Cherbourg Dockside overnight

[RayS]

Has anyone recent experience of using the dockside parking for overnight. I read that there is now a refugee problem in the Cherboug dock area, and wonder if this has been evident around this parking area.

I had reports earlier this year of thefts from vans parked overnight, but it seemed that the owners had taken no precautions at all - not even to locking the doors.

 

[rayc]

Ray, I stopped overnight at end of August and as normal experienced no problems. There were no strangers hanging around at all. Cherbourg seems a strange place for them to attempt to stow away as there are very few ferries, and therefore commercial vehicle movements, compared to Dover. I live in Poole and I am sure that if there were a problem with illegals coming in via the port it would be plastered over the local paper.

The illegals will always be probing for weaknesses in the system.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

For the last 2 years we stayed at the municiple site at Valognes (27kms from Cherbourg).

Each time we arrived at the docks for the 0800 ferry, people that had stayed at the docks commented that there had been disturbence during the night with the police chasing refugees.

When we arrived at Poole this July, we were in the first 10 vans unloaded & directed into the customs pen to be searched for illegals. We were told that all caravans are now searched routinely thus making long delays unloading the ferries, this is because caravans are an easier target than trucks.

Graham W.

 

[Clubman1]

Stayed on the "overnight" park last night together with some 20 others caravans and motorhomes. No problems what so ever. No evidence of any undesirables, no undue noise and enjoyed, surprisingly, a good nights sleep. Up at 6.30am this morning, moved onto docks at 7.00am on the ferry 7.20am and in Poole at 11.30am. A doddle!

 

[rayc]

If the illegals are going to attempt to get into the UK via Cherbourg by forceably entering caravans then they have a very narrow window of oppurtunity! Outside of July and August only a relatively few caravans travel the Poole - Cherbourg route - I cann't see them hanging around to hitch a ride in October.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Ray I hope you are right, but these are desperate people trying to get into the U.K.& the French just seem to want rid of them. If it was down to me I would have our army at the French docks & shoot any illegals trying to board the ferry. I know this would never happen.

Graham W.

 

[rayc]

Graham, They are desperate people but they are only at Cherbourg because Calais is too hot for them at the moment. There is minimal oppurtunity for them at Cherbourge compared to Calaise which has ferries, Eurostar, Le Shuttle plus other freight trains.

You have to ask why they want to get to the UK rather than stay in France. The answer is that many of them can speak English plus we have a more welcoming welfare sytem. Our Prime minister welcomes them as they are a source of cheap labour - the French make it very difficult for them to get jobs and accommodation.

I am not anti economic migrants per sae having spent 2 years working in Saudi. In Dorset we have much more of a problem with legal European migrants particularly the Poles. Dorset Police are saying in the local paper that they are responsible for an increase in traffic accidents with drink driving, non insured and non Mot'd vehicles.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Ray I totally agree with you.

I read in one of todays papers that quite a few illegals were arrested at Cherbourg in the back of a truck, cannot remember which paper think it was the Sun. Can any body fill me in please.

And whilst I m thinking about it what about the ones arrested having broken into Blairs

 

[AndyR]

People often post asking about staying overnight at docks, and I can never understand why. Why on earth would anyone want to spend the night somewhere noisy with doubtful security, when there are loads of sites to choose from, especially in France. We had a 1 night stop at a municipal site in a village in Normandy this summer -

 

[ValA.]

Usually because, like us, their arrival/departure time means it's not possible to find a site to suit. If you've ever stayed in the dock areas then you'd find some of them have good facilities for overnighting, they're not always noisy, and some are like campsites in themselves.

Because of our long journey to the ferry, and our wish to get across to France without having to stay overnight in Dover, we nearly always stay either at the docks in Calais, or at an aire immediately on the autoroute. This year we stayed at the Aire de la Baie de la Somme, which was excellent, with a dedicated caravanning area, not accessible to lorries, and with individual picnic tables and rubbish bins by each bay!

If you've a long journey back and arrive late then it's not always possible to find a site - and if, like us again, you have only two precious weeks, and want to cram in as much as possible, then the dock/aire option suits us. It doesn't suit everyone, obviously.