Caravanning after Brexit??

[otherclive]

I'm old enough to remember when you needed to get an IDP to drive, canert for the caravan, green card for car insurance travel cheques for money an all without the aid of the internet and we managed pretty well and didn't think too much of it - it was just what you did.
'They' will want want the tourists, the sales in the shops etc. and you can see from current events that 'they' the people can bring a lot of pressure to bear (even if they have to wear yellow vests to do so)
Seasoned European traveller will know that what may be in the law need not - sometimes- be more than an irritation e.g. current French regulations on carrying breathalysers or spare headlamp bulbs.
Give it a short time to settle down, play it low key, and my be is that this time next year - apart from some minor irritations listed above - we shall be back to what passes for normal, at least as far as touring caravanning is concerned.

In the mid 1960s my then girlfriend, now wife, and I drove my fathers car to Switzerland for a holiday. Even arriving off of the ferry in Ostend the checks were cursory at most, and at the German border we were waved through by a border official who in fact wanted us to speed up. Only Switzerland checked the documents but this was quiet quick. The most irritating border check was on arrival back in Dover. We were taken to a search area and searched and the car was totally emptied too. Welcome home :-(

 

[RayS]

How right you are Clive - just as i remember it. For a bi chunk of my working life I travelled widely in Europe by car both before and after our joining EU. I usually choose to drive to various parts of Germain, France, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.
Easily the rudest reception was return to Dover and officials exceeding in rudeness even those renowned for it and Ney York JFK airport. At 03.00 on morning having driven from Verona fairly quickly the car was emptied as was my suitcase and briefcase, documents were written with a ballpoint with only one sheet of paper between pen and car paint, and then I was hassled to move on quickly with everything thrown in to the car. Welcome home indeed.
Earlier with then wife and caravan we had deliberately stopped to enquire whether bulbs (horticultural tyep) had to be declared as they are neither seeds or plants which the signs indicated had to be. That simple request also resulted in the car caravan and cases being emptied roughly and we we then just left to put everything back, while being told to 'get a move on - you're blocking the channel'
I'm please to say that on either occasion did I comply., taking my time to load again tidily and safely..

In more recent time no UK agent has ever looked under the fixed bed while inspecting the caravan.
The upcoming trip may be interesting as I am carrying the metal poles for my Jormax windbreak in a tube mounted on the roofrack of the car - I've photprints of the assembly and contents and it will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[otherclive]

How right you are Clive - just as i remember it. For a bi chunk of my working life I travelled widely in Europe by car both before and after our joining EU. I usually choose to drive to various parts of Germain, France, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.
Easily the rudest reception was return to Dover and officials exceeding in rudeness even those renowned for it and Ney York JFK airport. At 03.00 on morning having driven from Verona fairly quickly the car was emptied as was my suitcase and briefcase, documents were written with a ballpoint with only one sheet of paper between pen and car paint, and then I was hassled to move on quickly with everything thrown in to the car. Welcome home indeed.
Earlier with then wife and caravan we had deliberately stopped to enquire whether bulbs (horticultural tyep) had to be declared as they are neither seeds or plants which the signs indicated had to be. That simple request also resulted in the car caravan and cases being emptied roughly and we we then just left to put everything back, while being told to 'get a move on - you're blocking the channel'
I'm please to say that on either occasion did I comply., taking my time to load again tidily and safely..

In more recent time no UK agent has ever looked under the fixed bed while inspecting the caravan.
The upcoming trip may be interesting as I am carrying the metal poles for my Jormax windbreak in a tube mounted on the roofrack of the car - I've photprints of the assembly and contents and it will be interesting to see what happens.

Twice coming back from Dunkerque UK Border Force did check underneath the fixed bed via the external locker access. They also entered and did the front lounge lockers too. Clearly looking for stowaways not contraband. These checks were carried out in Dunkerque ferry terminal.

 

[Craigyoung]

We came back through Calais a few years ago , I had 8o + bottles of wine under the front seats and all he asked me was was the gas off and that was it !!

Going out off Hull last year they had a good look around to be nosey cos it was still brand new the caravan and that was it , stepped in looked left looked right & out !

Coming back through Newcastle / royal quays port authorities and I was inspected by HM Customs and armed police but all fine !

 

[Gafferbill]

...........Brittany ferries are making contingency plans on some routes to France so that they can introduce extra crossings.
This is to create extra capacity for Trucks in the event of any Brexit chaos.........some caravanners are already having their bookings changed.

Click here

 

[Craigyoung]

Ours is a 5am ferry crossing at the beginning of August so I'm hoping everything is smoothed out by then , fingers crossed !!

 

[Niall_McIntosh]

There was a report on the radio yesterday about a lady who had had her Brittany Ferry reservation cancelled because the spaces were required for the Government's post Brexit contingency plans.

 

[Niall_McIntosh]

This is on the Brittany Ferries website:
https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/information/brexit-ferry-initiative

 

[Grey13]

Another #ProjectFear claim busted!
EU agrees visa-free travel for UK citizens even after no-deal Brexit. Britons won't need a visa for short stays in European Union countries, reports Sky News.

 

[otherclive]

Another #ProjectFear claim busted!
EU agrees visa-free travel for UK citizens even after no-deal Brexit. Britons won't need a visa for short stays in European Union countries, reports Sky News.

I believe that a time limit has been stated and conditional on UK accepting some terms from Spain relating to our “colony” of Gibraltar. Nothing about Spain’s colonies in Morocco which were not ceded by a lawful treaty. The soap opera has further to run.
Anyway a visa isn’t a big issue really is it. We don’t complain about visas to other countries so if the EU want to introduce one it’s cheap, easy to obtain and won’t stop me going to Europe any more than India, Russia, Turkey etc

 

[Raywood]

Another #ProjectFear claim busted!
EU agrees visa-free travel for UK citizens even after no-deal Brexit. Britons won't need a visa for short stays in European Union countries, reports Sky News.

I believe that a time limit has been stated and conditional on UK accepting some terms from Spain relating to our “colony” of Gibraltar. Nothing about Spain’s colonies in Morocco which were not ceded by a lawful treaty. The soap opera has further to run.
Anyway a visa isn’t a big issue really is it. We don’t complain about visas to other countries so if the EU want to introduce one it’s cheap, easy to obtain and won’t stop me going to Europe any more than India, Russia, Turkey etc

Given that there is a massive inbalance in tourists from the UK visiting the EU in their favour, then it seems very unlikely they would prejudice this, but you never know as common sense has never been anything to do with politicians on either side.