Going to France

Woofer wills

Woofer wills

Joined
Jun 15, 2019
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Hymer B514SL Gold ed
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Fairly new to motorhome started early 2019
We have a Hymer B514SL 6.5 metres and were hoping to travel Europe this year for the first time in it but with Covid etc. have now decided to just get over to France at the start of July. We might go Brittany Ferries Portsmouth Caen but also might think about the tunnel, we will be starting from Devon. Anybody have any hints or tips on best way to go over and an ideal route to take for possible 3 weeks.
 
Woofer wills said:
...have now decided to just get over to France at the start of July. .....Anybody have any hints or tips on best way to go over
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If the 'lead person' is over 60 there's 20% discount on the whole ticket (except for a cabin) on the Newhaven route. You have to book by phone.
and an ideal route to take for possible 3 weeks.
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To which part(s) of France?
 
We like the tunnel. When we did three weeks in France we went down as far as La Bernerie-en-Retz, which has an aire and also a basic campsite overlooking the beach. We pretty much followed the coast down and back and stopped at the places that we liked the look of.

We found that this distance was just right for us. This was our first trip abroad in a motorhome, so everything was new to us. We also like a holiday rather than an endurance trip.
 
Thanks for your feedback. We have some friends living near Limoges and would travel to see them and yes my wife likes the sound of the beach as she is a keen swimmer, we will be taking our Cocker Spaniel as well. We have travelled in our car to France a few times but not in the motorhome which we got last year and only spent 3 long weekends in Devon really so would be relative newbies too.
 
I used to use mappy which works out the cost for each route. You can plan routes through France and it will show the cost with and without tolls. I liked the Dieppe to Newhaven rout, not unbearable for the animals and bith Dieppe and Newhaven are easy access and exit. My daughter’s family go from Portsmouth which is also very easy access. If you’re going to western France it’s a long drive to Dover then all the way west along the French coast.

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We take the dog who’s not good on his own in the bowels of a ferry so always use the tunnel
 
has it been stated anywhere that travel to France will be open in July?
 
Woofer wills said:
Thanks for your feedback. We have some friends living near Limoges and would travel to see them and yes my wife likes the sound of the beach as she is a keen swimmer, we will be taking our Cocker Spaniel as well. We have travelled in our car to France a few times but not in the motorhome which we got last year and only spent 3 long weekends in Devon really so would be relative newbies too.
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We particularly like the tunnel because of the dog. It's great being able to stay in your vehicle and our dog doesn't seem to notice we're in a tunnel.
 
BF have cancelled all passenger sailings until at least 28th June. I wouldn't count on this deadline not being extended. You might be okay with a July booking but be prepared to get a voucher if it is cancelled.
 
We can't go to France yet can we?

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Devon has to be a consideration for BF. 6-8 hours to tunnel (and back) just to drive back past Rouen (3 hours) makes 20 hours unnecessary driving and 14 of them on British roads !
I cant talk as i live 30 minutes from Portsmouth and it is quicker for me to get to Rouen by driving the 2 hours to the tunnel (and a dam site cheaper)

I would be getting updates on BF as they have just put back their booking systems according to what i have read. Do a google search for BF uk quarantine and look at the news in the last 24 hours (tools on right hand side) and that should give you some up to date info.

Worth doing a "UK quarantine" search as well. I am doing that hourly atm in anticipation of leaving Monday morning on tunnel.
 
Look here :

www.schengenvisainfo.com

Timeline of EU Member States Reopening Their Borders - SchengenVisaInfo.com

The Coronavirus outbreak in Europe, back in March this year, forced the European Commission to recommend the Member States to shut down all EU ports of entry for non-EU/Schengen nationals. One by one, all Member States, and the Schengen Associated countries moved on to close their borders...
www.schengenvisainfo.com www.schengenvisainfo.com
 
spitfire cant find it to hand. It was within the same news as Austria not wanting us and it was a couple of hours ago.
When i read it, it said it was announced, but in hindsight I should have about 20 notifications so either a misprint or a misread.
Should be coming in the next couple of days though.

