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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask of you're stuck at Dover?

179 replies

aholidaynotacarpark · 02/04/2023 08:23

We're travelling tomorrow morning and I'm dreading it! The reports I'm reading mainly mention problems with coaches and we'll be in a car. It sounds seagull for al the school kids stuck there, I really feel for them.
I need to work out how much food and In car entertainment to pack!

OP posts:
notimagain · 02/04/2023 13:54

DonnaBanana · 02/04/2023 13:47

Since we left the EU! If you enter/leave the Schengen area your passport is inspected and stamped.

Also true before we left because we were not in Schengen. They were just more lax about it if they didn’t have capacity. Now they have to check otherwise the EU gets mad as there is no longer freedom of movement.

Leaving/entering the Schengen zone on a Brit passport pre-Brexit the document only had to be inspected, it did not have to be stamped...

Kendodd · 02/04/2023 13:57

I remember saying to a Leave moron before the referendum that going to the EU would become like going to America. They actually laughed in my face at it and insisted it wouldn't and any difference to our ability to travel/live in the EU. I think they genuinely believed that as well.

OhmygodDont · 02/04/2023 14:00

I always fail to see why everyone so shocked pretty much every school holiday since I can remember ends in this chaos Brexit and pre Brexit. Maybe time people booked to go else where rather than sitting for half a day in traffic losing holiday time to go to France tbh.

So glad I didn’t send my son on the school ski trip.

A34 · 02/04/2023 14:02

TheColourofspring · 02/04/2023 11:09

My sons ski trip has just been cancelled after the kids spent 17 hours at dover & they can’t feasibly get the kids to Italy safely- fuck the Tory cunts. He’s so upset after a year of planning

Oh no that's awful. Poor kids and poor teachers.

QuintanaRoo · 02/04/2023 14:03

In the mid 90s I remember being on a coach on Dover and we had to stop at a little kiosk and a customs guy got on the bus, took everyone’s passports, went back into his kiosk and we sat for 15 mins or so and then he got back on and gave us all our passports.

I can’t remember if they were actually stamped but they were certainly individually looked at. Then in later years you just drove onto the ferry.

I’m not supporting Brexit at all but what I’m saying is that level of passport scrutiny used to happen and I don’t remember huge delays like this. Yes brexit is to blame but also the govt/passport control need to fund more kiosks/checks……they knew this was coming! Why aren’t they improving it? We all know it’s likely to be the same year after year, it was bad last year and here we are again!

IsThePopeCatholic · 02/04/2023 14:05

Ahhh Brexit . Don’t you just love it?😡

Mummyoflittledragon · 02/04/2023 14:16

Kendodd · 02/04/2023 11:31

Worse still, in 2019 when they voted to 'get Brexit done' they knew that this risked the peace in NI, they'd already watched one person murdered. They didn't give a shit. I have nothing but contempt for Brexit supporters now.

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I think the worst bit was taking us out permanently whilst denying there was a pandemic on the way.

RosesInWater · 02/04/2023 14:20

Note to folk, there are EU countries that are non Schengen also. Just saying, but their citizens have EU passports which makes a difference.

The issue as I see is that French border control is sited in Dover. Presumably other ports that service EU destinations such as Hook of Holland, Dieppe, Santander, Roscoff etc. do not have French border control there, i.e. Plymouth, Portsmouth, Newhaven, etc. and also are not as busy as Dover.

Brexit is a huge feature though at either end.

Kendodd · 02/04/2023 14:24

OhmygodDont · 02/04/2023 14:00

I always fail to see why everyone so shocked pretty much every school holiday since I can remember ends in this chaos Brexit and pre Brexit. Maybe time people booked to go else where rather than sitting for half a day in traffic losing holiday time to go to France tbh.

So glad I didn’t send my son on the school ski trip.

Maybe they should just stay home and enjoy our beaches instead. Just ignore all the shit in the sea and smell the freedom.

C4tastrophe · 02/04/2023 14:27

Genuine question, why aren’t they taking the Chunnel?

Hoppinggreen · 02/04/2023 14:31

Moredarkchocolateplease · 02/04/2023 12:39

@Hoppinggreen really? All our family has an EU passport but I have a British one. Can we go through the EU lane together? Last year we separated out!

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We have been to Spain, Portugal, Austria and Germany. If it’s me DH and the DC I am the only on EU passport holder and we all get waved through. Last time we went to Portugal we were 3 of each and were told to all go through The EU gates .
We do it both out and into the countries

Moredarkchocolateplease · 02/04/2023 14:33

@Hoppinggreen thanks so much!

