Be aware -Ouistreham aire (1 Viewer)

Sep 24, 2013
138
134
swansea
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28,258
MH
Autotrail Dakota
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3 years
Stayed here about a week ago. Woke up to male voices about 5-30am, assumed it was someone going or coming home from work at the ferry pot which is right next door. Went out at about 7-30am to let the dog out and the only other Brit on the aire dashed across to tell me that our van and his has been targeted by people trying to board the ferry illegally. They'd been trying all the lockers and had been under the vans presumably to find somewhere to hang on. His wife had heard a noise and opened the blind to find a face looking in at her! The voices we'd heard was her husband talking to gendarmes who had appeared at just the right time. We should have known better really as we'd seen some suspicious looking characters hanging about , and gendarmes with rifles as well as handguns appeared periodically! It's the first time we've used aires so I suppose we are a bit naïve. I'm very glad we'd seen the posts about securing the doors from the inside though. Don't rely on the dog barking - ours didn't make a squeak!!
 
Sep 3, 2012
7,452
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Cheshire
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22,759
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C Class Elddis 175
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8+ years
Don't be put off using aires, we were on the Ouistreham aire last year and there were several migrant youths hanging around. Its because of the proximity to the port. Just take the usual precautions especially near port areas. We has no incidents on our travels and we used may aires on our way thru france and spain
 

Jonno1103

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Aug 27, 2017
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If you're travelling back to the UK on the early morning sailing the BF staff at the check in booths will allow you through the gates from 2300. To check in just head into the terminal building the following morning before you sail. There are loads of Securitas staff around plus the customs guys as they search all the HGV's before they pass the inner gate... done it hundreds of times.

Cherbourg is now seeing the same problem too.

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Jonno1103

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Aug 27, 2017
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As we drove through Ouistreham yesterday I was surprised at the amount of Gendarmes, literally a car or van on every corner until the Rond-Point de la Plaix. There were large groups of mostly men congregating under trees sheltering from the rain all along the D84, D514 & 515, almost as far as the peripherique.

My missus had me contact BF this morning to change our sailing from Ouistreham next Saturday morning ( as mentioned in a previous post we usually overnight at the ferry port) to the Le Havre Friday night sailing.
 

BERTMARGIT

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Mar 12, 2018
12
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52,780
Wife and I on that aire 2months ago just done the toilet the rinse has a long spout
Handy that gets well in to the cassette
Got back into m/home to see some chaps come along to fill plastic bottles from said spout
Not nice

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Feb 16, 2013
19,505
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uttoxeter
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ambulance conversion
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Wife and I on that aire 2months ago just done the toilet the rinse has a long spout
Handy that gets well in to the cassette
Got back into m/home to see some chaps come along to fill plastic bottles from said spout
Not nice
do you mean it wasnt nice putting the hose in your cassete?
 

BERTMARGIT

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Mar 12, 2018
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Poor chaps could have got bit ill doing the that
Could spoil there chance get to Britain
 

Lot lover

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May 13, 2016
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We found a France Passion site only 20 mins from the Tunnel but EUR25 per year would be too expensive for many.

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joka250

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Jul 29, 2017
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Can't actually create a link to BBC t v news but tonight's evening news very disturbing item 're Ouistreham and the problem of illegals trying to reach Britain. Their efforts to board trucks quite unbelievable. Despite this it would not stop me using Aires but caution required .
 

Jonno1103

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Aug 27, 2017
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Many are economic migrants and many have modern cellphones and are quite well dressed. It's becoming quite bad at Ouistreham, contacts there say that shops are closing early and local residents are beginning to stay at home or driving to Caen.

We used to overnight at the port ready to return on the Saturday am sailing, now we travel back Friday night from Le Havre which, just like Cherbourg, St Malo & Roscoff has zero problems.
 

Shrimp

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May 27, 2015
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Again, don’t blame Aires, blame the area!
We never stay in an Aire very close to the Tunnel/Ferry as they are the ones that get targeted and we always go on the 'feeling' of an Aire as to wether we stop or not!

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May 12, 2011
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Came through Ouistreham last month, first time in many years we didn't stop for a meal. Watched 2 lads try to get onto a lorry at the roundabout outside the Pommiers rive Bella site, The central car park only had police cars in and we just kept going. As we sat in the port, we saw the police remove people from lorries, it is the world we are in. The bars and restaurants around the port must be struggling.
 
Oct 12, 2009
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Many are economic migrants and many have modern cellphones and are quite well dressed. It's becoming quite bad at Ouistreham, contacts there say that shops are closing early and local residents are beginning to stay at home or driving to Caen.

We used to overnight at the port ready to return on the Saturday am sailing, now we travel back Friday night from Le Havre which, just like Cherbourg, St Malo & Roscoff has zero problems.


Certainly Cherbourg had no problems a few weeks ago.

We have never seen problems at Dunkirk, but I put that down to only one ferry every 2 hours, so no queue fo check-in and therefore no traffic slow enough for migrants to board.

Geoff
 
Feb 11, 2018
8
3
North Devon
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van conversion
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We were there last week. 60-70 immigrants gathered by the river at the end of the cycle trail each evening for organised handouts of water and food. The atmosphere was calm and non threatening. The authorities have got the situation in hand with the help of volunteers. No problems on the Aire but obviously vigilance important. Sad situation, but Ouistreham small enough to be more easily managed.

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