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Topic: Arriving early at Dover For DFDS

Anne44

19/8/2013 at 6:41pm
Location: midlands
Outfit: Dethleffs Aerostyle 470DB

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Just wondering about what happens if we arrive too early at Dover following drive down from Midlands. Obviously we will have to give ourselves plenty of time in case of holdups but theres not many places to stop near and waste an hour or so. Has anyone had any experience of this?

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Val A

19/8/2013 at 6:48pm
Location: West - North Yorkshire
Outfit: Swift Speedbird 490 Mondeo Estate

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We have arrived early - on one occasion very early as OH was working near Knebworth and we brought the caravan down the night before. We were still put on the next available ferry. However, nothing's guaranteed - if ships are full when you arrive then you will have to sit and wait it out.

jaiash

19/8/2013 at 7:04pm
Location: nr Derby
Outfit: Phoenix 440+

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On the one occasion we have been turned away we went up by the railway station and found space to park up there on the roadside. (not the station carpark!) or we once stopped at the top of the hill A2 at the Tesco supermarket, left as you come out of the port and up the hill.

harleymlb

19/8/2013 at 8:44pm
Location: Buckinghamshire
Outfit: Lunar Clubman SI single axle 2011

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We have arrived many times an hour or two early. As said in previous post you may get on the next available which might incur a small charge sometimes around £10.00-30.00.
If you want just sit it out in the lane they allocate you, there is a small service area on the dock with toilets etc. Oh and its safe too!

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HarryB

19/8/2013 at 9:13pm
Location: South Notts
Outfit: Mondeo Zetec 2.0TDCi Lunar Clubman CK

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I asked this in an email to DFDS earlier this year. The reply was, they will put you on the 1st ferry before or after without charge if there is space.

I turned up for the 10.15am to Calais instead of the 12.15 and guess what, it had been cancelled because of technical problems. They put us on the 10am to Dunkerque no charge.

harryb

emmitdb

19/8/2013 at 9:31pm
Location: Cornwall
Outfit: Hobby 650 Ec low profile motorhome

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Greetings,
We've been sent out of Dover with our tails between our legs.

On this occasion (because we really were early

we went back to Folkstone, through those two little tunnels( we went through only one of them) and went onto the trading estate on the left (travelling north) There's a Sainsbury's down there but if I remember we went up to a DIY place and had a a cuppa, as you do.

-------------
How come when some people visit the fountain of knowledge, they only gargle!!!

EasyLu

19/8/2013 at 9:46pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: None Entered

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We've just returned from France using DFDS both ways. We arrived early at Dover and were put on the earlier ferry and did the same when we returned from Calais. There was no extra charge and no fuss made. We just pulled up at the check in booth as normal each time.

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Francais

20/8/2013 at 2:52pm
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Our modus operandi, is to book a ferry crossing as worse case scenario for the crossing time.

For us it's a 309 mile dive from home down to Dover, and the only time I made that journey in good time is when we set of at 10pm from home!.

This last few years we have used DFDS (aka NorfolkLine) and have always been put on the next boat out, in one case we arrived 6 hours prior to our booked ferry, and even that was not an issue.

bellringer18

20/8/2013 at 4:09pm
Location: Pocklington near york
Outfit: Bailey Ranger

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we went last mon,ferry was 8pm,went to office put us on 2pm ferry,no charge,was prepared to sit it out.good service dfds.

takisawa

29/8/2013 at 9:06am
Location: Staffs
Outfit: Swift Challenger 490 SEL & VW Tiguan

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We arrived 3 hours early for our crossing to Dunkirk & were on the boat within 15mins, with no charge. We booked the crossing we did because the earlier ones were almost double the price...!!!

We then drove to the local shopping complex in Calais, (something "Europe" I think it was called, where they have an overnight parking area); & stayed overnight rather than stopped over on an Aire as planned.

Us, parked up for the night in Calais.
That building behind is the Police Station. Must have been at least 15 other outfits overnighting there.

IMAG1599 by pten2106, on Flickr

Post last edited on 29/08/2013 09:13:40

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