KindergartenKop · 02/04/2023 14:38

Put uno in.

Hoppinggreen · 02/04/2023 14:41

Moredarkchocolateplease · 02/04/2023 14:33

@Hoppinggreen thanks so much!

No problem, last time we went to Portugal we were 50/50 so I wasn’t sure but there was a staff member there actually asking if anyone had EU passports. I said some of us did and she said “but you are all family aren’t you?” I said no because we had the DCs friends with us and she said “but you ARE all family aren’t you???” (Nudge nudge wink wink) and DH said yes, we were and she waved us over to the EU desk where there was no queue as opposed to the 3 plane full queue next to us 😁

BeckyBeehive · 02/04/2023 14:42

Ifailed · 02/04/2023 09:47

Since when have passports been stamped going out of the UK?

Since we left the EU! If you enter/leave the Schengen area your passport is inspected and stamped. Later this year they are moving to a system where travellers to France have to register their name, travel document, fingerprints, facial images and the date and place of entry and exit. All done in little kiosks and it will take even longer than having a passport checked and stamped.

Why doesn't this happen when entering or leaving Switzerland? They're not in the EU either.

shortandpaleandoldandugly · 02/04/2023 14:52

If you voted leave, this is on you. I'm sick to death of hearing leave voters in my extended family complaining about the state of things in the UK right now and taking absolutely no ownership of the choices they made. And who is it affecting most right now? The many many kids on school trips stuck on coaches at Dover. Kids for whom the world has been shrunken by the decision of the oldest in our nation who have had their chance and have taken it away from their grandchildren. It's bloody infuriating.

Minimochi · 02/04/2023 14:53

BeckyBeehive · 02/04/2023 14:42

Why doesn't this happen when entering or leaving Switzerland? They're not in the EU either.

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Switzerland is a Schengen country, though.

FrostyFifi · 02/04/2023 14:55

Genuine question, why aren’t they taking the Chunnel?

Cost, and then probably less capacity over busy periods.

Whatthebarnacles · 02/04/2023 14:59

My son went to Paris with school last Friday and came back on Tuesday. Thankfully their coach sailed through and there were no delays. I'm grateful on my sons behalf that all seemed to be OK just 1 week ago but I'm so sad for people this weekend having trips cancelled or going through these huge delays. Is Easter/half term exacerbating the delays?

mrstnov13 · 02/04/2023 15:08

My Father lives in Dover and informed me that the port is currently clear of traffic.

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 02/04/2023 15:24

Combination of Dover port, Easter holidays and French striking is a recipe for long delays.

My DD went on a uni ski trip last Easter and it took 26 hours to get to resort. That was down to all the staff being sacked at P&O ferries and Dover port was rammed with coaches. The organisers were amazing and they managed to delay the trip back so they didn't miss any skiing. Obviously nightmare for some who needed to get back for work but the skiing was worth it.

Emilypost · 02/04/2023 15:36

Many of us should be thinking of the consequences for the EU tourist industry. Ski holidays are important to several EU Countries.
As it is such an important industry, why are they making it so difficult for us to get there and spend our money?
Could it be French bloody mindedness.

SerendipityJane · 02/04/2023 15:42

Emilypost · 02/04/2023 15:36

Many of us should be thinking of the consequences for the EU tourist industry. Ski holidays are important to several EU Countries.
As it is such an important industry, why are they making it so difficult for us to get there and spend our money?
Could it be French bloody mindedness.

Has anywhere in the EU been bemoaning the lack of UK tourists ? I'm sure if they had the Express would have made it FRONT PAGE NEWS.

Anyway, losing the Brits has given some places a chance to diversify - you know, like our farmers are doing.

RosesInWater · 02/04/2023 15:55

@Emilypost Brits have this sense of exceptionalism even when negative issues are self inflicted. Many countries do not want Brits anymore to "lower the tone", and encourage other countries like Scandinavia Germany and Netherlands etc. that have a high standard of living and much more disposable income. And they don't complain much about lack of full English breakfast either.

Thankfully, such Brits have been found out and are gently being shown the door. At long last.

C4tastrophe · 02/04/2023 16:15

@RosesInWater bollox. No one wants the hen and stag do crowd, but go to Italy, France, Portugal, Switzerland etc and Brits are welcomed with open arms.
I always holiday in EU (as I live here) and have not noticed any negativity towards Brits.
As for the Dutch and their high disposable income, they are scoffed at in the EU for their meanness. Who else would tow a caravan 1,000km across Europe to save on hotel bills?