Poole Port used as alternative as Dover struggles with queues

Poole Port bucked the trend and experienced no delays in ferry crossings to France.

John Till, a West Dorset Railways manager, and his mother Edna Johnson, 87, were due to travel to the Port of Dover on Friday but reports of the disruption prompted him to spend £400 £ to change his plans.

Poole Harbor has seen no delays for its holidaymakers” alt=”Dorset Echo: Poole Harbor has seen no delays for its holidaymakers” class=”editor-image”/>Poole Harbor has seen no delays for its holidaymakers

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“I saw that people had already been queuing for four hours,” the 45-year-old said.

“I’m taking my elderly mother to see friends in Bavaria, Germany, so I have a very long drive to the other side when we arrive.

“I couldn’t risk being stuck in a queue for four hours without a toilet and the horrible car ride on the other side, so at half past four this morning I took the quick decision to book a new trip with Brittany Ferries and travel from Poole Port which is much more expensive.

Mr Till said he had ‘no choice’ but to make the £400 change as the trip had been in the works for ‘a very long time’ and there was ‘no way I would drop my mother.”

Read more: Travelers were warned of worse delays on Saturday amid six-hour queues near Dover

Poole Harbor

Operating from the port of Poole are Brittany Ferries, sailing to Cherbourg in France, and Condor Ferries, which sail to St Malo in France and Guernsey.

Nigel Wonnacott, spokesman for Brittany Ferries, said: ‘Things have gone well in our ports and on the ships throughout the weekend, including Poole.

“There have been no delays or queues on the routes to the ships and we expect this to continue throughout the summer holiday season.”

Brittany Ferries also experienced a ‘last minute rush’ for the few remaining places on board Barfleur, one of their ferries departing from Poole.