http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37271674

Hopefully clear by next spring thanks Nev but again worrying.

Thankfully we decided (after numerous reports of debris being thrown in the road and migrants converging at service stations) to take Portsmouth to Caen later this week and to come back in October via Bilbao. We wont be doing Dover/Calais or visa versa for a long time. If we want to go down the eastern side next year we'll go to Ostend or Hook of Holland. I do have sympathy with those at Calais, god knows what their lives must be like in their own countries if they are prepared to live in the terrible conditions of 'the Jungle'. However, I myself can't help them, so I would rather avoid dealing with it.

I agree with Blueyonder. There are many other ports to choose from.

Our Portsmouth-Bilbao ferry this year stopped at Roscoff (crew change, no passenger embarking) so it was the 36 hour trip but returning Bilbao-Portsmouth is only 24 hrs.

We chose the Caen crossing overnight simply because Boris (dog) will be in the van and should sleep all the way (fingers crossed!). He would certainly kick up a right fuss in his crate for 7 hours during the day! We have booked a cabin so we can also sleep and can make good progress driving the day we arrive. Yes an early start arriving at Caen at 6.45am, but we are usually up at 6 anyway. I just hope Boris doesn't have any 'accidents' on the way!

We took Santander - Portsmouth last year . However, we now have Boris and I could only get a pet friendly cabin this time from Bilbao. I didn't even look at the sailing times, just snapped up the cabin, as the pet friendly ones are like hens teeth apparently. I just checked the times and we sail 15.30 and arrive 14.15 the next day. Not sure about Santander, but we can usefully check-in early at Bilbao at 9.30am, which suits us well, as we can then go exhaust the dog. I will reserve judgement on whether being cooped up in a ferry cabin with a dog for most of the crossing and having to use the 'poop deck' is any better than driving all the way home. With the euro exchange rate as it is, the diesel, extra stops and costs in France (obviously much more expensive than Spain/Portugal) I'm not sure there is much in it cost wise. The main reason for choosing that route home is the fact it will be cold mid October and very likely wet.

Oops, I digressed a bit!! However, if anyone reading has any pets on ferries tips, they would be appreciated I am going to take the dog crate to the cabin to see if it will fit. It's quite big but folds flat so if it doesn't fit it can be put out of the way. If it does fit, at least he can go in it for a nap and we'd get chance to leave the cabin without fear of him chewing anything.

We got tired dismantling all the "stuff" in the car to get Tilly's dog crate out, let alone lugging it around..

Bought a fabric one from Pet Planet that you fold like a car sun shade and packs in a bag.

Its strong, weighs next to nothing and she is quite happy sleeping in it.

Highly recommended.

Charlie

Yup, just like that. They are very good indeed.

Not having met, I am not sure how big Boris will grow, I kind of envisage a great slobbering Golden Retriever for some reason....

Charlie

One ugly mutt

Quote "Yup, just like that. They are very good indeed.

Not having met, I am not sure how big Boris will grow, I kind of envisage a great slobbering Golden Retriever for some reason....

Charlie"

A great slobbering Golden Retriever..... you got it in one Charlie!! ;) But, until he has all his adult teeth (only 8 of them so far) I am not sure how long a fabric crate would last!!

Just to clarify, we chose Boris as a name 3 yrs ago when we started looking for a male GR puppy. Little did we know that BJ's career would flourish, or that our retriever would quite so aptly share some of his characteristics, i.e. a big lollopy baffoon with messy blond hair!!!!

From my experiences I think the crate may last half an hour

Smashing dogs GR's. Love their heads.

The crates are made from quite tough nylon and ours has survived intact, so worth a try when his adult teeth have developed.

I think Taffy must live on Dartmoor near Grympen Mire.

C