Minxy
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- Aug 22, 2007
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- Since 1996, had Elddis/Swift/Rapido/Rimor/Chausson MHs. Autocruise/Globecar PVCs/Compactline i-138
Okay, back to the original subject matter ... we normally use Cite Europe for our last night before travelling back to the UK, this time, however we stayed on the 'old' Pet Passport office car park.
The side gate to ET that allows direct access from Cite Europe doesn't open until 7.00 am (or a bit later if they're held up with other things) and closes at 7.00 pm, using this negates the need to go a few km round the motorway to get to the same spot. As we were crossing at 7.50 am we needed to go through the check-in booths at ET by 7.05 am (45 mins beforehand is what they state now, although I suspect less would still be okay within reason), however we also had to have the dogs done before this therefore we needed to be there earlier and it seemed silly to stay at CE and then do the motorway route before 7.00 am for the sake of it so we could get there in sufficient time to allow the dogs to be done and us to check-in on time, hence our decision to try the PP car park. It was fine ... the only disturbance we got was when someone went to their vehicle and had a bit of a heated debate with someone else before driving off (an unhappy pet owner perhaps?). In the morning we drove to the new Pet Passport centre to find that it is closed overnight (open 7.00 am to 7.00 pm same as the gate) and the night check-in is near where we spent the night (to the rear at the right of the old PP centre).
In future if we have an earlier crossing we'll park at the new PP check-in centre as it doesn't open until 7.00 am so won't get any overnight disturbances except for those who don't know it's not open overnight ... there are signs giving directions to the 'night time check-in' but they're not great and they don't say what times the alternative should be used ... the lady at the night check-in admitted they aren't very good. Best thing is to look for the lights ... if the new PP centre is in darkness just go to the night-check in.
The side gate to ET that allows direct access from Cite Europe doesn't open until 7.00 am (or a bit later if they're held up with other things) and closes at 7.00 pm, using this negates the need to go a few km round the motorway to get to the same spot. As we were crossing at 7.50 am we needed to go through the check-in booths at ET by 7.05 am (45 mins beforehand is what they state now, although I suspect less would still be okay within reason), however we also had to have the dogs done before this therefore we needed to be there earlier and it seemed silly to stay at CE and then do the motorway route before 7.00 am for the sake of it so we could get there in sufficient time to allow the dogs to be done and us to check-in on time, hence our decision to try the PP car park. It was fine ... the only disturbance we got was when someone went to their vehicle and had a bit of a heated debate with someone else before driving off (an unhappy pet owner perhaps?). In the morning we drove to the new Pet Passport centre to find that it is closed overnight (open 7.00 am to 7.00 pm same as the gate) and the night check-in is near where we spent the night (to the rear at the right of the old PP centre).
In future if we have an earlier crossing we'll park at the new PP check-in centre as it doesn't open until 7.00 am so won't get any overnight disturbances except for those who don't know it's not open overnight ... there are signs giving directions to the 'night time check-in' but they're not great and they don't say what times the alternative should be used ... the lady at the night check-in admitted they aren't very good. Best thing is to look for the lights ... if the new PP centre is in darkness just go to the night-check in.
