Strange times at Calais

[ericonabike]

Currently on board a dfds ferry en route to Dover. Embarked with just five minutes to spare despite getting to the port exit some 90 minutes before sailing. The exit was shut. No diversions in place, but figured easy to get off at next exit and go through the town. Followed signs, then just as within sniffing distance, the road was barriered. No explanation, no diversion signs. After meandering around I saw the entrance booths to my right. I'm pretty sure I went the wrong way down a service road to get to them, but hey...

Then followed first ticket etc inspection. Then a second stop by French police for passport check. Home free? Not quite. I then had to join a long queue of cars and vans heading for a single open checkpoint, moving extremely slowly. Our border patrol. Followed by a further van check by French officials.

Is this now a routine experience? If so, is travel.via,Dunkirk a better option? Certainly it was way different t from anything I've experienced before...

 

[PhilandMena]

Currently on board a dfds ferry en route to Dover. Embarked with just five minutes to spare despite getting to the port exit some 90 minutes before sailing. The exit was shut. No diversions in place, but figured easy to get off at next exit and go through the town. Followed signs, then just as within sniffing distance, the road was barriered. No explanation, no diversion signs. After meandering around I saw the entrance booths to my right. I'm pretty sure I went the wrong way down a service road to get to them, but hey...

Then followed first ticket etc inspection. Then a second stop by French police for passport check. Home free? Not quite. I then had to join a long queue of cars and vans heading for a single open checkpoint, moving extremely slowly. Our border patrol. Followed by a further van check by French officials.

Is this now a routine experience? If so, is travel.via,Dunkirk a better option? Certainly it was way different t from anything I've experienced before...

I came through Dunkerque in August. We were searched three times after passing through the Border police check. Not an unpleasant experience and we were treated with respect.

 

[Figaro]

Maybe email DFDS and ask for an explanation ? perhaps there were 'events' in Calais leading to the road closures

 

[ericonabike]

Certainly no one at the port either wanted to or couldn't explain what was happening. It just felt so Kafkaesque, as though I was doomed to drive around without ever finding the exit! And I would certainly have missed the ferry I'd got there any later. I've tweeted dfds to ask.

 

[rod_vw]

Google maps (Traffic) only shows the West bound exit from the A16 closed, it looks as if you had gone to the next junction looped back east you would have been OK.
The road over the harbour from the town towards the port is shown as closed until March 2022.

Ah and looking back at the map now 14:14hrs the A16 junction has been opened.

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[gus-lopez]

I've actually had them shut the road leading off the A16 into Dunkirk in front of me. on a sunday morning .Asked where the diversion was just vague arm wave & shoulder shrug. I just wandered around until I found another road towards port & then wrong way down another dual carriageway as the entry side was also shut.
Dunkirk for me is always check in+ dog, French army check inside, French customs check. Uk customs check ( usually done by another lot of French)

 

[Bucket]

Normally i'd suspect it's another Macron inspired dig at the Brits, but, isn't this normal for France? We must all have encountered a road closed sign with absolutely no diversion or other guidance to get round and back on route.
Even better is if you try following a local hoping they know the route you end up at some farm 10 km further away with a very puzzled Frog wondering why you have done that.

 

[ericonabike]

Thanks @rod_dw far more informative than anyone on the other side of the Channel! Would never have thought to turn around to see if the exit lane from the opposite direction was open. Nor was there any signage to show that access to the port from town was interdit. Ah well, c'est la vie...

 

[bobandjanie]

This has happened ever since we have travelled overseas long before the European Union, if you do get a diversion sign it's normally only one.

Often here in Spain they just put barrier across the road no signs just blocked off and dug a big hole. Bob.

 

[Riverbankannie]

We have once driven, in a convey of 3 vans, past the Route Barré signs, through the roadworks and over the sand they were laying for new cobbles. The French workers just shrugged and moved their equipment aside !

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[tony_g]

Came home via Calais yesterday. Nightmare all round. P&O website refused to recognise my booking ref online, so couldn't pre complete API. Then refused to allow me to upload covid test and vaccine status.
Finally, found port exit slip closed, as described but went to next junction and looped back. However, then came upon a great queue of near stationary trucks in both lanes 4km from terminal. Large numbers of hopeful immigrants milling around in all directions, some managing to get into trailers. Police cars and motorbikes on the outbound carriageway, in numbers. Eventually the outside lane freed up enough for us to crawl past the point where trucks and cars diverge. Meanwhile, getting ever closer to our check in time. Once into the port proper, though, the process was quick and smooth. Just showed the documentation on my tablet. Good crossing.
As for the journey Dover to Nuneaton. DON'T ASK!

 

[Sapper520]

We once travelled Portsmouth to Cherbourg on one of our motorcycle trips.

Once outside the port (afterall, they didn’t want the problem inside it) all roads were blocked by Police vehicles, then further down the road they were blocked by LGV’s. Strike picket line of course.

I approached the Police barrier and asked how we could get out of town (trying with my very limited French), ‘Non’…..that was it.

Luckily, my keen eyed wife was sat on her bike observing the locals negotiating through back streets. We just tagged along behind one of the cars and was guided out of town.

 

[Taran_Las]

I once hit a route barree in Périgueux. Fortunately there was a diversion route indicated. I'm convinced it had been laid out by a non-French person as it lead me to exactly the road I expected to get to. I was completely bewildered by the experience as the French have never been that kind to me before (or since).

 

[cyberyacht]

Had a couple of road closures heading down to Lake Titisee a couple of years back. No indication of where to go. I just picked roads that seemed to heading in the general direction and it all sorted itself out in the end.

