Brittany Trebeurden to St Cast-le Guildo

[Bandit]

It would appear the situation in the are administered by St Brieuc Douane has changed and now you can check in and out of any port between St Cast and Trebeurden for UK and CI residents.
This is a great step forward as previously it was only St Cast and St Quay as entry and exit ports see Digimap.gg Marinas page for details.
It would appear you can’t enter in this area and exit from a port outside this area eg St Malo or Roscoff.
But it does give you many options.

 

[chrishscorp]

That is a very recent change as I was in St Cast only 3 weeks ago and then onto St Malo. We were aware you could check in in St Cast ( not sure where ) but you could not check out, so yes those wishing to depart direct back to the Channel islands that would be a good move.

This will all of course change yet again when fingerprint scans and face photos are required as all of the PAF offices will need these where as currently they just need a clipboard and a self inking date stamp.

 

[Bandit]

It changed yesterday.

 

[Sandy]

I read somewhere that a number of Brittany ports were being allowed to work as temporary ports of entry, BUT only if you remain in Brittany. If you plan to sail further afield you need to enter via a proper port of entry.

 

[ashtead]

I guess if you enter at Cherbourg you can happily sail down to st cast the entry stamp still works but sounds helpful if you want to say travel back via Guernsey if you can exit stamp at the st cast marina as it’s one of the best that way. Do the men with stamps turn up at the marina at set times though? it also helps if you miss stamping in at say cherbourg due to office hours maybe

 

[bobgarrett]

It changed yesterday.

Actually the announcement was back in May...
Entering & Leaving France for Cruisers – An update from the Cruising Association | CA

 

[bobgarrett]

I guess if you enter at Cherbourg you can happily sail down to st cast the entry stamp still works but sounds helpful if you want to say travel back via Guernsey if you can exit stamp at the st cast marina as it’s one of the best that way. Do the men with stamps turn up at the marina at set times though? it also helps if you miss stamping in at say cherbourg due to office hours maybe

The process is special for those 5 ports whereby passports are not stamped for entry or exit. So if you enter a port of entry you must also leave from one; if you enter one of the "special" ports then you must leave from one. See the CA link above.

 

[ashtead]

Thanks for info - clearly some planning needed on stamp collection -seems like one just needs to avoid stamping in until reaching st cast.

 

[Bathdave]

As I understand it, If you enter and leave through one of the ports covered by this arrangement, you do not get a stamp in your passport but a physical copy of the preavis form stamped by customs for entry and exit and handed over by the marina office

it’s a self contained arrangement ie your entry and exit both need to be at one of the ports covered by the arrangement

 

[chrishscorp]

Thanks for info - clearly some planning needed on stamp collection -seems like one just needs to avoid stamping in until reaching st cast.

UK to Channel islands and onto St Cast, yes.
You would be ill advised to travel through France and French ports without stamping in, in our group it was in St Cast the smallest French port we went into one of our group was called onto the pontoon at 0700 and told to bring every scrap of paper with them for inspection. A friend went into a northern port in France arrived Saturday evening thought the PAF office was shut so got stamped in on the Monday morning they were very very unhappy, he had an entry stamp and a handwritten note next to it put in his passport, he must get that translated though i dont think it will be polite.

 

[ashtead]

Not always possible to stamp in at cherbourg if stamps office closed though until they actually instal a few machines to provide a 24/7 service . You would have thought by now given how many years have passed a scanner in each port would have arrived if of course it added value .