Delays at Dover

[CALI FATE]

Hi has anyone transited through Dover recently and suffered the checking in / French security delays. DFDS warning of 90 min waits to get through security. I have an early morning crossing on Monday - whats the latest ? thanks

 

[bxl_lad]

Hi, I traveled back through Dover (on DFDS) last Sunday afternoon. Radio announcements were talking of arriving 1.5hours before. We found that the delays at the border controls were about 25mins... Other than that no problems.
...Though, they have put a 40mph speed limit on the stretch of road between the Tunnel exit and the port - annoyingly slow...

Happy travels!

 

[bxl_lad]

Though... Sitting watching the Beeb news this morning and it seems a very different picture - very long delays now (traffic standing beyond the town), several hours...
Think you need to leave some extra time - good luck!

 

[Max-Felix]

Would not go there if you can help it. Four to twelve hours:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-36873632

 

[Pete M]

Yep looks terrible, I've got a Monday afternoon tunnel crossing so keeping fingers crossed!
God knows why I didn't check when the kids holidays were!!!

 

[GrannyJen]

Yep looks terrible, I've got a Monday afternoon tunnel crossing so keeping fingers crossed!
God knows why I didn't check when the kids holidays were!!!

ET are currently tweeting 90 minutes check in.

I would suspect that by Monday it may be a little easier.

I hope so. I may well see you in the queue

 

[WelshGas]

Today is supposed to be the worst day. 4.5m cars on the road. Should be back to normal by Monday. We're crossing early Tuesday via Tunnel. Hopefully well back to normal by then.

 

[Nick S]

Today is supposed to be the worst day. 4.5m cars on the road. Should be back to normal by Monday. We're crossing early Tuesday via Tunnel. Hopefully well back to normal by then.

My son and family are trying to cross today by P&O ferry (Dover-Calais) and hope to join us in the south of France tomorrow. They arrived 8 miles out of the port at 5.30am this morning to catch the 7.45am ferry. We have been changing texts all day and they are still are about 2 miles from the ferry terminal. So that's 10 hours so far. It seems that the French Border Control have decided to increase security due to recent events, not a bad thing under the circumstances. However just to make us Brits suffer they only have/had 3 control booths open rather than the 7 available. Typical response to the start of the holidays not sure if they want our money or not. Needless to say my poor family along with many thousands of others are very frustrated, tired and hungry. Poor daughter in law has been unable to go to the loo!!! They have a trailer tent unlike us in our Ocean.

 

[Romke]

On Twitter this afternoon:

 

[Seasidesteve]

Hey, you Brexiteers wanted closed borders, this is a taste of things to come.

 

[WelshGas]

Hey, you Brexiteers wanted closed borders, this is a taste of things to come.

Very poor taste considering the reasons behind the French State of Emergency, but such a comment is to be expected .

 

[T6 CFO]

Hey, you Brexiteers wanted closed borders, this is a taste of things to come.

Controlled borders, not closed, and if you want to have a pop could you do it on the right thread please.
Those not wanting to read it can then avoid.


Mike

 

[GrannyJen]

Hey, you Brexiteers wanted closed borders, this is a taste of things to come.

Actually no, it is what we have, had and aways have had.

We opted out of schengen, ironically now to remain part of the free market we may have to opt in.

We were able to opt out of schengen and keep our border controls. We emphasised it whenever there was a terrorist incident, how we "negotiate to keep our borders safe". We shrugged our shoulders at being "difficult Brits obstructing free movement".

How smug we are. Now the French, under attack, close their borders. Now we say "f***ing french, being difficult"....

I am as pro european as it gets, I am european, I am also positive about che sera and lets get on and move on and stop blaming everything and everything else on a free democratic decision.

 

[Pete M]

Just checked on various sites and all looks okay! That's the Dover information not the above rants

 

[WelshGas]

All cleat to Channel Tunnel.

 

[GrannyJen]

\well I had a big big delay yesterday.

Heathrow. 5 hours waiting for my Son to arrive.

Waited an hour, no sign. Tried to text him but as he was coming back permanently he no longer had a valid mobile phone contract.

Waited another hour. Was assured that there were long queues in immigration. Another hour. Now I'm talking to immigration: "definitely no one of that name being held by us Ma'am, but it is ridiculously busy"

Another hour. Now I'm arguing with Delta to see if he was actually on the passenger manifest. I can't call his phone as he had sold up a few weeks ago and was stopping with friends

Then a brain wave. He Called those friends when he was home a few weeks ago. Called up my telephone account, found an itemised bill with a Washington state number. Called it. A sleepy American voice .... "can I talk to Iain please?"....... "Hello"..... "Hello my dear darling son Iain.... I'm sat here, at Heathrow, reading an email that says "arrive 3.05 on 24th" ...

Silence. Then "OH S...."..... then ... er..... leave on the 24th, arrive on....."

So I duly picked up darling son a couple of hours ago. I greeted him with such a loving hug.... around his neck

 

[CALI FATE]

Monday early morning crossing Dover - got there couple of hours early - no delays could have spent more time in bed.

 

[bxl_lad]

Monday early morning crossing Dover - got there couple of hours early - no delays could have spent more time in bed.

A load of fuss over nothing then ...

Though I had a thought to any Cali's heading for Dover, just in case of delays (cos you know it won't be too long before someone goes on strike in that direction!)... Pack a few dozen hot-dog rolls, sausages, onions and ketchup - you'll do a roaring trade and be the most popular folks in the standing traffic!

Happy Hols!

 

[Rich20]

I think someone got caught with their pants down and did not rota enough staff for a massive weekend at the start of the holidays knowing that the checks needed to be increased. Delays seem minimal now and it has dropped of the radar for most people. Maybe they will get a grip and sort it for this weekend and the rest of the holiday season.

 

[GrannyJen]

Bit of a bummer for French air traffic controllers.

It's normally them that rises to the challenge of creating misery for millions.

At least having to implement a state of emergency whilst in the midst of a succession of barbaric terrorist attacks deserves some understanding, although if I had been stuck in those horrendous queues my reservoir of understanding would be definitely at the "empty" level.

 

[BerndRos]

I don't really understand, heightened security checks etc from UK to France, but what have the French done re all the open borders that have with other EU countries ?

I would have thought those borders likely are a higher risk.....

 

[bxl_lad]

I don't really understand, heightened security checks etc from UK to France, but what have the French done re all the open borders that have with other EU countries ?

I would have thought those borders likely are a higher risk.....

There are (or were)... increased checks at borders between France and Belgium also... A friend of mine was stuck earlier this week on one of them....

Its an impossible task for those on the controls, short of racial profiling and cross-checking every person against whatever databases exist to highlight wrong-doers or potential wrong-doers (even more difficult to check!), then its a needle in a haystack task... Damned if they do, damned if they don't... Sadly the more these attacks take place the more difficult will become our freedom of movement and the more we will have to take this into account in our travels... But that's a whole other discussion