Travel between UK and Europe

[Epigram]

There was a time when travel between UK and Europe was as easy as ABC with A being take an Autoroute out of Calais and B and C being a cold beer and a glass of champagne (or wine) to celebrate the start of a relaxing holiday. You could be spontaneous and just roll up with your ticket and passport.

Nowadays it is more likely to be: A - Antigent tests, Attestations (certificates/statements), B and C being Brexit bureaucracy and Covid regulations and restrictions that result in preparations and passing through borders more complicated and stressful.

The purpose of this thread is to share current experiences channel crossings in what is an ever changing situation.

We crossed from UK to France on 20 June. The information was current for us at that time:

• Evidence of a valid reason for travel and declaration - will vary for individuals. Restrictions are changing - check UK and French government websites. The French government site has an English translation and also provides a clear update on nation/local covid restrictions and rules.
• Download the TousAntiCovid app for use in France
• Green card - now white
• European accident form. Not essential but prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
• International driving licence was required in Dec 2020 but nor now needed if you have a photo licence.
• Vehicle registration documents - strictly originals required. I take a colour photocopy and leave originals at home. Seems to work on the odd time I have had to produce them.
• Covid vaccination certificates / Health Pass - you can now apply on line in England. Except for us! We live on the Welsh borders: house in England, doctor is in Wales. Computers can’t cope with this and humans are too overworked to resolve quickly.
• Rapid antigen test certificate - needs to be taken within 48 hours of travel. Unlike the PCR tests which were required in December and which had to be sent off to a lab and necessitated a costly hotel stopover while waiting for results, these can be done at home. The photographic evidence is scanned / recorded with passport details and the results came back within an hour. Much less stressful.
• Ferry about £50 on a multiple booking ticket gives us flexibility to change dates times etc. Ferry company not fussed about bike rack because less than 6m. If you have a Horizon ( no cooker gas awning etc. ) you could argue a car rate which is slightly cheaper.
• Club Class upgrade £12 per head. Recommended if travel ling by ferry. We didn’t bother with this for a short crossing but a while ago we were given some complementary tickets and have decided it’s well worth paying the extra. With covid restrictions it enables you to be more isolated but it is relatively good value in that there is free internet, complementary coffee and snacks. Currently, because there are so few passengers, breakfast is brought to your seat. You also get a complementary glass of ? champagne. Mrs E gets mine, it puts her in a good mood for the journey so worth it for that alone.
• Curfew in France changed from 9pm to 11pm on 9June. Long distance travel is permitted outside curfew but we stop early so are unaffected.
• There is currently no quarantine requirement in France when travelling from UK (with vaccination certificate and test) but this may change. Italy has just announced 5 day quarantine.
• No bacon, cheese or milk ! (i.e. meat or dairy products)

We normally take out a stash of bacon and some home reared lamb to share with friends - sadly no more

(NB The return journey is now reduced to 18 litres of wine just about enough to get through any future quarantine!)

I hope this helps anyone contemplating crossing the channel in the coming weeks/months. Perhaps they can update their experiences good or bad.

As I write, bacon withdrawal is setting in - croissants and coffee are not quite a substitute.

 

[Blackrat]

Very interesting post, thanks. Look forward to future updates.
We’re desperately hoping to get to Spain, via the tunnel and France in September.

 

[Steve B]

I think as time goes by and the covid stuff reduces it'll be back to country by country interpretation of the rules for non EU travellers. We see Spain and France, who should treat imports in exactly the same way, work to differing levels of rigour at ports.

 

[Epigram]

Let’s hope things eventually become sensible regarding foodstuffs.
I can only speak for Dover - currently:
Were were made made aware of these two posters:






At Dover port we were herded off to the right for a customs inspection as is often the case when there is not much passenger traffic. There were English and French speaking customs officials there who were quite chatty.

I asked why countries not in the EU such as Switzerland Norway etc ( see the small print on the poster) could bring in meat and dairy products to EU but UK couldn’t. I was told, off the record it was because those countries agree to abide by EU food safety standards. Apparently the the UK, despite being party to drafting the standards, now refuses to comply with them! Politics is mad, lets hope sanity prevails. I miss my bacon!

The border controls did ask to see covid vaccination and test certificates and attestation/ sworn statement

We have friends travelling in the next few days I will post if I become aware of changes

 

[Steve B]

The non compliance with EU food safety rules being the reason simply isn't correct, our rules were rolled over from existing legislation. The issue is around the volume and value of trade (high volume / low value) and the burden of proof to standards now required that didn't exist before. The examples are 'Rules of Origin' and 'Products of Animal Origin'; e.g. POAO require expensive certification (vets certificates) for any product that has animals involved, incl. eggs, so cakes. There wasn't enough vets in the UK to issue the volume of certs and do the traceability needed, and they cost about £200 each (you need many of them). I could go on but this was my life (still is) since Nov last year!

