Going to France for a week, wanting to take the guns with me.

[Liam Porter]

So, at the end of August, I'm going to France for a week to stay with my cousins. They have a large garden (few acres) with woodland and open areas, they're interested in airsoft (played with the guns etc. last time they came over) but have no guns of their own. Want to take the guns for something to do (last time, I didn't go, but my mum and step-dad did, and they said it was quite boring and sitting around the house/garden most days), they don't watch TV, they only have a basic computer with really slow Internet, they don't have any games consoles, so it's all out-doors stuff.

I'll be travelling by car, and going over the ferry rather than the train. Will be travelling with my mum, step-dad and step-brother.

I'm the only one with UKARA (my step-dad's expired a couple of months ago, although he still airsofts regularly), and my step-brother is under 18 (16).

I've checked on legality of airsoft in France, and all I can find is that you have to be 18+ and the maximum power limit is 450 FPS. Similarly to the UK, guns must be out of sight of public and kept hidden/in a gun gun bag/case when in transport. Haven't found anything about importing guns.

I know the UK laws, the VCRA and the UK legal power limits.

So, question time...

What are procedures at the ferry? I've never used it before, so have no idea what it's like compared to an airport where you check every suitcase etc. in and it all gets scanned.

When going into France, how will they check the guns? What will the procedure be here?

And going back the other way, once again, how will they check the guns?

I'm the only one with UKARA, yet there are four of us and there will be 6 guns, so what happens here?

Any other tips and general advice would be greatly appreciated, so thanks in advance.

 

[M_P]

When we lived in Germany we used to use the Harwich to Holland ferry all the time, I dont think we ever had any of our bags checked.
I think occasionally they a random bag from random vehicles or something, but I'm sure they arent like airports with their security, not unless they've changed in the last few years.

I'm not sure if you have to inform the company or anything but to be frank, It'd be very easy to take them without anyone knowing.

 

[Richard65]

Never seen any checks on luggage when getting on the ferries and hardly any checks by customs at either side. You could always be the odd one that gets pulled over so worth having your UKARA number and/or site membership with you.

Why not give customs a call just to double check - you do not have to give them a travel date/ferry details etc. No idea what would happen if by chance you were pulled over by the French police!

 

[Moose87]

yer its a strange one, i used to work on the dover calais ferries and to be honest they dont really check family holiday groups. they are more looking for people bringing in shit loads of booze, backy, drugs and immigrants. but to get caught could cause alot of problems. i would def phone customs to check and get something in french to explain to the french police whats going on or they will escort you to the nearest cash machine and demand lots of money

 

[Liam Porter]

Yeah, I'll get my step-dad to phone customs.

Why would they escort to the nearest cash machine and demand lots of money?

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

So you can bribe them into letting you off the hook, perhaps?

You're not very perceptive when it comes to jokes, eh Liam?

 

[Moose87]

well no i ment cos the french police have the authority to enforce on the spot fines which they collect there and then and if you dont have the money they will taken you to a cash machine and force you to get it.

also they are known for being corrupt!

 

[Mr_awol]

yer its a strange one, i used to work on the dover calais ferries and to be honest they dont really check family holiday groups. they are more looking for people bringing in shit loads of booze, backy, drugs and immigrants. but to get caught could cause alot of problems. i would def phone customs to check and get something in french to explain to the french police whats going on or they will escort you to the nearest cash machine and demand lots of money

For at least ten years they have been getting everyone to open their boots when queuing on the ramps on the French side, and I've been stopped in dover and taken through the customs shed a few times.

Not that I've ever had RIFs with me. Just pointing out that on the ferry you might not have seen the actual checks that go on.

 

[Mr_awol]

Yeah, I'll get my step-dad to phone customs.

Why would they escort to the nearest cash machine and demand lots of money?

Many motoring fines in France are on the spot - it also applies to other offences although less so. I you haven't got the cash they literally will take you to the nearest ATM!

 

[Moose87]

They dont make everyone open their boots at all, they profile cars and do random selection, they can hardly inspect hundreds of cars at a time. i came back in not long ago with friends with a boot full of booze and fags and didnt get checked. having lived in dover for most of my life and knowing customs agents i get a pretty good idea for it.

 

[Liam Porter]

Well, thanks for all the advice and everything, but suddenly mum's decided the guns are not coming on holiday with us, and as we've changed car, we can now use the Eurotunnel, so won't be taking the ferry.

 

[Mr_awol]

They dont make everyone open their boots at all, they profile cars and do random selection, they can hardly inspect hundreds of cars at a time. i came back in not long ago with friends with a boot full of booze and fags and didnt get checked. having lived in dover for most of my life and knowing customs agents i get a pretty good idea for it.

It's hardly.a chore, and easily done. Normally they stroll up the queue of traffic waiting to board the ferry in calais and ask everyone to pop the trunk. They don't root around in there and it's probably just to make site that there isn't a person in there rather than looking or stuff.

If they have stopped doing it then it is VERY recent. I cant remember a single time ive come in an not had to open the boot in france, although i havent been for about a year now.

As for the shed on the way out, I've been in there a couple of times. Last time they were picking up pretty much every fourth car, took ages. They are normally quite thorough in there.

But anyway, the OP isn't taking them now so it doesn't matter

 

[JoW.]

About getting pulled by the police in France, we had this happen to us (back in 04) when our camo van developed a fairly major fault in a wheel bearing which left us crawling along the road doing about 15mph around Verdun trying to find a garage open on a Saturday at 7.30am. All four of us had all our team uniforms on, about 16 guns altogether in bags or cases and a load of camping gear for a weekender. They promptly separated us from our vehicle, turned all their backs on us and had a very cursory look at the back of the van. As we were wondering if they'd notice if we would jump them and seize their revolvers, they turned around and asked us if we were carrying drugs. That was it.

Ahh...back in the day