Catching a ferry next Sunday from Dover. (as discussed, Battlefields tour)
Regarding the current situation with Operation Stack, following the Channel Tunnel fire, which route would you suggest?
Coming down from West Yorkshire
Thanks ;)
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Hi Oily, I came up the M20 late on Saturday after crossing from France. It was mile after mile of stacked lorries In fact it was closed S'bound from Maidstone. Hard to say about next weekend but probably prudent to use the A2.
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Cheers Humph ;)
What`s the A2 like onwards from Canterbury towards Dover in `Stack`situations? Does this remain free from trucks on the entry to Dover? I notice from the map its possible to get into Dover on very minor roads South West of the A2.
Yes, I`m a little early with the thread I think!
;)
Edited by oilrag on 15/09/2008 at 14:58
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Op Stack was cleared overnight on Sat/Sun 13/14. I day-tripped it to Dover/Calais and it was clear at 0800 and again at 2200 yesterday.
I paid £30.00 return. SeaFrance quoted £175 one-way in Calais-Dover on Sunday evg. ;-)
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Ours was £63 return. Booked a couple of weeks ago with Sea France.
Yep, Thanks oldnotbold, looks like its a non issue now other than perhaps cost!
Edited by oilrag on 15/09/2008 at 15:13
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Oilrag,
A non isue at the moment, but it can and does get implemented fairly regularly, and would be worth keeping an eye when you get closer to your trip. Traffic gets diverted down the A20 and, depending on the time of day, can still be fairly free flowing. I work in Maidstone and have a colleague that lives in the Folkestone area and as a result she gets caught by 'Stack' whenever it is there. On Friday she got home in a shade over an hour, which is only a little longer than normal, despite the problems.
Hope you have a great trip. We were over there a few weeks back, and had an enjoyable day in Arras going through the underground tunnels built in WW1 (I think) and visited Duisans Cemetary nearby on the way back- A beautiful WW1 cemetary, yet such a sad place also. It was, strangely, one of the best parts of my holiday.
Take Care,
Nick
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If cost of the Dover-Calais ferry trip is worrying you, get a quote for the Dover-Bolougne route (SpeedFerries) or Dover-Dunkerque (Norfolk Line). Both usually far cheaper (and the Norfolk Line option is much more pleasant, being used mostly by truckers rather than booze cruising troglodytes).
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Thanks Alanovitch,
Trips already booked so cost is not an issue
Thanks Nick, Can you advise more on the tunnels please in Arras?
Cheers
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www.webmatters.net/france/ww1_arras_wellington.htm
A quick google brought this website. I knew nothing about them prior to going, but really enjoyed the tour, as did our young children. You should be able to get more from the internet.
Hope that helps.
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Full report when you get back ?
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Thanks Hillman, I will look through that.
PU,
Report? Yes, look forward to writing it.
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....Norfolk Line.....
I was rather disappointed with them on this journey. The tunnel was closed on Friday morning due to the fire. Extra passengers were on our ship. However, restaurant only had one person serving an enormous queue of hungry people and only 1 person on the till. I gave up and had a croissant in the cafe upstairs. I'd have thought that a phone call could have gone out to call in extra staff. Could have got some return custom out of it.
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....Norfolk Line..... I was rather disappointed with them on this journey.......
Interesting comment.
We'd used them regularly on the original vessels (Midnight Merchant etc) These boats were no frills with a cafe, bar and small shop but not much else. Functional, firendly and workmanlike, in a way rather reminiscent of CalMac's Scottish Island ferries
Travelled on the new ferry Maersk Dover last October and rather got the impression they were struggling with the transition to a "full service" operator. Only one of the two cafe/bars was open and service a little sloppy. Access/egress from the car deck (a drive round garage above the main lorry deck) was awkward and, on exit at Dover, ill supervised and leaving cars on the wrong side of a line of trucks.
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For the first time, I was driven on A2/M2 instead of M20. To be honest, I prefer it as it seemed to be quicker, less stressful and a better descent into Dover than via the myriad Ronde au point and traffic lights from M20 direction,
Just got back from Belgium (Ypres Salient "Peace Route") yesterday and it was excellent.
More on that as a posting in a minute.
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...forgot to mention, there are three lots of 50mph limits on A2/M2 at present. A nuisance, but not too bad if not in too much of a hurry.
If you get a chance, stop off at the cemetery just on approach to Etaples from Boulonge direction. Designed by Lutyens I believe, and possibly one of the biggest in France with over 11000 casualties from WW1 & WW11. Etaples had a number of military hospitals there. My grandad helped build the cemetery after WW1 and lived nearby with my (French) Nanna til the '30's
It is probably quite the most beautiful cemetery of them all sweeping from a high bank down towards the sea. There are a few Germans there too.
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Agree with Tack. The M20 goes to Folkestone rather than Dover. There's a good link road over the clifftops but traffic then has to traverse half a dozen roundabouts along Dover sea front.
The A2/M2 route has maybe four roundabouts along the route and a short stretch that's not dualled - but it drops you straight into the Eastern Docks. Even easier leaving Dover -just make sure you keep left after customs.
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Oily,
Operation Stack been implemented again today, once more due to the ongoing problems with the Tunnel...
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