# Checking in for Norfolkline at Dunkirk



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

We've just come back from our first trip using Norfolkline. Both crossings excellent, no complaints at all about service, price etc. BUT..... how on earth do you reach check-in at Dunkirk without queuing for hours in a long, long line of lorries ? 

We thought we had missed the signs for non-freight vehicules yesterday but another MH-er told us he had driven across a ploughed field to get to the check-in place. We followed a UK car and a French police van up the right hand lane, past all the lorries, but we did feel we had somehow baulked the system and both us and the GB car were glad of the company ! There were lots of late-arrival cars and we wonder if they had been stuck in the queue.

We would like to have parked for the night at the Reception area rather than going home early on last night's ferry but we could not find any way to do that.

Please tell us we missed something and it is not always like that !

Grizzly


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

I don't remember having to do that last time I used Norfolk line. But it was quite awhile ago as they didn't use to take dogs and now they do so thinking of using them again. Looks like its changed a bit. Last time we didn't have a problem.


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Grizzly, On the approach to the check -in did you drive thru the large inspection hangars, or the thru' lane to the left of them?

Regards M&D


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## nobbythehobby (May 9, 2005)

Hi Grizzly,

Sounds familiar. I've had this situation on my last few trips with them. It was discussed here http://tinyurl.com/88l7e and has been mentioned a few other times also I seem to remember.

Nobby


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## 93330 (May 1, 2005)

Hi all – we came through Port Rapide (Norflokline) last July 3rd, they were making extensive alterations to the approach and queuing. It looks like they are constructing a large lorry park very near the last roundabout, very close to the road leading to the small car park in front of the reception. I wonder if you noticed they have constructed a new one way road into the Norfolkline port area, the road out of the port is the old two way road, made into a one way to exit from the Port.

I did see some people queue jumping the lorries, also queue jumping us, and some did get into a pickle when they found other traffic coming the other way! 

When you get to the head of the queue and just before you reach the customs barrier, you can make a sharp turn to the right signed Reception, car and lorry park. The car park has a height barrier limiting to 3.1 metres, when you see it you do have the opportunity to make a left into the lorry park which has no barrier.

We parked for the night in front of their reception and had a reasonable nights sleep. If you want to stay the night coming off of the ferry, make a left when exiting the port, instead of a right which everyone else takes to get onto the A16. Regards Terry


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Thanks for the reference nobby - your experience matches ours. Next time we'll go round the roundabout as suggested -though there was a double line of lorries along it so it might have been exciting.

The queues were well before the inspection hangars M&D. When we got to the inspection hangers area ( by then we had jumped the lorry queue a long way back) there was a "Cars this way " sign ( ie to the left of the queues) and we took it and we were about 8th in line for the (closed) kiosk. 

An English lorry driver -who could not take our alternative of simply following the police van up the left hand lane, did ask me when last we'd done this trip when I asked him where the check in area was. 

They really do need to get it sorted as so many cars were arriving very late with confirmed bookings and we would not have got on the sailing at all if they had all made it !

G.


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## funnymunny (May 13, 2005)

Last time we came through Dunkerque in April they had a man guiding cars and motorhomes down the left hand lane past all the parked cars so there was no hold ups for us, there were a lot of lorries then because of the problems in Calais


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Thanks Terry,

We wondered if there was a way to get to Reception without going through the check-in queues. At the beginnning we were not sure if we wanted to go on a sailing that night or wait at Reception overnight for the early sailing we were booked on. By the time we got to check-in and had decided we could not see how to get to Reception we-d made the decision to go then.

I'm not sure if we would do it again - it's a long way up to Dunkirk ( or it seems that way ) to have to queue for ages or queue-jump.

G


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## nobbythehobby (May 9, 2005)

> I'm not sure if we would do it again - it's a long way up to Dunkirk ( or it seems that way ) to have to queue for ages or queue-jump.


I agree - not what you want after a long day on the road. We have one more return trip with Norfolk Line (off next week) and will then be using the tunnel next year.

Nobby


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## 92046 (May 1, 2005)

*Norfolkline*

Hi

Used Norfolkline for 3 return trips last year, and once this year, they have a MASSIVE expansion program going on, and are building a large lorry park, with access roads, and with 3 new ferries, and may-be taking foot passengers next year,

on the return trip this year, i parked up outside the booking office, for the night, in the morning was a "little" late in joining the 3 lorries to check in (0605) the girl ran out of a closed booth and called me and another MH over to the closed gate, opened the gate and checked us both through, and we sailed on the 0615 ferry, yes a total of 10 mins and on the ferry, the ferry was only 5 mins late sailing, the 3 lorries did not make that ferry.

