Safe Channel Crossing

schneckster

Does anyone have any links to where to get information about the current state of roads into the French channel ports with regards to the migrant crisis they have over there, e.g., Calais?

I'm off to France on holiday in the summer with my young family. There are six of us so we have a large car (Mercedes Viano - think Vito van with seats and windows!). Our holiday in 2014 involved, as it has for years, a channel crossing via Dover & Calais. We've never had a problem before.

However on this occasion, the migrants in "the Jungle", aided by some French Unions, caused enough havoc that the spur road from the A16 motorway into the port (approx 4 miles) was moving at approx 1 (yes one!) mile per hour. With 2 five years and a 7 year old in the back, that sort of traffic is not fun.

What made it worse was the migrants in the area saw a bonanza and were trying the doors of any large vehicle they thought might be suitable to their needs. The size of our car made us a target and we had numerous attempts to open our doors along with a few kicks to the bodywork after the locks refused to yield.

In the news a week later was a report that a large group of migrants tried to storm a ferry, only failing due to the crew turning firefighting gear on them. And ever since it seems their attempts to enter vehicles have become more and more aggressive with many reports of threats and assaults, blockages on motorways and so on.

I'm sure we all have opinions on the situation around Calais, but that isn't what I'm after. The point of this post is that I really don't want to go through the same (or worse?) experience again with my family onboard. My kids thankfully slept through it last time, but they're older this time and probably won't.

So, does anyone know where I can get information on the state of play so I can book the right crossing and hopefully avoid what seems to be happening around Calais? I don't mind different routes as long as it's safe for my kids, you know?

Many thanks,

Schneckster

Moto2

I don't think you'll find a site that'll give the the current migrant forecast for Calais

Just use a different port if it worries you, I cross regularly have have never had issues with them, strikers, yes but not immigrants.

TBH, I think you're over worrying

Gloomendoom

I did a return trip back in the summer via Calais and didn't see any migrants, going or coming back.

schneckster

Migrant forecast... I like that. "Weather today in Calais is cloudy with the off chance of stowaways!" :rotfl:

I probably am worrying a bit too much. If I was on my own, I probably wouldn't be as bothered. But with my kids onboard as well... I guess it was just the last experience I had was pretty hairy which is making me more cautious this time. Normal cars weren't touched on that occasion. It was cars like mine, motorhomes, caravans, and trucks that were.

Which port do you use, Moto2? And when did you last cross?

Schneckster

tomtontom

I have a friend that goes through the port approx once a week in a van. He has not had any problems. The problems appear to be greatly exaggerated.

Moto2

schneckster wrote: »

Which port do you use, Moto2? And when did you last cross?

Usually Calais via the tunnel
just over a week ago, done it maybe 12-15 times in the last year

schneckster

Thanks for the replies. I too know people in the transport game who haven't had any problems at all... but others in the same game who have had really scary experiences of debris in the road, missiles, and threats of assault. I don't go through there regularly so I simply don't know.

Maybe, with that tailback, I just got unlucky that time and there isn't anything to worry about.

Thanks again for the replies.

Schneckster

runningben16

Where's your destination? I often use Calais with no problems, usually no migrants to be seen. But you could always cross to Dunkirk, or Newhaven/Dieppe? There are plenty of options further west with Brittany Ferries if that suits your journey, but they're not cheap

sandsy

We did Portsmouth-Caen return in August. Not a migrant in sight.

Voyager2002

Perhaps you should try Eurostar?

benjus

I crossed Dunkirk - Dover about a week ago. Lots of security/immigration checks so things were slow (also because it was very busy with lots of Eastern Europeans returning to the UK after Christmas), but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary (there's supposed to be a new camp forming around the Dunkirk port, but I didn't see it).