Calais to Breda

[BenBhoy]

Well I've gone & got myself a passport!!

Taking family to a theme park in the Netherlands, just outside Breda.

Can anyone more travelled than myself (so that's everyone) suggest any nice sights or stop offs on our wee road trip?

On a logistical note, I got an Irish passport so EU but the rest of us have British, will that put us in different processes??

Thank you in advance

 

[enfieldspares]

There's the Evoluon at Eindhoven and, also, near to it an open air military museum. Or there was when I was there in the mid-1970s. There's also a big Decathlon near Calais and Cite d'Europe shopping centre. Allow a good four or five hours at least for the journey especially if congestion on the Brussels ring road! Motorway services on the continent, especially French are superb.

And "duty free" is per person over 18 years forty-two litres of beer. Google HMRC Notice 1. By default (you have to read the notice for what it doesn't say is banned as what isn't banned is therefore by default allowed) pre-packed food sold commercially in supermarkets is allowed to enter the UK. ONE LAST WORD - CHECK YOUR CAR BOOT BEFORE ARRIVAL AT CALAIS OR FRETHUN IF YOU'VE LEFT THE VEHICLE UNATTENDED IN THE PAS DE CALAIS AREA.

UK customs information: England, Scotland and Wales (accessible version)

www.gov.uk

 

[Dunwaters]

With your Irish passport you get to use the EU/Schengen line, the UK passport holders get the non-EU treatment.
Some customs and immigration officers take BREXIT as a personal affront.

 

[BenBhoy]

With your Irish passport you get to use the EU/Schengen line, the UK passport holders get the non-EU treatment.
Some customs and immigration officers take BREXIT as a personal affront.

What difference does it mean, realistically ?

 

[enfieldspares]

With your Irish passport you get to use the EU/Schengen line, the UK passport holders get the non-EU treatment.
Some customs and immigration officers take BREXIT as a personal affront.

You need if all together to go in the "line" of the least permissive passport held by any member of your group. The border officers in France, at least, are quite firm about that. So that'd be non-EU if you've any holding only UK passports.

 

[enfieldspares]

What difference does it mean, realistically ?

A balls ache! I used to have to do it (pre-Brexit) coming back from Nigeria with my wife via Roissy (CDG) Airport. The EU queue, as I was then on my UK passport so at that time EU, went quickly as no need to have it stamped. The non-EU meant you were if unlucky in the queue behind the person getting the third degree interview. Plus even that operation of stamping the passport adds up if there is a long line.

So as she had a Nigerian passport I had to go with here in the non-EU queue. However you should see a sign with flags that will have a union jack on it (usually also a "stars and stripes" and a Swiss flag and some other nations that don't require visas to enter Schengen) as that may be slightly different from other non-EU passport holders where they require a visa to enter the Schengen Zone.

 

[enfieldspares]

However you should see a sign with flags that will have a union jack on it (usually also a "stars and stripes" and a Swiss flag and some other nations that don't require visas to enter Schengen) as that may be slightly different from other non-EU passport holders where they require a visa to enter the Schengen Zone. Lastly the French (Schengen) control is done at Dover and Folkestone and the UK control is done coming back at Calais or Frethun. The Le Touquet Treaty means that the French frontier is in the UK going out and the UK frontier is in France coming back. It's why you'll read of tobacco smugglers using the "shuttle" being arrested by UK Border Force at Frethun and not Folkestone.

 

[Dunwaters]

What difference does it mean, realistically ?

Much longer queues and wait times.
The free travel area offers minimal immigration checks, generally just passport or ID card, the non EU line gets you behind the people who need their visas checked and stamped.

 

[BenBhoy]

Much longer queues and wait times.
The free travel area offers minimal immigration checks, generally just passport or ID card, the non EU line gets you behind the people who need their visas checked and stamped.

Time for me to visit the bar as I wait for them then!!

 

[opticron1]

What difference does it mean, realistically ?

To be honest, whenever we've flown or travelled into the Netherlands, it hasn't made a huge difference going through Customs. UK passport holders get a stamp on the way in and on the way out - not exactly exciting! The Customs folk in the Netherlands seem quite relaxed about the whole Brexit stuff and we've never had a problem.
If you've got the time, try getting the train into Antwerp - wouldn't be too keen to drive into it as the ring road is a nightmare.... Utrecht is quite a nice town to visit. Lots of old churches and castles in the Breda area if that's your thing. Anywhere towards Rotterdam will be busy (with Lorry traffic). If you want a bit of WW2 stuff, Arnhem is worth a visit, although the Overloon War Museum to the East of Breda (near Venray) is a decent place to visit. Just really depends how much time you have...

 

[opticron1]

Meant to add.....if you're going up the coast from Calais, Brugge (or Bruges) is worth a visit, very scenic and may have the Christmas Market on.

 

[Stevie/P]

Some customs and immigration officers take BREXIT as a personal affront.

Pity there not so robust with the migrants.

 

[finnbear270]

Pity there not so robust with the migrants.

Probably encouraged to keep waving them through.

 

[BenBhoy]

To be honest, whenever we've flown or travelled into the Netherlands, it hasn't made a huge difference going through Customs. UK passport holders get a stamp on the way in and on the way out - not exactly exciting! The Customs folk in the Netherlands seem quite relaxed about the whole Brexit stuff and we've never had a problem.
If you've got the time, try getting the train into Antwerp - wouldn't be too keen to drive into it as the ring road is a nightmare.... Utrecht is quite a nice town to visit. Lots of old churches and castles in the Breda area if that's your thing. Anywhere towards Rotterdam will be busy (with Lorry traffic). If you want a bit of WW2 stuff, Arnhem is worth a visit, although the Overloon War Museum to the East of Breda (near Venray) is a decent place to visit. Just really depends how much time you have...

Cheers mate.

We will be driving. Not got loads of time as most of trip planned around this theme park. Mainly hoping for some scenic view points etc on way.

 

[Flash G 74]

Hello, I remember when I took my Son on a Footy Comp in Holland we went to Phantasialand , The boys had a great time, Good luck on your trip

 

[BenBhoy]

Hello, I remember when I took my Son on a Footy Comp in Holland we went to Phantasialand , The boys had a great time, Good luck on your trip

Cheers. We're going to World of Wonders - Efteling

Be there for new year

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Meant to add.....if you're going up the coast from Calais, Brugge (or Bruges) is worth a visit, very scenic and may have the Christmas Market on.

I will second that. And do try the fries with mayonnaise if you can find a friterie / imbiss / stall when in Belgium.
The nasty P&O ferry company (if you live near Dover) have an offer on at the moment £60 odd for a short round trip with car.

 

[Dunwaters]

Time for me to visit the bar as I wait for them then!!

A sound solution. Downside is that you don’t qualify for duty free on your Irish passport….

 

[Dunwaters]

Pity there not so robust with the migrants.

They’re pretty strict with the ones coming through airports, buses and trains not so much.

 

[enfieldspares]

Overloon War Museum to the East of Breda (near Venray) is a decent place to visit.

That's the one! It has, or had in the mid-1970s, a Panther tank which Bovington didn't at the time have. And a display of anti-tank bar mines. it was all open air back then.