I was not even booked on that ferry,

As for Dover parking, i parked up on the front for the night, but was told by the harbour police,on duty outside the office, that i could park up on the roof of the booking office, this is a staff car park, but MHs sometimes park there, but due to noise decided to use the sea front, also patroled at night by the harbour police.

Colin


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

Hi Grizzly. Composing my reply for you now as we were stuck in THAT Q this morning and nearly missed boat.Get through to you in couple of minutes


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

We stayed at the front in Dunkerque but even with the map from this website it is a difficult spot to find. You have to head for "Plage les Allies" and then you see a T notice for a block end and that is the car park . There were about 40plus vans parked there last night and it was quiet apart from some motorbike scramblers on the beach that is. 
Well we were up at 4.45 and set off for the port (12+ miles away and it took us just over 30mins and we arrived to join a static lorry Q. A police car came past after a while and then later I thought I had beter rin the company. They said it was sheer volume of traffic and the police were there. Well, we waited and waited and then saw one or two vans ans some lorries


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

Whoops just pressed send sorry. Will continue


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

I phoned Norfokline again but it was UK and they couldn't advise anything and the foreign number they gave was not registering.
To cut it short we jumped out into the lefthand lane after a caravan owner Q jumped us and we drove to the left of entry into lane 1 for reservations only showing pictures of cars and bikes which is confusing.
We got onto the 7.30 ferry with minutes to spare and a really empty car deck? Nobody gave an explanation to anyone.
We feal that Norfolkline should have some way of letting people in the Q with reservations know what they should do rather than sit in a Q for 2 hours worrying that you will miss the ferry. I can only guess that the Q was lorries hoping to get a place on an earlier ferry and thus blocked the only road to the port.
The ferry crossing is great and so quiet as all the lorry drivers want to do is sleep and as there are so many men onboard then there are no Queues for the "ladies". Unbelievable!

On the positive side , we had a good crossing and managed to clear the M25 jct 12 before a lorry decided to catch fire and close the M25. We were lucky there.

Great to meet you Grizzly and glad that motorhome facts is here so we can pass on all this information. 
I will try to contact Norfolkline once I recover from todays lack of sleep.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Hello again chrisgog !

I think you passed us on the M20 about 9.15am this morning. We stayed overnight at a site called Little Switzerland in Folkestone. We missed the Capel le Ferne turnoff in the dark as there had been an accident (bus fire ?) close to it and whizzed into this site after following the signs in town.

We then stopped a bit en route and managed to get caught up in the jams caused by the exploding hydrogen peroxide tanker on the M25 so all in all we are glad to be home - well, no, perhpas that's not true. We are glad to be safely home is more accurate !

Nice to have met you outside the Grande Sarthe Auchan yesterday

G.


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

Thought it was you when we passed this morning. Don't know if you could see me wave or not. Sorry you had such a rough day but the sheer number of lorries leaving Dover today was incredible. I am not surprised a lorry had an accident. I wonder if they had left Dover this morning?
I was amazed at the number of Lithuanian, Polish and Czech lorries on board too. 

Have a good nights sleep.
Chris and Gog


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

We were thinking of using Norfolkline next year but now you have put us off  The thought of being in the wrong Q and then missing the ferry would definitely stress me out...........maybe give it a miss next year until its all sorted. Pity because I like the thought of the cheap fares


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I wouldn't want to do that zulurita.

We were very happy with the service on Norfolkline - friendly, low- key and so on and they do give low prices.

In that there is a "system" the way to avoid queuing seems to be this. Follow the Car Ferry signs from junction 24 of the A26 as if you were a car. When you get to the long straight stretch with nose to tail lorries on the right lane of the road go into the left lane and overtake them. This takes a bit of courage but no-one in the lorries sees you as queue-jumping so you meet no dirty looks ! 

You will go round a roundabout -following the line of lorries, and shortly the road will widen and the lorries are directed into what I assume are customs sheds. You -as a car, no sign of motorhome or caravan directions, will be signed to the left of the sheds and to the small check-in booth ( single one). After you have been checked in you will be given your windscreen notice and turn sharp left to join either line A,B or C as directed. I understand that if you turn sharp right here you go to the Reception building and parking.

If you are going onto the waiting list for a sailing then they send you to a parallel line, no.1.

The loading is fairly leisurely and they waited for many cars who had queued in the lorry line, until sailing time. They let us on, on the waiting list, on sailing time and we left 15 minutes late. I guess, not having so many boats and having their own dedicated dock at both ends, that they are not so frantic about sailing dead on time.

I do intend to write to Norfolkline and ask if we followed the correct procedure and what, if anything, they are going to do to separate the tourists and freight. I'll let you know. We preferred the sailing to the Calais gin palaces though Dunkirk is a bit further on.

G


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

Grizzly
I have e-mailed Norfolkline this afternoon and I will let you know their reply
Chris


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I did the same thing this afternoon ! No reply yet.

G


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