Brittany Ferries - Portsmouth to Caen and back

[Derek Uzzell]

Back from France yesterday after a short car + hotels break.

 

Sunday May 15. (Off to France)

 

Raining like hell when we arrive at Portsmouth ferry port. Long wait in short queue mainly because the people in the cars in front of us all seem to have complex problems with their documentation. Finally reach the Brittany Ferries agent's window in the vehicle check-in booth - fortunately now with overhead canopies (Plymouth example on attached image). Hand over passports, print-out of ticket and print-outs of NHS Covid vaccination status - 5 minutes and we are through.

 

We hadn't been in the security-checking shed with our motorhomes for years, but a high percentage of the cars seemed to be being checked this time. Mirrors under the cars, inspection in the engine compartment, etc. I was asked to remove one of the bags in our car's (small) boot and the bag was fed through a small X-ray luggage scanning machine. (I've always thought cross-Channel ferries would be attractive targets for terrorist attacks, so I don't mind there being careful security checks, though I did wonder whether the bad weather and the very few vehicles that were boarding were factors this time and whether this amount of checking would be practicable in the tourist high season.)

 

Mask-wearing on board was rather 'casual' - though I can't say that concerns me unduly - and the very latest BF advice is that masks no longer need to be worn on their vessels following the most recent French mask-related relaxations.

 

Usual procedure on arrival at Ouistreham, except Brittany Ferries now calls vehicle drivers down to the vehicle decks some while before the ship completes the tying-up process. Our passports received their first stamp and we were rapidly on our way to the Libera Hotel at Columbelles.

 

French hotels/restaurants/supermarkets we visited were uninterested in Covid verification - some people chose to wear masks, most chose not to.

 

Thursday May 19 (Back to UK)

 

Show Brittany Ferries agent ticket and passports (No Covid stuff needed of course). French Customs Officer stamps passports and we board the ship.

 

Arrive in UK, disembark rapidly (few vehicles on board) and the sun's out. UK Customs Officer quickly checks us through and we head for home.