Cherbourg- Anyone been recently?

[Devon Boy]

Hi All,

I’m looking a taking a group to Cherbourg in July however I have been hearing mixed things about getting cleared upon arrival and delays.

It is unlikely we would be there for more than 24h before heading to the Channel Islands. Has anyone had undue delays in being able to drop the “Q” flag and get ashore?

Any other relevant / useful information greatly received.

 

[lektran]

Not that recent but we were there this time last year. On arrival we walked to the PAF office, maybe a 30 minute walk and were stamped in without issue. On departure the officers were coming to the marina every morning so we joined that queue and were done in 10 minutes. We had all our paperwork but in both cases they only cared about the passports.

 

[michael_w]

2 years ago the PAF came to the captinerie at 09:00 and 18:00 either download and print their form. Having it on your phone was good too.

 

[John_Silver]

In Cherbourg over the (French) double Bank Holidays, last week: PaF were doing an 09.00 surgery then. Not evenings. But the officers on the ground were happy to stamp me out, to Guernsey, for the following day. (Which, out of interest, the desk officer, who replied to my pre-avis submission said was not permitted. And that I should attend their Rue Dom Pedro offices at crazy o'clock immediately prior to catching the tide, the following day......)
Got the impression that usually there is an 18.00 too (The Capitainerie have a timetable pinned up by the desk)
Numbers shouldn't be an issue. When I turned up, the entire crew of TS Royalist were being processed!

 

[MontyMariner]

the officers on the ground were happy to stamp me out, to Guernsey, for the following day

Yes, I wanted an early start so got stamped out the previous evening.
There was a thread recently informing that the paf email address had changed to dipn50-paf-cic@interieur.gouv.fr

 

[John_Silver]

On the “get ashore” question. Any of the PaF that I visit (Dieppe, Cherbourg, Roscoff) seem quite happy for me to stamp in on the morning after an afternoon/ evening arrival, with a bag full of fresh patisserie (making it plain that I’ve been ashore). So free to wander from arrival, with a pre avis submitted as evidence of good intent, I’d say.

 

[Boathook]

I went to Cherbourg in July last year. The PaF were at the marina office at 9am and 6pm. They collected the forms and then stamped the passport. No questions about when you arrived or were leaving.
The marina was only concerned about collecting berthing fees so had no dealings with PaF.

 

[strudders]

Hi All,

I’m looking a taking a group to Cherbourg in July however I have been hearing mixed things about getting cleared upon arrival and delays.

It is unlikely we would be there for more than 24h before heading to the Channel Islands. Has anyone had undue delays in being able to drop the “Q” flag and get ashore?

Any other relevant / useful information greatly received.

Just been there and from May to September the police come to the marina office every morning at 0900 for stamping passports in and out. (Same as last year) You should download the form off the Port Chanterayne website (I think only the french version has the link) and send it the day before or ealry in the morning as I did yesterday. Although the marina office can also give you one and they take it on the day. Email address has changed though - dipn50-paf-cic@interieur.gouv.fr. Nobody seems to care about Q flags - folks put them up but nobody come round - we didn't bother

 

[Devon Boy]

Thanks all. This is all very reassuring. The group I’m taking are disabled and really don’t want to be stuck onboard any longer then they need to and may struggle if they were getting caught up in onerous procedures to the point I was thinking of shelving the whole French bit of the trip.

 

[DJE]

Might be an idea to check your dates against the Tour Des Ports race schedule. When they're in town visitors berths can be a bit hard to find.

Tour des ports de la Manche – LA COURSE CROISIERE FRANCAISE

 

[wonkywinch]

Planning a jaunt around smaller marinas (non PPF) next month but going via the CI and first French stop Lezardrieix. Our intention is St Malo as last stop before back to Guernsey.

Would it be risky to go into Cherbourg first, getting a stamp then proceeding to Guernsey then Lezardrieux, St Malo (get exit stamp) then Guernsey then UK?

Will I be at risk of being an illegal immigrant in the CI if I still have a live French stamp in my passport? Should I sail Cherbourg > Lezardrieux but "divert" into Guernsey?

Other alternatives to leave St Malo and drop into a non PPF for final exit?

 

[doug748]

I would follow your original plan. You are very, very unlikely to be challenged in Guernsey and, in any case, your dealings with the EU will not interest them. As far as St Malo is concerned, you have been "cruising down the French coast".

