion when following routes simply showing PORT.

My suggestion as you disembark is log the position in your satnav for your return

Wyn
 
Mar 16, 2010
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We were there end of June it took us about 10 minutes from Gravelines aire along the coast road. The sat nav wanted to take us back to the A16 but we ignored her :) Mind you we had looked at Google maps using the marinas free wifi whilst at the aire so had a rough idea which way we should be going.
 

GeriatricWanderer

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It may be of some use to someone:

Dunkerque Ferryport/Parking Entrance:

51.02103, 2.19766

Also worth remembering that if your maps or sat nav maps are a bit old, the approach road from the A16 has recently (3 years?) been re routed to eliminate one of those suspension testing rail crossings.

Also worth remembering - there are 2 Ports, East and West - but it's the one signed Ferrport you need.

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WynandJean

WynandJean

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It may be of some use to someone:

Dunkerque Ferryport/Parking Entrance:

51.02103, 2.19766

Also worth remembering that if your maps or sat nav maps are a bit old, the approach road from the A16 has recently (3 years?) been re routed to eliminate one of those suspension testing rail crossings.

Also worth remembering - there are 2 Ports, East and West - but it's the one signed Ferrport you need.

Oh those coordinates would have been a godsend on the day in question. I suppose I must expect the 'anti-satnavs' brigades' responses. We did have maps with us but at 4.30am in the pitch dark and mindful of needing to get there and knowing it was just up the road and the fact that we had come from there just a few weeks previously meant we thought the ferry would be better signposted. As i said even locals living in the area and working for the port authority had the same problems and I suspect having a paper map would have been no better. There would have been no way to relate what the map showed to the darkness outside such as landmarks street names and poor signage.

Wyn
 

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