Security checks at ports

WillH said:
Within the Schengen area there are no borders. When leaving France via Eurotunnel the whole vehicle passes through an X-ray device. As far as I know there are none on the UK side.
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We travel to France and back regularly, we get off the train and drive straight out onto the main road both ends.
not seen anything that looks like an X-ray device at the terminal

Where is this X-ray device?
 
Allanm said:
We travel to France and back regularly, we get off the train and drive straight out onto the main road both ends.
not seen anything that looks like an X-ray device at the terminal

Where is this X-ray device?
Click to expand...

Off to the right on the French side on the way to UK, we are regular users :LOL:
 
Allanm said:
We travel to France and back regularly, we get off the train and drive straight out onto the main road both ends.
not seen anything that looks like an X-ray device at the terminal

Where is this X-ray device?
Click to expand...
On the uk side just after the roundabout before passport control.
 
Going back we regularly get the steering wheel swabbed by French security. Not sure what they are looking for, drugs or explosives maybe.

They do 4 or 5 vehicles in one go. If they were ever to get a hit I suspect we would all be searched.

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WillH said:
Within the Schengen area there are no borders. When leaving France via Eurotunnel the whole vehicle passes through an X-ray device. As far as I know there are none on the UK side.
Click to expand...
With respect I don’t think this is the case. X rays are dangerous and anyone like drivers travelling daily would be over exposed over time.

We have never had anything checked other than the gas, except once when we WERE sent through the X Ray machine on the french side. This involves everyone getting out of the van and putting it on a little travellator thing which carries the van back and forth while it’s being examined. People (and the gun toting guards who kindly select you) stand behind a huge concrete wall to avoid the xrays.
So if you want to smuggle anything, just put it in your pants as these don’t get x Ray treatment.
 
You can be stopped anywhere in France by the 'Douanes', they are frequently on the N10 laying in wait on the slip - road before the 'Routier' at Peyre, south of Poitiers, where they subsequently pull you in. Got stopped near Cahors once by the Douanes. They are quite scary in their long black trench coats, reminds one of the way the 'Gestapo' used to dress.
 
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The X-Ray towers are by the no stopping area just before UK passport control (yellow cross hatched area). There is a reason you shouldn't stop in that area.
I did read once that the french stopped them being used as is was too dangerous to passing personnel. That was a two or years ago, they have not been taken down and I don't know whether they are used or not.
 
Went over on 3rd Sept, Dover to calais only passport check UK side nothing French side but then in our experience their never is.
Came back yesterday wife handed the passports to the French customs guy he didn't look at them, just handed them back, UK customs looked at them, checked photos matched and waved us on. They were searching the car in front but waved us through.
Drove off at Dover and straight on to the A2 did go through two wide plates so may be they x-rayed your vehicle as you drive in between them.

In the three weeks we have been away hardly a hold up, get on the A2 and halfway up jubilee way join the queue, we find they have closed the A2 I turn right and we meander down country lanes with no clue where I am going, finally getting to Canterbury 90 mins later.
 
We use the tunnel and previously have always had the physical gas check but not always the French passport check.
This time we had the gas question only, no French passport check, the check of the hanger on the train never happened and the talk you get on the train happened at the end of the journey!
We think it may have been change-over time for the staff as they looked as tho they were all getting ready to go home!
 
I've used the tunnel countless time since it opened. Never been stopped in a car but a few times in a van and twice in the motorhome.
Been across 5 times this year and not been stopped.

Andy
 
Whole vehicle X-rays have been in use in the UK for over 20, used by HMRC. In the UK they used to take the driver out of the vehicle but in the US they stayed in (it was an American device). I can only presume the machines are now much better.
 
Marty Gilly and Pup said:
With respect I don’t think this is the case. X rays are dangerous and anyone like drivers travelling daily would be over exposed over time.
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You're right. They're possibly heat sensors checking for extra people.

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when we left to on our trip we showed our passports at Dover jay was in the front never Evan asked to see third passenger or documentation relating to the child jay.
we went straight up the ramp on to the ship we were last to load not even asked one question abut the van its contents nothing not even a look in it
on the way back another matter three check's firs by french army then british border agency asking the weeman dos he know us did he willingly travel with us.
bill
 
PhilG said:
Dunkirk, get searched twice in 100 meters. Every time.
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The last time they pulled us into a building, open the front & rear trailer door's made us uncover the bike in the trailer , then they started making revving noises whilst pretending to ride it, think that time they were bored & just wanted to see the bike ?
 
