Calais

[R2D2]

lads has anyone passed through Calais on their way home encountered any hassle with the migrant population there,
seen some stuff on U-Tube of branches of trees been placed on road to stop traffic and try gain access to trucks etc.
need some info as goin that way shortly

 

[B Murr]

No info for you, but remember that thousands go through every day with no hassle but boring no hassle trips don't get many views on you tube. I'd be inclined to just go and keep an eye on road well ahead or go with a flow of traffic as opposed to on my own in dead of night.

 

[Davy Doherty]

Been through a few times lately no issues except maybe a long Q going through security.i wouldn't worry one bit about it.

 

[DC]

just type Calais into the search box, theres at least three threads from the past 14 days, One of them of which is quite scary

 

[B Murr]

If youre heading for Tipp you could go via Roscoff/Cork and take in a bit more of the french countryside?

 

[Blackal]

You could always post in a section "outside" Ireland?

Or is it a trust thing? "can't trust those Brexiteers across the water - I'll only ask the )"

Al

 

[R2D2]

You could always post in a section "outside" Ireland?

Or is it a trust thing? "can't trust those Brexiteers across the water - I'll only ask the )"

Al

yes i have trust issues and especially migrants at Calais

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

You could always post in a section "outside" Ireland?

Or is it a trust thing? "can't trust those Brexiteers across the water - I'll only ask the )"

Al

He'll get a less polarised opinion in this section perhaps.

 

[PhaedrusMC]

When there are reports of trouble in one spot (Calais), and there are alternative less-troubled options, I think I'd avoid Calais, if only to avoid the increased potential for trouble.

What do Irish lads heading for Spain/Portugal prefer to do - go over to and through UK and then ferry to one of the French ports? Or to a northern Spain port? Is hitting a northern French port from Cork or Wexford less popular? AFAIK, there's no direct ferry from Ireland to Northern Spain?

Seems to me that the Cork -> Roscoff ferry, then riding south through France would offer more of a holidayish buzz than a Dublin -> Wales ferry, then riding through UK to get a ferry to Santander or Bilbao?

Is it just Calais that's experiencing shite? Or are the other French ports suffering too?

 

[Khulu]

I came home via the tunnel last Wednesday, didn't see any trouble. Six mile queue though at the Belgian / French border - thank goodness for hard shoulders!

 

[GerryC]

.....................Seems to me that the Cork -> Roscoff ferry, then riding south through France would offer more of a holidayish buzz than a Dublin -> Wales ferry, then riding through UK to get a ferry to Santander or Bilbao?..................

Cork Roscoff is my choice. Made Roscoff Bilbao in a day but don't recommend it - only if you must.
While England/Wales is abroad it is not foregin enough to give me that holidayish buzz.

 

[PhaedrusMC]

Cork Roscoff is my choice. Made Roscoff Bilbao in a day but don't recommend it - only if you must.
While England/Wales is abroad it is not foregin enough to give me that holidayish buzz.

Yep.

A trip I have in mind is (very broadly) something like Roscoff -> Pamplona -> Northern Portugal -> Sagres -> Gibraltar -> Pyrenees (via central Spain) -> Roscoff. In my test-the-water plans I've been giving the outbound Roscoff -> Pamplona leg and the Pyrenees -> Roscoff homebound leg two days each.

2 x two days riding through France beats spending that time riding in Wales/England and days on a ferry. No offence to Wales, England or ferries...

 

[GreatScot]

You'll not have much time to enjoy the trip through France if you only allow 2 days for your trip to Pamplona and the same back to Roscoff. Unless you've already "done" France on previous trips? You could take a month for the trip you have in mind and still feel you've hurried it! Whatever you choose, enjoy

 

[PhaedrusMC]

Don't wanna hi-jack OP's thread, but briefly - we're looking at the France segments as kind of access legs to get to where we want to be, and that time spent riding will be preferable to the same amount of time spent transferring from Dublin -> Wales -> England -> ferry -> Santander. The trip proper will hopefully be the legs/bits between northern Portugal and the Pyrenees. Just test-the-water plans for now - nothing concrete.

 

[macker1974]

Took the tunnel from Calais in June. Zero issues. M25 was a horror..

 

[Damien]

If you are going to Spain, once you arrive in France on a ferry of your choice, take another ferry from St Nazaire to Gijon, saves all the drudgery of a French slog.

Came back that way a few years ago, highly recommended.

 

[Shunt]

If you are going to Spain, once you arrive in France on a ferry of your choice, take another ferry from St Nazaire to Gijon, saves all the drudgery of a French slog.

Came back that way a few years ago, highly recommended.

Don't think that route is an option anymore. Shame because it does save a slog south.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[JH]

If you are going to Spain, once you arrive in France on a ferry of your choice, take another ferry from St Nazaire to Gijon, saves all the drudgery of a French slog.

Came back that way a few years ago, highly recommended.

Unless it has recently been reinstated, I'll think you'll find that this route has been discontinued. I looked to use it this year but it was no longer operating, I certainly couldn't find it.

 

[bogman]

Thank that ferry route has been discontinued Damien, another one gone...

 

[Pansmiker]

with the UK leaving the EU there must be an opportunity for central European Government to give a subsidy to a ferry company to tie Ireland directly into the EU proper.

This would be something along the proposal for the Motorways of the Sea initiative were a ferry was to run from Cork to St Nazaire and then on to Dijon in Northern Spain.