 

[Grand Tourismo]

After finding this out I can imagine that there will be a queue of MP's parked just outside the ferry port, all lined up eating cake before having it confiscated!! (I know I would be!)

Steve?
"The examples are 'Rules of Origin' "....if I make a sandwich in the UK from imported French bread, prosciutto from Italy, Gouda from NL and a tapenade from Spain can I take it back over the border to the EU with me?

 

[Epigram]

The non compliance with EU food safety rules being the reason simply isn't correct, our rules were rolled over from existing legislation. The issue is around the volume and value of trade (high volume / low value) and the burden of proof to standards now required that didn't exist before. The examples are 'Rules of Origin' and 'Products of Animal Origin'; e.g. POAO require expensive certification (vets certificates) for any product that has animals involved, incl. eggs, so cakes. There wasn't enough vets in the UK to issue the volume of certs and do the traceability needed, and they cost about £200 each (you need many of them). I could go on but this was my life (still is) since Nov last year!

That sounds ultimately encouraging for my bacon sandwiches and home reared lamb
Meanwhile to quote Groucho Marx:
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies”

 

[Steve B]

"The examples are 'Rules of Origin' "....if I make a sandwich in the UK from imported French bread, prosciutto from Italy, Gouda from NL and a tapenade from Spain can I take it back over the border to the EU with me?

You've picked a good one. It depends on the true origin of the ingredients, to import to the UK from EU we have exemptions so products can come in....but...once its processed in the UK (except northern ireland which is another complicated story) it cannot be zero tariff exported back to EU if it has certain percentages of non EU ingredients in it. Such as the bread, if it contains above 20% canadian wheat and is baked in france and imported to the UK, it cannot be re exported back to the EU without attracting a tariff. There are exemptions to this such as 'significant processing' and 'bilateral cumulation'. Also, the legal responsibility is on the UK exporter to prove through documentation that any products qualify for preferential rate tariffs (zero) , as the EU are concerned that unscrupulous UK suppliers would export tariff attracting products through our free trade agreement. With your EU inclusive sandwich at a consumer level, its about the lack of vets certificate and traceability (volume exported sandwiched would need one). My head hurt every night trying to understand this

 

[Grand Tourismo]

You've picked a good one. It depends on the true origin of the ingredients, to import to the UK from EU we have exemptions so products can come in....but...once its processed in the UK (except northern ireland which is another complicated story) it cannot be zero tariff exported back to EU if it has certain percentages of non EU ingredients in it. Such as the bread, if it contains above 20% canadian wheat and is baked in france and imported to the UK, it cannot be re exported back to the EU without attracting a tariff. There are exemptions to this such as 'significant processing' and 'bilateral cumulation'. Also, the legal responsibility is on the UK exporter to prove through documentation that any products qualify for preferential rate tariffs (zero) , as the EU are concerned that unscrupulous UK suppliers would export tariff attracting products through our free trade agreement. With your EU inclusive sandwich at a consumer level, its about the lack of vets certificate and traceability (volume exported sandwiched would need one). My head hurt every night trying to understand this

Wow! so now I need to take a vet with me...!
Thanks for the extended reply and have a great weekend

 

[PeeGee]

Thanks to Epigram for this thread! Any updates from friends travelling? - especially any travelling with pets.
We plan to go to France in August with our dog Floyd in the MP. We usually go through the tunnel when we have the dog and are not towing the caravan. The red tape for pets appears horrendous at first sight - and very expensive! Our local Vet has quoted £160 for one tablet and the necessary paperwork for one journey. The dog’s passport is now useless and the red tape ridiculous. I would love to hear the experiences of anyone who has already crossed the channel or is about to.
Thanks

 

[Crispin]

We’re off next week MP/dog/wife/kitchen sink… can’t see any huge issues… I think the thought is worse than doing …(tunnel) not using the link to COVID pcr test… site crashed and no one knew anything and couldn’t even take payment!
So used boots on line .. will let you know same price but with boots rewards too.

 

[PeeGee]

Good luck and happy, trouble-free travels!
Please let us all know how you get on and any tips from your experiences.

