Driving to EU post 31/12/2020 - Any experiences yet?

syvictoria

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I appreciate that there's likely still very little real world experience thanks to covid and travel restrictions, but has anyone here with just a British passport and British residency been across the channel this year, and how was the experience? Were you asked for proof of where you were staying and/or a return ticket, and proof of insurance and sufficient funds for the stay?

If you were staying on your own boat (perhaps without a return ferry ticket booked), was a mooring receipt accepted as evidence of where you were staying?
EHIC/GHIC should satisfy insurance requirements, I hope!
Was a credit card accepted as proof of funds?

And what about customs? Was the car checked? Did you manage to smuggle that new chartplotter or sail through without paying extra VAT and import duty!?

So many questions! Any real world experiences would be much appreciated. As always, TIA!

(Edited to make title clearer.)
 
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KeelsonGraham

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Drove via Brittany Ferries (Portsmouth to Caen on 7th/8th Jul). Remarkably little hassle, provided you have the correct Covid paperwork. No customs checks in Caen, not even big white vans with trailers. No requirement to show residency paperwork or proof of income, or intended place of stay. No check of EHIC. In short, standard UK-France crossing plus Covid papers.
 

Poignard

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Ferry to Caen last Tuesday. No problems. Few passengers. Slightly longer queuing at Caen as more documentation to check. Usual courteous welcome. Customs took no interest in my car full of boat gear..

I was asked if we lived in France, which we don't. I was not asked where we were going or whether we had return trips booked.

Shops, restaurants etc all seem to be operating normally in Brittany.
 
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ASW11

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I appreciate that there's likely still very little real world experience thanks to covid and travel restrictions, but has anyone here with just a British passport and British residency been across the channel this year, and how was the experience? Were you asked for proof of where you were staying and/or a return ticket, and proof of insurance and sufficient funds for the stay?

If you were staying on your own boat (perhaps without a return ferry ticket booked), was a mooring receipt accepted as evidence of where you were staying?
EHIC/GHIC should satisfy insurance requirements, I hope!
Was a credit card accepted as proof of funds?

And what about customs? Was the car checked? Did you manage to smuggle that new chartplotter or sail through without paying extra VAT and import duty!?

So many questions! Any real world experiences would be much appreciated. As always, TIA!

(Edited to make title clearer.)
There's a pretty decent Facebook page here: Road Trip: UK to Greece & Back | Facebook . There are nearly 7k subscribers and many post their experiences of the trip. It might be worth your while taking a look? And, yes, some are taking kit to their boats without, it seems, much in the way of hassle etc.
 
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syvictoria

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Thanks for the replies. That was exactly what I wanted to hear! I'm not a FB user, but I am reassured by the responses here. The checking of covid passports, etc. must be giving border control more than enough to deal with at the mo... Thanks again.
 

TiggerToo

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Just came back from a few thousand mile trip to Italy and France.

The COVID stuff is most of the complication. That is understandable.

Other than that, we were checked (for drugs?) on exiting the UK at Folkestone. I suspect it was a random check. We missed our booked train, but got on the next one. They were running @1 / hr. Everything was empty. No queues, and just a dribble of cars.

What was really striking, was the absence of any GB freight on any of the roads, both in the vicinity of Calais and further afield.
It is as if the UK had left the world. Plenty of lorries from other places, though (P, E, F, D, BG, SLO, SK, PO, NL ...)
 

Koeketiene

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What was really striking, was the absence of any GB freight on any of the roads, both in the vicinity of Calais and further afield.
It is as if the UK had left the world. Plenty of lorries from other places, though (P, E, F, D, BG, SLO, SK, PO, NL ...)

Better half noticed that too.
Yesterday she drove from Brittany to Antwerp.
Not a single UK lorry on the road and only one (!!) UK reg car (near Ghent).
 

gregcope

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A few weeks ago flew to Marseille and then drove a UK reg car back to UK via Euro tunnel.

BA nearly did not let me board the flight as I did not have reason to travel under their rules (which are wrong). French Frontier (Boarder) Police checked nothing. Not even the form BA insisted I fill in. Nor vaccine status.

No issues driving. Very few UK cars or lorries (like three, when usually you would see 100's esp approaching Calais on the A26).

Massive queue at Eurotunnel. Flexiplus checkin lane closed. Turns out nearly everyone had missed the Eurotunnel requirement to fill a passenger form which necessitated lots of too/frowing between the checkin person and the passengers. Missed three trains. Only one train every 1.5 hours. Otherwise no issues.
 

Poignard

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we have ceased to exist
No, no you don't understand.

We now have much bigger markets to exploit than piffling little Europe. We have the rest of the world queuing up to buy from us.

You really must pay attention to the inspiring words of our great leader and his hand-reared team of experts.
 

TiggerToo

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No, no you don't understand.

We now have much bigger markets to exploit than piffling little Europe. We have the rest of the world queuing up to buy from us.

You really must pay attention to the inspiring words of our great leader and his hand-reared team of experts.
careful, we are treading on thin ice here.
(should this be moved to Climate Change?)
 

[3889]

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I did a return trip via Newhaven/ Dieppe at the end of June. Got the distinct impression border forces on both sides are at a bit of a loss as to what rules are in place. Wasn't asked for vax evidence entering France though it is a requirement. I returned with a car crammed full of kit emptied from a boat I'd sold but customs showed zero interest.
 

st599

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I went over with some work equipment via Hoek van Holland.

Nearly missed ferry despite turning up 5 hours early with Carnet. HvH took about 10 mins with customs. On way back, 25mins at HvH customs, 3 1/2 hours at UK customs.

They were completely overwhelmed at the UK end.
 
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