PaulinEger

I'm going to have to drive back to the UK This weekend due to family matters. This has come at very short notice and the worst time to be driving across Europe due to the public holiday.
It's a journey I've made several times but the last time was 15 years ago and I can't remember the procedure at the port. My plan is to take a ferry from Calais to Dover, booked at relatively short notice as my travels plans will be relatively flexible.
But....what do I do when I get to the port? Do I just look for signs for the ferry company and park in line? Do I have to park up and go in to the ferry terminal? Are my documents checked whilst I'm in the vehicle? It's so long ago that I last did this, I just can't remember.

EU.flag

Any good reason you cant fly?
Every ferry company has a website, with details about everything. Process is dead simple, you queue up with car, show id/ticket, drive in ferry and park, get out of car and get seat on ferry.

Peter_in_Hungary

That's what I do and hire a car the other end. for short duration trips it saves time and when you cost in overnight stays on the journey it works out cheaper (last time I costed it)
Down side - hiring a car for the over 75s means careful selection of your hire co.

PaulinEger

I don't want to fly because I'm not sure how long I'll be there. It might be 5 days, it might be 15 days and I don't want to spend that much money on car hire. Plus, I've converted my Picasso into a mini camper. I'll be travelling alone so sleeping in the car won't be a problem. It also saves a small fortune on accomodation once in the UK. There's no-one locally, family wise who could put me up. And then there are some personal belongings from my mother's estate that have been in storage for me that I need to bring back. Not a lot but more than I can bring back on a plane.
That brings me on to another question.....do I have to declare these items at customs? There's no real value to any of them, just personal bits from her house with a sentimental value.

ecurb

I guess it depends on how much you are bringing, if you car is pack full of items they may stop you and go through them, it is just looks like a normal amount you would carry on a trip to the UK they may not stop you.
I travelled back from NZ with some of my Mum's things in two suitcases. When I went through customs at Budapest they stopped me and went through them. There was a very new looking sewing machine packed in the clothes and they didn't care about it. I'm sure they don't expect people to carry a sewing machine but I guess it was not in an original box so they decided it was not worth bothering with collecting any tax.

calman014

Personally I would have taken the tunnel, but you should have no big problems, just allow yourself plenty of extra travel time across Europe, (at least 2 hours) that way you can still turn up at the port with a little time to spare.
Important of course is a current and valid passport and your EU Residence card which will both be checked both ways.

Make sure your tyres are up to scratch..depending on where you are going in UK that may be a blessing (especially with the current weather).
Don't forget First Aid Kit and Emergency Triangle and other legally required items.

Safe journey.

PaulinEger

Thank you for the advice.
I will only be bringing a couple of boxes back so my car won't be piled high. I've built a raised platform for sleeping on with most items stored underneath so it just looks like a normal Picasso from the outside. All documents are in order, the car has just undergone a major service and I've managed to arrange breakdown cover.
I've never used the tunnel, always the ferry and looking at the prices, the tunnel is about double.
My big concern is the amount of traffic with it being a public holiday. I should get to at least Regensberg tomorrow and another overnight somewhere near the Belgian/French border so it's a just a short drive the next morning to either Calais or Dunkirk and then up to West Yorkshire by Monday afternoon.

BuckinghamshireBoy

Tunnel would be better than ferry imo (not done it for a while though) far smoother, and a bit faster.

Have a safe trip.

calman014

Tunnel is more expensive that’s true, but facilities less crowded and more efficient. Also you leave and join at a convenient motorway turnoff rather than driving on regular roads. It saves a lot of time and hassle.
By the way IS YOUR VEHICLE A DIESEL? Stay on the M25 if you can, to avoid any exclusion zone charges around London.

PaulinEger

It's a petrol and my thought was to hit the M25, M1 or A1 and head north. The further away from London I can be the better 😆

Arkwright

It's the Eurotunnel every time for me, I haven't used a ferry since the late 90's.
It's fast, quiet, efficient.
No bobbing up and down outside Dover for 90 minutes because it's too stormy to enter the harbour, no Wayne and Waynettas and no loud grubby kids either.
Sit in your car, have a sandwich and a 15 minute nap and you're off again before you know it.
Then, as mentioned previously, you're straight out onto the M20.

I always took a night train both directions, that way avoiding traffic on M25 and around Brussels in the other direction.
I used to leave plenty of time heading to UK as a lot can happen over that distance, then I'd park up in Belgium at a service station about 90 minutes away from the terminal and rest there.

I guess it goes without saying, but, always be aware of your surroundings and where you stop for a rest, if it doesn't feel right then it probably isn't, drive to another place if you are able.
Don't park in the shadows where it looks nice and quiet and out of the way, try to park where everybody can see your car, don't be a victim.

Another thing I used to do is pull off the motorway and drive into a town for fuel instead of filling up on motorways, the difference can be as much as 9,000 Ft./tank

Have a safe trip.

PaulinEger

So, I landed in Dover very late Sunday night. The journey was very straightforward apart from the the very unhelpful French guy at the P&O check in desk at Calais who didn't want to help me as I'd booked with Irish Ferries.
HAd my car quickly checked by both French and English customs but no issues. I thought they might make me give up my bananas, walnuts and honey. I also had 5 litres of petrol in a can but they were only interested in looking for illegal immigrants.
Got off the boat in the dark to find that both my dipped headlight bulbs had gone. 2 hours later and I was sorted and on my way. I really wanted to get well north of the M25 before getting my head down but my GPS threw a complete wobbler around a town near Hereford, sending me round in circles for an hour.
Anyway, all sorted now, good to see my father but I really wouldn't want to live back here. Faaaar too many people and traffic.
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Rosemary

So glad that you have arrived safely.

Rosemary

Red Eric

Finknottle

Hertford?