Found this whilst looking for it for the OP

www.portsmouth.co.uk

Brittany Ferries boss left ‘tearing hair out’ over UK quarantine policy

AFTER having to delay recommencing passenger sailings, the boss of Brittany Ferries said he is ‘tearing his hair out’ with the UK government’s new quarantine policy.
www.portsmouth.co.uk www.portsmouth.co.uk
 
h1ghway1 said:
Look here :

www.schengenvisainfo.com

Timeline of EU Member States Reopening Their Borders - SchengenVisaInfo.com

The Coronavirus outbreak in Europe, back in March this year, forced the European Commission to recommend the Member States to shut down all EU ports of entry for non-EU/Schengen nationals. One by one, all Member States, and the Schengen Associated countries moved on to close their borders...
www.schengenvisainfo.com www.schengenvisainfo.com
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This one states France plan to do 15th June. I thought i had read an official announcement but that is yet to come.
It will (imho) but it just hasnt happened yet
 
Woofer wills said:
We have a Hymer B514SL 6.5 metres and were hoping to travel Europe this year for the first time in it but with Covid etc. have now decided to just get over to France at the start of July. We might go Brittany Ferries Portsmouth Caen but also might think about the tunnel, we will be starting from Devon. Anybody have any hints or tips on best way to go over and an ideal route to take for possible 3 weeks.
Click to expand...

If you Tesco shop or have a Tesco credit card then your Tesco points have 3 times the value on a tunnel booking.
By using our Tesco vouchers, last years tunnel crossing and return cost us £11 but we have not a crewed so many vouchers this year so our "fingers crossed" September tunnel crossing is costing a little over 50 quid return for our 7.3 metre van.
 
My son takes his dog on the Newhaven route but the dog isn't very happy about it as although it's a 4hr crossing the dog is shut in the car for 5 hours or even longer with disembarkation delays. There's a lot of banging and loud clanking and sirens going off on the car decks and the car is wedged tightly/claustrophobically between the lorries. Very bad weather can cause car alarms to sound.
They say you can visit the dog with a crew member but my son only did that once as it tended to unsettle the dog.

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The French government have been saying for some time that they are “favourable” to the internal european borders reopening on June 15th, the Prime Minister said so in his speech on May 28th. I don’t think there has been an official announcement yet that it will definitely happen, but they haven’t said that it won’t. I suspect the president will confirm it when he speaks to the country on Sunday evening.
 
scousebird said:
Have the foreign office lifted the non essential travel status yet?
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Thats a no.
there have been 2 adjustments to their website recently
About 3 days ago they added a banner type thing saying it was constantly being reviewed
About a day ago they stated they were reviewing it.

My thoughts, and my thoughts only, having done an awful lot of reading current events around this area, are that FCO advice will change on Monday for some countries in Europe. Between now and Sunday France will announce its open borders. (germany and Austria announced their intentions today)
29th June Quarantine for Uk will continue with air bridges for most of europe (if not whole of europe) but it is important to me when they announce this.

There is even talk of a mutiny within the conservative party to oust BJ over his handling of this whole thing especially the quarantine which is universally disliked.
 
mine is at 1620 on Monday 15th June and has been for quite some time ..... i thought i had booked the 16th June but checked my booking a day or so ago - phew .. wouldnt want to miss my shuttle ...:whew::whew:

i also suggested quite some time ago that quarantine will be lifted in the UK on or around the 29th June (gives them three weeks, so they can save face)

suavecarve is booked on an earlier train than i am though !!

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Please let us know if you make it and are allowed to stay.
 
MisterB said:
mine is at 1620 on Monday 15th June and has been for quite some time ..... i thought i had booked the 16th June but checked my booking a day or so ago - phew .. wouldnt want to miss my shuttle ...:whew::whew:

i also suggested quite some time ago that quarantine will be lifted in the UK on or around the 29th June (gives them three weeks, so they can save face)

suavecarve is booked on an earlier train than i am though !!
Click to expand...

If quarantine is still in force in the UK it will be in France. I had a crossing booked for 1 July and contacted the ferry company yesterday to see what the situation was. I will not be staying in France this trip but transiting to Germany. I was told by the ferry company that I would not be allowed to board without exceptional reason to enter France, ie, live or work there. Was offered a later crossing, free of charge for one week later with the option to change at any time.
 
This is a useful link
Unfortunate that it hasnt been updated since 9th as it has been updated frequently

It tells you what the situation is in all the different countries in terms of campsites open and rules of entry or expected entry

Camping & Coronavirus - Update - Find all campings on JetCamp.com

JetCamp camping blog: Corona (covid19) rules, guidelines and measures per country
www.jetcamp.com www.jetcamp.com

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