Dairy and meat to France (3 Viewers)

[VXman]

But why bother? Supermarkets sell everything you are likely to want; even cheddar cheese and fresh milk.

Because I like to have stuff in so we can just get on with travelling. Hate shopping generally and certainly don't want to start my trip on foreign soil with a visit to the supermarket. Also some stuff is not easy to locate in Europe - Bacon for example.

The only time we got checked recently was when that bloke escaped Wandsworth Prison last September.

 

[tribalbrit]

Irish ferries ? They don't seem to bother . Always been checked on other ferries

No P and O always been checked on tunnel.

 

[Hawkstone]

Because I like to have stuff in so we can just get on with travelling. Hate shopping generally and certainly don't want to start my trip on foreign soil with a visit to the supermarket. Also some stuff is not easy to locate in Europe - Bacon for example.

The only time we got checked recently was when that bloke escaped Wandsworth Prison last September.

Ditto and also arriving on a Sunday or Bank holiday afternoon is a bit limiting I only carry enough for a few days but always semi skimmed milk as you can’t always find it easily unless you go to the big supermarkets. Can’t stand that UHT stuff

 

[Joethejoiner]

No P and O always been checked on tunnel.

Don't use P and O . Though , apparently , Irish ferries did the same dirty on their staff some years ago

 

[VXman]

Don't use P and O . Though , apparently , Irish ferries did the same dirty on their staff some years ago

All ferries are the same and I doubt the tunnel offer particulary good pay and conditions packages. I always use Irish ferries as I prefer a sailing to being stuck in box underground, they have nice cheap fares and good duty free deals

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[Reallyretired]

We've never been checked for food or booze. Just gas off and a search for illegals last time. We take whatevers in the fridge at home plus swmbo likes to take bacon as it's not always easy to find.

 

[Joethejoiner]

All ferries are the same and I doubt the tunnel offer particulary good pay and conditions packages. I always use Irish ferries as I prefer a sailing to being stuck in box underground, they have nice cheap fares and good duty free deals

Don't think pay etc will be great but , fortunately , they are not all the same

 

[Fulham Dave]

18 trips to and fro in past 3 years, 10 via tunnel, 8 via DFDS or Irish Ferries.

Van inspected 4 times for illegals, but they never checked fridge contents, not that they would have found anything as we always shop the other side.

I don't understand why people risk being caught breaking the law when you can normally buy what you need the other side or you can experience the local produce instead? Surely that's part of why we go there is it not?

 

[Minxy]

18 trips to and fro in past 3 years, 10 via tunnel, 8 via DFDS or Irish Ferries.

Van inspected 4 times for illegals, but they never checked fridge contents, not that they would have found anything as we always shop the other side.

I don't understand why people risk being caught breaking the law when you can normally buy what you need the other side or you can experience the local produce instead? Surely that's part of why we go there is it not?

So do you throw the stuff in your home fridge?

 

[Brains]

Why bother?
France has better supermarkets than the UK, and they are cheaper.

The one thing you do need to do is switch off your gas.
(Which will also switch off your fridge)

So I'd take the minimum you need before you go shopping in France.

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[Stoosal]

In the last few years I certainly haven’t found French supermarkets cheaper than UK ones. Last trip we thought they more expensive.

 

[Steve N Tracy]

We have not found them cheaper either.

 

[rod_vw]

Been across and back once this year via Le Shuttle and there was no interest in the van contents at all, UK > F did ask if the gas was off, F > UK didn't even bother to do that. Our gas is underslung anyway and the only 'switch off' is electric which they were quite happy with.

We are across again this coming Wednesday and from previous experience don't expect any questions then.

Caused some strange looks under the Channel as we brewed up, the kettle is electric fed from a 2000W inverter!

 

[gus-lopez]

I've only ever been asked twice if my gas was off & both of them were on the tunnel.As I posted earlier I have only ever been checked entering the Uk & that for stowaways. Leaving for France nothing from anyone.

I doubt the tunnel offer particulary good pay and conditions packages.

I would have thought otherwise but having looked you are right. 35-50k plus licence only allows eurotunnel loop not europe or uk .Whereas euro star drivers are scnf, eu/uk licence holders but still don't appear to earn much more?

 

[Minxy]

France most definitely is not cheaper that the UK for food, far from it, we take everything in our home fridge that would go off or need to be thrown as well as stuff that we buy specifically such as Cheddar cheese, butter (much cheaper here), meat etc, we also take plenty of dog food as changing their diet to food only available in France can be a recipe for disaster.

We've been checked before boarding a few times since 'B' and no one has ever been bothered about food, we've never been asked but haven't hidden it either.

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[Ianj55]

Risk it never been checked yet. Been going through since brexit and more interested about gas turned off.