Enword said:
The last time they pulled us into a building, open the front & rear trailer door's made us uncover the bike in the trailer , then they started making revving noises whilst pretending to ride it, think that time they were bored & just wanted to see the bike ?
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We don't travel with bikes very often , luckily, I just have to turn up to ride other people's , which is nice.

I did travel over with a bike last year that had been shipped from Andorra to the UK , delivered to me, and then I took it to Germany, no paperwork whatsoever, was a bit of a faff, but was free as opposed to costing £800 , so worth the effort.
 
peterc10 said:
Going back we regularly get the steering wheel swabbed by French security. Not sure what they are looking for, drugs or explosives maybe.

They do 4 or 5 vehicles in one go. If they were ever to get a hit I suspect we would all be searched.
Click to expand...

I asked, its for explosives (y)
 
olley said:
Went over on 3rd Sept, Dover to calais only passport check UK side nothing French side but then in our experience their never is.
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That's because the first checkpoint at the police post at Dover is by the French border control (Police aux Frontières, or PAF), then it's UK Border Force then on to ticket check-in.

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Had our van xrayed at the tunnel on the british side. We were asked to drive to the side, leave the van, which then went though a conveyer similiar to a car wash. Got in the other side of it then just told ok you can go.
 
Stopped at Andorra going into Spain I asked why, they said gold smuggling, I said not from Andorra as it is all Tungsten with gold plating on it, you need a drill to check it goes through it is gold breaks drill it is tungsten,, They also want tobacco smugglers which is why the Spanish go there. Diesel is cheapest there.
 
Taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao we have twice been selected on the way out at Portsmouth for security checks. This is the ferry company's security rather than Customs or Border Force, I believe. They take you into a portakabin where you are subjected to an airport-style check, emptying your pockets into a tray and passing through a metal detector.

On the first occasion the security bloke asked me if I was carrying a knife. I simply replied 'No'. On the second occasion I was in a slightly more obstreperous mood:

Security: Are you carrying a knife?
Me: Yes
Security: [looks very perturbed]
Me: It's a motorhome with a fully equipped kitchen including a selection of razor-sharp chef's knives.
Security: [looks a bit baffled and hesitates]... well, err, I don't mean that. Have you got any on your person?

I pass through the metal detectors without issue.

So, all a bit pointless really, given that I then return to may van full of knives. They did search the van but only seemed to be looking for big things.
 
At the Mont Blanc tunnel entrance from Italy to France a few years ago, waved into a layby by two guntoting Carabinieri and demanded all papers for all passengers. One guy stood there with a machine pistol pointing at the windscreen while the other sat in his car for around 15 minutes on a mobile phone. Eventually came out, gave me all our papers back, they both jumped in their car and drove off. I'm guessing we fitted a description for someone specific they were looking for, but it was a very nerve wracking 20 minutes!
 
I've only used the tunnel twice ....last year coming back to UK I had gas checked , passport checked twice and sent in to the garage and had underside of van , garage, bathroom compartment all checked.

Coming to France in January, gas checked , passport checked twice


Even going from Spain to gibralter this year I had a very rubinesque English police woman check my bathroom compartment.....that was a first

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A couple of times at the Swiss border.

Once by the Douaniers after exiting the Mont Blanc tunnel.

Returning this year via the Chunnel got the swipe test on the steering wheel and driver's window sill from French Flics. The gas cylinder valve was checked also.
 
Also got stopped by the Spanish Guardia Civil on a very minor road heading for the Portuguese border last year. They were stopping all vehicles. Severe but polite officer demanded to see papers. He had no English; we have have practically no Spanish. He stared at the V5 for about 15 minutes, trying to work out what it meant or trying to pretend he could read English -- I have no idea. We were then waved on. Previously at such randon stops by the Guardia Civil we have been waved through, while North African looking types have been given the full works.

Maybe I look dodgy. One for the oldies -- someone on seeing my passport photo in the early 80s did remark: "Oh dear, you do look a bit Baader-Meinhof".
 
We have been checked a few times over the years
Best one was coming back to UK after 4 weeks tour with son, his wife, two teenage grandsons and three dirt bikes on a trailer
We pulled a long one on the last day.. It had been hot and sticky all day and there was a distinct tang of bodies pervading throughout the van !!
Lady said she needed to get in the back to check.. No problem I said...Step put out, door opened

She was greeted by two teenagers kipping on the floor, a semi naked son kipping on a sofa and daughter in law trying frantically to both tidy up ( she is a bit OCD when it comes to house work ) and air the van out at the same time !!!

She took one step in the van, her face changed... and she was gone back out the door shouting 'thank you.please proceed' ( and I am sure I heard her say'QUICKLY !' under her breath !!

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