If this worries, just clock out of Cherboug and into St Malo as you arrive.

.

 

[wonkywinch]

If this worries, just clock out of Cherboug and into St Malo as you arrive.

Problem at the moment is plan is to enter via non PPF and leave via PPF which has recently been stopped.

I don't mind eating into my 90 days so may try the Cherbourg route.

 

[doug748]

I am not putting my trust in the new system, till it settles and am using PAF ports.
Even if it does muck the plans up a bit at times.

.

 

[ashtead]

I would have thought it fairly normal for many yachts in summer to leave the Solent for Cherbourg and arrive after 6pm local time tie up on the waiting pontoon as no walk ashore free and depart early next morning well before 9 am for Jersey to catch the tide . Is there an office open 24/7 to stamp in now created maybe? On leaving jersey you might arrive at St Cast say which I recall is non PAF so what then?

 

[Barton Seagoon]

Planning a jaunt around smaller marinas (non PPF) next month but going via the CI and first French stop Lezardrieix. Our intention is St Malo as last stop before back to Guernsey.

Would it be risky to go into Cherbourg first, getting a stamp then proceeding to Guernsey then Lezardrieux, St Malo (get exit stamp) then Guernsey then UK?

Will I be at risk of being an illegal immigrant in the CI if I still have a live French stamp in my passport? Should I sail Cherbourg > Lezardrieux but "divert" into Guernsey?

Other alternatives to leave St Malo and drop into a non PPF for final exit?

We did almost exactly that just a few weeks ago. Arrived St Malo around 17:00. PAF arrived about 18:30. They stamped our papers for arrival and since we were leaving the next day (around 11:00) they stamped for exit as well. Then we had 2 days in Guernsey followed by the Breton coast, entering at Lezardrieux. All entry/exit formalities went smoothly except for the final exit, where I sent my email with the form but they never sent any reply. I called them on the phone a few days after returning to UK, and they confirmed on the phone that they had recorded our exit from Schengen, logged on the correct date.

 

[wonkywinch]

We did almost exactly that just a few weeks ago. Arrived St Malo around 17:00. PAF arrived about 18:30. They stamped our papers for arrival and since we were leaving the next day (around 11:00) they stamped for exit as well. Then we had 2 days in Guernsey followed by the Breton coast, entering at Lezardrieux. All entry/exit formalities went smoothly except for the final exit, where I sent my email with the form but they never sent any reply. I called them on the phone a few days after returning to UK, and they confirmed on the phone that they had recorded our exit from Schengen, logged on the correct date.

They changed the rules a couple of weeks ago, you have to enter/leave by the same type of port (PAF/non PAF) so you can't use email to exit if it wasn't the way you entered (ie either none or two stamps in passport, not one).

 

[Barton Seagoon]

They changed the rules a couple of weeks ago, you have to enter/leave by the same type of port (PAF/non PAF) so you can't use email to exit if it wasn't the way you entered (ie either none or two stamps in passport, not one).

Indeed that is true. But after our brief stop (entry+exit) in Cherbourg and then Guernsey, we entered at Lezardrieux and exited at Dielette. Both Lazardrieux and Dielette are the new system, but the Dielette officials did not send any confirmation of exit. The new system seems to be very localised, as the ports in Manche use a different form from those in Brittany.

 

[wonkywinch]

Indeed that is true. But after our brief stop (entry+exit) in Cherbourg and then Guernsey, we entered at Lezardrieux and exited at Dielette. Both Lazardrieux and Dielette are the new system, but the Dielette officials did not send any confirmation of exit. The new system seems to be very localised, as the ports in Manche use a different form from those in Brittany.

Thank you for clarifying. Our plans have us entering and exiting different types hence the question whether we can carry a live Cherbourg entry (but no exit) stamp into the CI and then get stamped out in St Malo.

 

[KREW2]

Yes, I was there last week. they do passport control at the marina office. 18.30 on Sundays and 10.30 other days. to save time don't send the PaF by email, they said they couldn't find mine. No problem, they gave me blank one and said to present it when we checked out. To save time I would print off a few at home and fill them in, but leave the dates blank before departure from the UK. Also I would recommend this app on your phone for border force UK. www.gov.uk/government/publications/sailing-a-leisure-craft-to-and-from-the-uk Again you can save drafts and send them when need be.
It is a bit of an inconvenience but everyone is very helpful and not officious.