 

[rod_vw]

France most definitely is not cheaper that the UK for food, far from it, we take everything in our home fridge that would go off or need to be thrown as well as stuff that we buy specifically such as Cheddar cheese, butter (much cheaper here), meat etc, we also take plenty of dog food as changing their diet to food only available in France can be a recipe for disaster.

We've been checked before boarding a few times since 'B' and no one has ever been bothered about food, we've never been asked but haven't hidden it either.

Nobody seems to mention that (I think) there is 7% VAT on French food sales. How do French food prices stack up against UK ones if you discount their VAT charge?

 

[Minxy]

Nobody seems to mention that (I think) there is 7% VAT on French food sales. How do French food prices stack up against UK ones if you discount their VAT charge?

That's a moot point as you have no way to change the VAT rate, you just have to pay the cost for the food, take it or leave it.

 

[Purrfecttune]

If you want to smuggle an immigrant the best place to hide them is in your fridge

 

[Louis]

We are on Le Shuttle next week to France for our first trip since Brexit…

Do they check the contents of your fridge?

They checked everywhere, except for the fridge & freezer. That was four weeks ago on Le Shuttle

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[varaizian]

I've only ever been asked twice if my gas was off & both of them were on the tunnel.As I posted earlier I have only ever been checked entering the Uk & that for stowaways. Leaving for France nothing from anyone.

I would have thought otherwise but having looked you are right. 35-50k plus licence only allows eurotunnel loop not europe or uk .Whereas euro star drivers are scnf, eu/uk licence holders but still don't appear to earn much more?

Portsmouth have run a sort-of random check for years with 2 sheds holding 3 vehicles each. They run a mirror around underneath, sometimes look in the bonnet, usually look in the boot and ask several obvious questions whilst making stupid jokes. 3 weeks ago my son came over and he said they checked every single vehicle. If the loading crew are not too busy they ofter check on gas. Not surprisingly Caen often has customs with sniffer dogs searching motorhomes and vans for stowaways. Portsmouth Border Force only seem to look in commercial vans.

 

[our poppy llll]

On our last trip Newhaven Dieppe we were given a Quick Look, came in after looking in the garage, opened the bathroom door, he opened the fridge, it was loaded with, frozen meats, vac packed sausages and bacon, 4 bottles x 4 pints semi skimmed milk, yogurts, fruit and eggs, cooked meats and bread, it was chocker full
He had a Quick Look in a few cupboards. He got out and waved us on and said line 5.

 

[AllesP]

We’ve just gone from Poole to Cherbourg. The nice man apologised for how slow everything was but they had to check the paperwork of one of the vehicles very carefully as he was carrying guns. Perfectly legal as he was just going hunting but it takes ages! We were searched, including the mirror underneath but not our brand new shiny fridge buzzing away powered by a lithium battery.

I just bring what’s left in the fridge. I must admit I don’t fill it like I used to though.

We always get searched. I think it’s because we’re a PVC so relatively small and easy.

We were on the same ferry as you. We love that crossing and being able to get there the night before and sleep in the queue. It's such fun.

We weren't searched this time, but we usually are; not the fridge though. They didn't check that our gas was off, although it was.

 

[Fulham Dave]

So do you throw the stuff in your home fridge?

The van's fridge is our home fridge, we are full timers

 

[rod_vw]

That's a moot point as you have no way to change the VAT rate, you just have to pay the cost for the food, take it or leave it.

I simply meant to compare their price without their VAT and ours which does not attract such a tax.

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[Mucklestone]

Didn't check our fridge, but it was empty anyway.

However it's worth noting that the hold of a ferry is often extremely hot - a couple of hundred vehicle engines cooling down in a confined space will do that. If you have a 3 way fridge I bet it would struggle to keep stuff properly cold anyway on 12v (gas off) unless it is a short crossing....

 

[Minxy]

The van's fridge is our home fridge, we are full timers

Soooooo ... does that mean that you dispose of all the 'illegal' produce before you cross from the UK to France?

 

[Minxy]

I simply meant to compare their price without their VAT and ours which does not attract such a tax.

All you have to do is find out the price of a similar produce in France (Lidl/Aldi UK and abroad have some identical produce) and take off their VAT amount, do the same for the UK one and you'll have your answer. It's nothing I've bothered with doing that as I can't by without VAT so its the total cost that's the thing I look for however some stuff is quite a bit more, bread loaves for example can be extortionate in France for a simple basic loaf.

 

[VXman]

Nobody seems to mention that (I think) there is 7% VAT on French food sales. How do French food prices stack up against UK ones if you discount their VAT charge?

Let's not forget food quality, variety, presentation, levels of stock etc etc in French supermarket is way above stuff in the UK. Worth paying extra for in my opinion.

 

[Mad dog]

Fridge not checked ever, the meat & dairy rule is not a brexit ruling, it's been like it for years. We take raw dog food, which isn't easy to buy in France.

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