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Next month we are booked to go to the Alps, we have ferry tickets from Newcastle with DFDS and where driving across from there, I’ve just tried to figure out what I need to do to get entry and I’m a little confused, has anyone been across lately?
Do we just need proof of vaccine?
Noted as heading early aug.
At eurotunnel for France, yes.
The rules have changed a few times, (mtb last August, ski at half term and Easter) but the eurotunnel website has always demanded we preregister the right documents.
Do DFDS have a similar website?
Afaik right now just proof of vaccination. No pre-departure test, nothing. Give DFDS a call. The north shields office are pretty helpful. 03303330245
We were due to sail out in early april to rotterdam, but that all got mucked up with their issues so we ended up driving to dover. Never, ever again. I'd happily pay double not to do that.
Thanks guys, Dfds website sounds like they just want proof of vaccine but the Dutch travel site the confusing bit, I was going to give them a call but the line is 13p a minute.
I’ve gone from the north east via Dover and it’s a pig of a journey, on the way there your always exited to ride so it’s not too bad, on the way back it’s a painful journey from Dover.
We travelled with Stena a couple of weeks ago. COVID passports were the only requirement but these weren't checked at any stage.
I got a nice stamp in my passport - only positive of Brexit!
Proof of vaccine only according to the foreign office. We're off to Spa in August via Holland with DFDS so I've been keeping a bit of an eye on it:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/netherlands/entry-requirements
Oh, you need a UK sticker for your car. Check that your boot isn't plastic before buying a magnetic one 🙂
Heading over on the 19th, off to Finale😁
Seemed the sensible thing to do to avoid both Dover and P&O.
Sounds pretty straightforward from the above, will let you know if there's any problems
Oh, you need a UK sticker for your car. Check that your boot isn’t plastic before buying a magnetic one
UK is just asking for some creative placement on some vehicles with a spare F on them.
It’s also a bit hopeful given the NI, Scots and I think at the local level even the Welsh elections - all seem to be drifting away from the London administration.
Also noting this.
Many years of using very happily P&O Zeebrugge-Hull, extremely sad at both that routes passing (the beach at Zeeburgge was always a fab way to spend a few hours before boarding), and the utter disaster that P&O have become. Doing Newcastle-Amsterdam now.
Reviews of DFDS to Amsterdam are hilarious:
AVOID Friday night N-A crossing unless you are up for a 24hr party
AVOID Saturday night A-N crossing for same reasons
plus the best one:
"my sofa was delayed by 6 weeks, and was not exactly what I ordered. 1 star" 🙂
I’ve done the trip as a foot passenger many many times and can confirm it’s basically a party on the water.
I'm going over on my motorbike 31st of this month, heading to Spa for the 24 hour endurance racing. Coming back Calais though as costs were mental for the return!
When did the requirement for a pre travel Covid test get dropped? I was there a few months ago and needed proof of a negative test as well as the vaccine passport
Worst thing about the Newcastle crossing is the ships themsleves. As RoPAX you get off last - after they've completed the unloading of all the trucks in the lower decks. On a motorcyle this means you're very, very much the last off as the bike decks are up above the car decks in some bizarre gantry area. It's been known to take an hour to disembark and it's about 30C up there. Not much fun in bike gear.
@dc1988 last week in march I think.
When did the requirement for a pre travel Covid test get dropped?
Last week in March
Thanks, will make my life a little easier in future!
Need proof of having had booster, so 3rd jab.
For the Alps you should be good but for any major cities you now more and more need a crit'air sticker
The Crit'Air anti-pollution vehicle sticker (france.fr)
DFDS Newcastle is fine but if you want to eat on board (and why not) then you need to book in advance. It's cheaper and you have more chance of getting a time that you want to eat as even with the buffet they are still doing 'sittings' to control the number of people in the resto at one time
Oh, you need a UK sticker for your car. Check that your boot isn’t plastic before buying a magnetic one 🙂
Same goes for Aluminium boots, took at least 3 attempts at sticking the GB magnet on before the penny to dropped.
I did it on Thursday night.
In Newcastle they checked my passport and my covid certificate (I've had three jabs but my certificate only shows two, that was fine)
They had a brif look in my rammed solid van, asked me if I had any petrol, knives or guns. I said just kitchen knives (they didn't ask about diesel so I didn't mention the jerry can of that)
They had a look in an old ammo box I use as a tool box as 'you can't be sure' (?!)
.
At the Amsterdam end they checked my passport only, the Brits were going through the EU gate fine, they waved us into it to keep the queues down.
They also checked the van, presumably in case I bought any guns or petrol in the duty free on board, but they just asked if I had any alcohol, I showed them one bottle of whisky and six beers. They breathalysed me and off I went.
.
Vans seem to get much more attention than cars
Oh yes, and I got a passport stamp😁
Arsebuckets was hoping that a tiny UK sticker could be "hidden" but it's got a legal min size of 18x13cm.
Has anyone ever been pulled for not having a GB/UK badge on? We went at least once a year until 2020 and only once had a badge. That was through France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Dunno, but why risk a fine for £1.50?
We’re in northern Spain on a motorbike tour and we got pulled less than 30 mins after leaving the ferry at Santander for a check of all our documents. We got waved away as I’m not sure they could read a word of the queens so didn’t really know what docs i’d given them!
Anyhow, just a passport and proof of full vaccination via NHS was all we needed to get through the border at Spain.
We did Hull Rotterdam on P&O last weekend on road bikes. No COVID passport interest at either port from anyone.
We booked in January before the debacle. Apart from them trying to charge us an extra £200 when we checked in all was good.
Are there any checks between EU countries? We're thinking of ferry to Ijmuiden then down through Germany to Austria. Based there we'd have days into Italy and Switz.
I did Newcastle to Amsterdam last month. All they wanted was proof of vaccination (the NHS app has this) which was checked at Newcastle. Coming back there was nothing. Crossing into Belgium had nothing either.
Just back from a bit of a road-trip. Did:
Ferry Harwich-Hook of Holland. No checks (other than passport) but its possible that the missus had uploaded stuff pre-departure. Only issue was first getting out of the ferry port (gates after passport control were locked) and then finding way North (Garmin and Google maps had little idea of the route and ended up in a housing estate !).
Did further (internal) ferry to Texel with no checks.
Also, border crossings to Germany, Liechtenstein, Belgium, and France. All unmanned, all taken at top-speed (OK, ~60mph in a VW T2 "Brazilian" 😉
No problems with any covid stuff. Only one shop in Germany suggested masks, but they were very much the exception.
Not particularly relevant here, but had a brilliant time, and some great riding esp. in the Ardennes around Rochehaut. Great beer there too.