Adventure Bike Rider Forum

Harper wrote:I'm supposed to be chunnelling Franceward on Friday.
Does the forum collective think that I'd be better ferrying Newhaven ---> Dieppe?
It takes a bit longer, but avoids Calais and costs slightly less (£178 ferry; £250 Chunnel)(return)

We used to do the Dieppe run twice a year when we still lived in Britain - the route avoids Paris and once you get past - or in those days through - Rouen, you away ...

Simon

What I have realised in all my channel crossings this year is that I'm no longer paying virtually double for the "speed" of the Eurotunnel.

The train may only take 1/2 hour, but every time I've been through this year passport control and customs has taken 90 minutes or more.

It took a crowd of bikes 90 minutes on Tuesday night only because 20 bikes filtered between the cones from the queue for the overflow holding area and went straight into the queue for passport control. Officials waved their arms in protest but 20 bikes chose to ignore them so they gave up and let it slide. Had those bikes gone to the holding area first it would've been more like 2 1/2 hours.

It's no longer any quicker than the ferry.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Used the channel tunnel yesterday afternoon in the car , a bit apprehensive as travelling with the family after all the press coverage very busy as last weekend of school holidays .we cheat and use " Flexiplus"so straight to the front of the queue (thumbs)

Asked the guy at passport control about people attempting to get into cars etc , his advice was avoid late night or very early crossings , off the record he did said the truck drivers strike on Monday was a good thing & if the shoe was on the other foot the UK would expected to get it sorted

I'm not in France then, but I'll ask about and post if there's any news.

So the blockade is now over but a call from Sarkozy for the British to build a holding centre has been voiced, it is only a matter of time !

Harper wrote:I'm supposed to be chunnelling Franceward on Friday.
Does the forum collective think that I'd be better ferrying Newhaven ---> Dieppe?
It takes a bit longer, but avoids Calais and costs slightly less (£178 ferry; £250 Chunnel)(return)

And as a vaguely related point on costs, I have been pricing a for crossing later in the week. Single bike and rider on DFDS Newhaven - Dieppe about £70 Return. Brittany Ferries the lowest is around £160-£170 and the timing is not that much better...

I really do wish there was more competition over to the West of the UK for crossings to France and Spain.

The Spanish Biker wrote:
We used to do the Dieppe run twice a year when we still lived in Britain - the route avoids Paris and once you get past - or in those days through - Rouen, you away ...

Simon

Rouen, that's the city with the very low tunnels in the city centre where you think your going to bash your lid on the ceiling they are so low...and the Sat Navs always seem to throw a wobbly :silly: . I've been there 4 times in 3 years, each time the ring-road has been 'closed' and each time we've been stuck for about 2 hours in a never-ending circle of Sat Nav madness... :laugh:

Scott_rider wrote:

The Spanish Biker wrote:
We used to do the Dieppe run twice a year when we still lived in Britain - the route avoids Paris and once you get past - or in those days through - Rouen, you away ...

Simon

Rouen, that's the city with the very low tunnels in the city centre where you think your going to bash your lid on the ceiling they are so low...and the Sat Navs always seem to throw a wobbly :silly: . I've been there 4 times in 3 years, each time the ring-road has been 'closed' and each time we've been stuck for about 2 hours in a never-ending circle of Sat Nav madness... :laugh:

Thanks, satnav will be re-routed.... (thumbs)

-Ralph- wrote:What I have realised in all my channel crossings this year is that I'm no longer paying virtually double for the "speed" of the Eurotunnel.

The train may only take 1/2 hour, but every time I've been through this year passport control and customs has taken 90 minutes or more.

It took a crowd of bikes 90 minutes on Tuesday night only because 20 bikes filtered between the cones from the queue for the overflow holding area and went straight into the queue for passport control. Officials waved their arms in protest but 20 bikes chose to ignore them so they gave up and let it slide. Had those bikes gone to the holding area first it would've been more like 2 1/2 hours.

It's no longer any quicker than the ferry.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

hi ralph we just cut straight across the chappy controlling the queue with a big wave and go straight to the train even when we are early, jan just waves the ticket around and we get in the lane thats moving, bit of a cheek but there not going to turn you around into oncoming traffic

steve

SteveR wrote:

Harper wrote:I'm supposed to be chunnelling Franceward on Friday.
Does the forum collective think that I'd be better ferrying Newhaven ---> Dieppe?
It takes a bit longer, but avoids Calais and costs slightly less (£178 ferry; £250 Chunnel)(return)

And as a vaguely related point on costs, I have been pricing a for crossing later in the week. Single bike and rider on DFDS Newhaven - Dieppe about £70 Return. Brittany Ferries the lowest is around £160-£170 and the timing is not that much better...

I really do wish there was more competition over to the West of the UK for crossings to France and Spain.

Steve PM me and you can use my discount if it helps ??

Sarge