 

[JulieG]

We crossed on Eurotunnel four days ago with our dog.
Had a pre-travel antigen test at Leeds Bradford Airport on the morning of departure but no one asked to see it at Folkestone, on reading the guidance again it makes me think it is only appropriate if flying to France, presumably the virus doesn’t do tunnels.
Initially had planned to spend the night in Kent but decided best to get into France before Macron changed the rules. As a result we had to dump all our meat and dairy provisions including the dog food at the terminal before passing through border control. However the staff did not seem interested in asking about or searching for such items. We had to show our vaccination certificates at the French control but overall it was pretty straightforward and very quiet. On the other side we stayed in a great little campsite in Escalles near Calais. On crossing into Switzerland the guard showed no interest in either our passports or our vaccination status he was only concerned that we may be bringing in a load of booze from France which fortunately we were not.
Bonnes vacances

 

[PeeGee]

Thanks JulieG! Presumably you’ve had to buy fresh supplies of dog food over there! What a pain. Our dog is very fussy about what he eats.... Out of interest what did your local vet charge for all the paperwork that is required now? Was it scrutinised by French border control?
Have a great holiday.

 

[JulieG]

They did scrutinise our dog‘s paperwork at Pet Reception.
Our vet charged £180 for the paperwork, I have sent the invoice to Nigel Farage et al.
In preparation for the journey we had trialled our dog on a fish based food that his gastrointestinal system found acceptable so carried supplies of that as fish based products are permitted. On crossing into Switzerland I don’t think the officer registered that there was a dog with us.

 

[PeeGee]

Thanks for your reply. Good idea. Happy holiday!

 

[Epigram]

That sounds ultimately encouraging for my bacon sandwiches and home reared lamb
Meanwhile to quote Groucho Marx:
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies”

I forgot you were in the food industry, SteveB. My post was repeating what I was told by Customs on our way out. We would have a lot to chat about over a beer if out MP paths manage to cross.

While out on a cycle ride through the mountains the other morning my mind drifted back to your reply and the shortage of vets. We used to get two visits a day during the foot and mouth outbreak, there didn’t seem to be a shortage then. Our local abattoir/butcher still has vets on duty. Can we still bring our home reared, UK butchered lamb to France for personal consumption or will there now be masses of paperwork for me?

Back to the OP, we have just caught up with friends who crossed the channel last week. A couple from the Republic of Ireland who came to France through England non stop via Dublin Holyhead and the Channel Tunnel had the third degree leaving Ireland and entering UK; Reason for travel “Did you pack the vehicle yourself?” tests, vaccination certificates. At the Channel Tunnel they were just interested in check list of paperwork travel declaration and test certificates. Other Channel Tunnel arrivals had similar straight forward experiences, including a well travelled cat!

I forgot to mention PCRs. We ordered home test kits to give us the flexibility of when the test as done in case our travel arrangements changed. They were relatively cheap and straight forward with result photographed on line with your passport. Certification of the result was guaranteed within 24 hours but came through within an hour which gave us some peace of mind with last minute arrangements.

 

[Epigram]

They did scrutinise our dog‘s paperwork at Pet Reception.
Our vet charged £180 for the paperwork, I have sent the invoice to Nigel Farage et al.
In preparation for the journey we had trialled our dog on a fish based food that his gastrointestinal system found acceptable so carried supplies of that as fish based products are permitted. On crossing into Switzerland I don’t think the officer registered that there was a dog with us.

Great idea about the invoice!
Mrs Epigram might might try to get me on sardines and mushroom sandwiches for breakfast if she sees this post but I think my gastrointestinal system might notice.
Happy holidays.

 

[Gman]

Anyone had recent experience of the holyhead to dublin ferry, are they checking pet certificates prior to boarding?

 

[Blackrat]

Hi all,
We were very interested in the OP as we were planning to venture into Europe. Having crossed into France on Saturday I thought I would update with our recent experience. Things see to be a lot easier since the OP.
We turned up at the euro tunnel an hour early for our 0750 booking. We’ve never seen it so quiet on a Saturday morning.
There was no queue at the check in booth and without asking we were offered an earlier crossing.
We had our vaccine certificates to hand, both paper and digital but they weren’t mentioned.
We also had the French honor certificate but again it wasn’t asked for.
French border control scanned and stamped our passports.
No one asked about foodstuffs or wanted to check the fridge and we were boarded within 20 minutes of arriving.
All very easy and straightforward.
The lack of food wasn’t an issue. Once onto the autoroute we used the poi on the sat nav to search for a supermarket. A bit of scrolling showed a Lidl just a mile from the autoroute so we stocked up there.
Now on a lovely site in the Brenne National Forest for a few days before heading further south tomorrow. The reception asked to see our French AntiCovid app so we were glad to have downloaded it before leaving home. Other than that things are completely normal.
We are eventually heading into Spain so we can update on the border crossing if anyone is interested.