terrygriff

My wife and I plus 3 dogs and car need to get back to UK sharpish and Brittany Ferries keep pushing back out sailing date. Thinking of driving to Calais to pick up ferry or tunnel , do people think it will be possible to travel ok through Spain and France or might we be stopped and blocked from travelling by the authorities.

We are UK residents heading home to our main residence and we have elderly relative who needs our support in UK, we have been in Spain since early January and planned to head home soon but the Covid-19 has forced our hand. Concerned if we wait we might not get home for some time.

Any thoughts / suggestions / advice welcome

Thanks

Tweedpipe

I can't be sure for Spain, but THIS link advises of the procedure to drive back through France. You need to download and print off the first pdf (travel certificate form) from THIS site and mark the 4th box deplacements pour motif familial imperieux (trips for compelling family reasons), date and sign it. If your drive through France takes 2 days, you'll need two forms, one for each day.
Obviously call the ferry companies in Calais to ensure they are still operating. To the best of my knowledge P&O are still operating between Calais and Dover.

dmu

Welcome to the France forum!
Hope people here can give up-to-date info regarding eating on Autoroutes and dog-friendly hotels, also what documents are necessary at Calais for taking dogs over/under the Channel.
I repeat that you should have the Attestation as mentioned on the Spain forum, before you cross the Spain/France border. Print it out, as copies on smartphones aren't valid.
All the best!

dmu

Our posts crossed!
According to the radio, you can write the date in pencil and rub it out for the next time.
On the other hand, does each person in the car need a separate Attestation? No one's mentioned that....
P.S. France Inter just stated that each person in a car must have a separate Attestation. No confirmation about pencilled date/ticked box - maybe it was fake news?

EuroTrash

I have read that it has to be in blue or black ink - but you can use an erasable pen.
Sales of erasable pens must have rocketed in the last 24 hours...

Chatter Static

I just suggest to the OH laminating the form and using a wipeable pen on it, she has a work one as well having a job that is indispensable to the healthy running of the nation but you still need both in that case.

That's pretty normal for France children go ape when you use the wrong colour pen to sign their school work.

dmu

I for one haven't got a laminating machine, and stationers who have, are closed
I'll try my pencil idea tomorrow, and will report if there's a check....
@OP When are you planning to cross the Spain/France border? And, in fact, to help people recommend dog-friendly hotels on your itinerary, which border?

dmu

FWIW, there was no sign of any gendarmes this morning (but it is rural in North Hérault), so I'll rub out the 20 until next week. Also the village superette was as normal, but with customers keeping the regulatory distance. I might venture to the nearest town next week if a stricter curfew isn't imposed by then.....

terrygriff

Hi, we made it successfully back, the police at the French / Spanish border asked us if we had tickets booked to return to UK which we had, they were not interested in passports. Stopped at a dog friendly hotel in Salles just south of Bordeaux, booked it through Booking.com. It was a bit pricey at 85 Euros for a double room but was ideal as a short step from the motorway. Hotel very nice , super breakfast delivered to room, 9 euros each. Hotel restaurant and bar closed due to Government restrictions. Hotel name was Domaine du Pont de l'Eyre

Did not see any police on the motorways in either Spain or France. Roads were empty.

Eurotunnel service was brilliant, arrived at terminal at 6.15pm. checked in 3 dogs, drove onto train at 6.35, train departed at 6.50, arrived at Folkestone at 7.20,

cyrian

Thanks for the update.

DunFlying

Wed 29 Apr.
Hi everyone. This is my first post on here so be gentle!
We are at the point where due to personal circumstances we are having to consider driving from Cadiz direct to Calais (driver + co-driver + dog). We have a tunnel ticket, and have downloaded the Spanish and French 'letters' for travelling. Is there any up to date info or advice that you can give us? I see that a home run was made by Terrygriff in March, but are fuel stations still open on the route Cadiz/Salamancar/Burgos/Bordeaux/Rouen/Calais ? Any other info gratefully received.
Thanks

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the forum!
Unless you plan to pass through France in one day, you'll need an Attestation for both of you for each day you're in France. A BE member in the Portugal forum recently had a straightforward return from the UK to Portugal, having booked an Ibis hotel beforehand via Booking.com, which provided breakfast in the room. Haven't heard about any fuel stations closing down, but bear in mind that all cafés and restaurants are closed and you must cater for yourselves.
She was also lucky, not encountering any Gendarmes on the journey, but don't underestimate the "risk" of being checked!
I don't know what the regulations are nowadays regarding travelling to the UK with dogs, but you'd do well to ensure that your dog's Pet Passport has the correct Spanish vet's stamps before you leave. You don't want the risk of having to find a French vet in Calais.....
Hope it all goes smoothly for you!

DunFlying

Thanks dmu. We are seasoned European dog travellers so have all the pet angle covered. We intend to drive the route in a driving relay, and expect about 24 hrs on the road! I spoke to Eurotunnel and they will process the dog as usual and advised that the terminal (including toilets) was closed. They said that the toilets at the final pre-boarding area where you wait to get called onto the train are open.

terrygriff

Hi, all the motorway service stations were open for fuel and toilets but none of the shops were open to buy food or other provisions. We made ourselves a good supply of sandwiches and snacks for the journey just in case we could not get anything on the way. Our hotel in France could not serve dinner but provided continental breakfast in the room.

Our hotel near Bordeaux was good and accepted dogs , so able to break up the journey, used Holiday Inn Express Folkestone as well so we could rest after 10 hours driving

DunFlying

Update.
We left El Puerto at 0930 last Tues morning and arrived at the hotel in Castets, France at 10 pm. We saw no Spanish police at all, and armed with the required paperwork it took us about 1 minute to cross into France at the border. Booked through Booking.com, The Originals City, Hôtel Les Bruyères, Dax Nord (Inter-Hotel) Zac De Gazalieu - 190 Impasse Du Basile, 40260 Castets, France. Their Covid procedures were that all staff and guests to wear mask and gloves, and when we left we put the linen and towels into a laundry sack and opened the windows. We did not eat (self catered) but breakfast would have been left outside the room. All the fuel stops in Spain and France were open, but toilet availability varied, although we were not caught short! In France the people seemed to ignore all the rules, so we took extra care to mask, glove and distance !! At the tunnel the dog was checked OK and then we took the tunnel home. Passport control at Calais was only UK and was quick with no stop at Customs.