 

[The Wino]

Came home via Calais yesterday. Nightmare all round. P&O website refused to recognise my booking ref online, so couldn't pre complete API. Then refused to allow me to upload covid test and vaccine status.
Finally, found port exit slip closed, as described but went to next junction and looped back. However, then came upon a great queue of near stationary trucks in both lanes 4km from terminal. Large numbers of hopeful immigrants milling around in all directions, some managing to get into trailers. Police cars and motorbikes on the outbound carriageway, in numbers. Eventually the outside lane freed up enough for us to crawl past the point where trucks and cars diverge. Meanwhile, getting ever closer to our check in time. Once into the port proper, though, the process was quick and smooth. Just showed the documentation on my tablet. Good crossing.
As for the journey Dover to Nuneaton. DON'T ASK!

I think your last line says it all. On all the trips we've been to France any delay the other side has paled into insignificance compared to the M25 and Dartford crossing. One time we went to see the eclipse as the zone of totality crossed northern France. The motorway on the way back was backing up a few miles after as as soon as it was over all the Dutch Belgians etc wanted to head north the gendarmes made them open the toll booth gates to let the jam through I bet thats never happened at the Dartford crossing when they still had the booths

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[Lenny HB]

I think it's a game with the French they have competition for who can set up the most confusing diversion.
I remember one we were near an Autoroute which we had no intension of going on, road was closed diversion signs took us 30 miles out of our way to another Autoroute. That was the days before Internet and satnav.

 

[chaser]

I think it's a game with the French they have competition for who can set up the most confusing diversion.
I remember one we were near an Autoroute which we had no intension of going on, road was closed diversion signs took us 30 miles out of our way to another Autoroute. That was the days before Internet and satnav.

When we are in France, it's very rare that we know exactly where we are going anyway, so all roads are the same as long as they are going in the general direction, south going, north coming back, that's about it.

 

[Riverbankannie]

We once travelled Portsmouth to Cherbourg on one of our motorcycle trips.

Once outside the port (afterall, they didn’t want the problem inside it) all roads were blocked by Police vehicles, then further down the road they were blocked by LGV’s. Strike picket line of course.

I approached the Police barrier and asked how we could get out of town (trying with my very limited French), ‘Non’…..that was it.

Luckily, my keen eyed wife was sat on her bike observing the locals negotiating through back streets. We just tagged along behind one of the cars and was guided out of town.

We were in our MG once snd stopped for coffee in a very small town in Northern France. Just as we finished a great honking of horns started up and a convey of lorries cane into town from both directions and stopped at the little square where we were - and the Marie. The cafe proprietor stated getting ready baguettes and coffee for the drivers and said it was a protest about the closing down of the local factory. After another cup of coffee watching the shenanegins, we got out the A3 michelin road book and the proprietor showed us a back way out !

 

[Bucket]

. Once into the port proper, though, the process was quick and smooth. Just showed the documentation on my tablet. Good crossing.
As for the journey Dover to Nuneaton. DON'T ASK!

How was the Journey Dover to nuneaton?

 

[busby]

Came home via Calais yesterday. Nightmare all round. P&O website refused to recognise my booking ref online, so couldn't pre complete API. Then refused to allow me to upload covid test and vaccine status.
Finally, found port exit slip closed, as described but went to next junction and looped back. However, then came upon a great queue of near stationary trucks in both lanes 4km from terminal. Large numbers of hopeful immigrants milling around in all directions, some managing to get into trailers. Police cars and motorbikes on the outbound carriageway, in numbers. Eventually the outside lane freed up enough for us to crawl past the point where trucks and cars diverge. Meanwhile, getting ever closer to our check in time. Once into the port proper, though, the process was quick and smooth. Just showed the documentation on my tablet. Good crossing.
As for the journey Dover to Nuneaton. DON'T ASK!

I never ever travel on a Friday in the uk..BUSBY.

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[tacr2man]

Think there was a major incursion by Somalis anding up with 1 dead and two injured by train ?

 

[2657]

.

 

[2657]

Came home via Calais yesterday. Nightmare all round. P&O website refused to recognise my booking ref online, so couldn't pre complete API. Then refused to allow me to upload covid test and vaccine status.
Finally, found port exit slip closed, as described but went to next junction and looped back. However, then came upon a great queue of near stationary trucks in both lanes 4km from terminal. Large numbers of hopeful immigrants milling around in all directions, some managing to get into trailers. Police cars and motorbikes on the outbound carriageway, in numbers. Eventually the outside lane freed up enough for us to crawl past the point where trucks and cars diverge. Meanwhile, getting ever closer to our check in time. Once into the port proper, though, the process was quick and smooth. Just showed the documentation on my tablet. Good crossing.
As for the journey Dover to Nuneaton. DON'T ASK!

I think your last line says it all. On all the trips we've been to France any delay the other side has paled into insignificance compared to the M25 and Dartford crossing. One time we went to see the eclipse as the zone of totality crossed northern France. The motorway on the way back was backing up a few miles after as as soon as it was over all the Dutch Belgians etc wanted to head north the gendarmes made them open the toll booth gates to let the jam through I bet thats never happened at the Dartford crossing when they still had the booths

Only one word necessary........Portsmouth

 

[gus-lopez]

I once hit a route barree in Périgueux. Fortunately there was a diversion route indicated. I'm convinced it had been laid out by a non-French person as it lead me to exactly the road I expected to get to. I was completely bewildered by the experience as the French have never been that kind to me before (or since).

Yes I had that a couple of years back.Utterly amazed me ? Worked out in the end that it was because it bypassed the through route of the town & was done obviously for the locals.

 

[gus-lopez]

Think there was a major incursion by Somalis anding up with 1 dead and two injured by train ?

No, apparently it was 4 Eritreans walking along the track dunkirk-Calais & train hit them. 1 killed all rest injured

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[Sapper520]

Only one word necessary........Portsmouth

Or Plymouth.