 Poster: A snowHead
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Long time lurker, first time poster 
We are assuming our trip booked to Sainte Foy on 30th January is going to be ok and thought we better actually think about the planning we need to do other than due to the c-word.
It then made me think about the b-word (ya know, the one that came first!)
We are driving to a self catered apartment, via the euro tunnel.... Has anyone had any experience of taking food with them? We had planned to take some pre prepared food to make our lives easier on day one, until someone mentioned new rules mean we can't take meat and dairy?!
We obviously can shop over there but just wondered if anyone had recently driven and taken food in a coolbox or similar?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@cbr, we drove to Ste Foy on 11 December and took the stuff out of our fridge in a cool bag with a couple of Charlie Bigham dishes and a large gammon. The bag was just in the back of the car amongst all our other bags.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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No meet expectation fish up-to 20kg. No dairy except eggs.
No fruit or veg without certificates.
IMHO I wouldn't frustrate the process, I'm sure the border control will take great pleasure confiscating.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mixed experiences from the motorhome groups. Mostly seems to be, if searched, the border people are only looking for the usual - guns, stowaways.... . Others have reported having to chuck the contents of their fridge in the bin.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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No meat or dairy allowed...
So spaghetti bolognese is out, but spicy tuna pasta is OK (be sure to use olive oil not butter).
No cheese or bacon sandwiches, but smoked salmon is fine as long as you use margarine.
(or just bung everything in a coolbox like everyone else!)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Don't forget there are limits now on alcohol as well if you plan to take any with you (but unless bought duty free if that is possible via the tunnel then it might be better value on the continent). Per person, it's only 1 litre of spirits over 22% (or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine), 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer.
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At present, I don't think I'd bother with trying to take a lot of fresh stuff. Just plan a supermarket stop, or buy everything in resort - a ski holiday is so expensive that the marginal additional cost is not proportionately that big. You can still plan a lot in advance and take stuff with you. Dishwasher tablets, some key seasonings, tinned stuff, coffee, tea, breakfast cereals, soups, chocolate bars to take on the slopes, flour, eggs, crackers, pasta, sauces, nuts and nibbles, UHT milk (which is sometimes all you will find in resort shops anyway).
The purpose, in my case, would be to save myself shopping time in resort, rather than saving money. It would be worth stocking up on wine and beers at supermarket prices though IME there's not a lot of room in the car for bulky stuff.
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We regularly drive out (and are just back yesterday from 3 weeks near Chamonix). Our approach is always to buy out there (foreign food is a big part of the holiday excitement!). Between the channel and resort you’ll be within easy reach of many supermarkets and can easily get some basics for a quick first night meal (eg pasta/ olive oil/ cheese) and wine to accompany it. Cheap fuel too. There’s a good Carrefour at Reims Tinquieux and a decent Leclerc at Troyes, both less than 5 mins from autoroute.
That said - and for what it’s worth - on neither of our recent Eurotunnel crossings was any interest shown in food or booze in the car (Thu 16 Dec, Wed 5 Jan).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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It's frustrating that the new post-Brexit restrictions apply (and limit a lot of the obvious pre-cooked stuff) but in fact, I'd say that you should also consider any specific items that you would like and which aren't available readily in France, or which you really want on arrival. So I'd say take your favourite tea bags and herbal teas etc. with you, and buy milk at one of the motorway service stations en route. We have a favourite breakfast cereal whose equivalent exists but it'd be a very hit-and-miss to find, so we take some of that, too. You get the gist. A Thermos of coffee is also useful - you can refill it at a service station, then you have a hot drink on tap for a refresh.
As mentioned, there's a huge E.Leclerc superstore at Reims Champfleury if you want to do a serious shop It's on the A4 Jct.23, 270 Kms from Calais. Also a good place to top-up with cheaper petrol than on the autoroute.
Just a tip re the E.Leclerc at Champfleury (Reims) When you exit, especially from the petrol station, you're faced with this view, which can be misleading and catch you out. It looks like what's up ahead is the final exit roundabout, and the centre lane is oncoming. But it's not, the centre lane returns you to the roundabout to the Autoroute, the right lane turns right and takes you into Reims. But for some reason, it feels just wrong to jump over to the middle lane. Also be aware traffic may be behind you in the middle lane, in your blind spot, so get you passenger to help you here. If you get it wrong and take the Reims road to the right, you don't have to go far to do a 360 back at the next roundabout, it's just annoying.
Click top-right of the photo' and it should show you a Google Maps plan view if the autoroute exit and superstore roads.
We do take a car-powered refrigerated bag with freezer gel packs in it. This keeps favourite soft drinks cool on the way down and the extensive selection of French cheeses from the shopping on the way back.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Thu 17-03-22 23:38; edited 5 times in total
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Came out pre Christmas could have brought more with us as no sign of any checks (or notification) at Tunnel for foodstuffs. Didn't hide anything as were planning to plead innocence if caught.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There's a decent Super-U in Bourg, most people stock up there. Shops in resort are pretty good too.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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People pay £££££££££££££££££££ per hour for ski time. It's astonishing how many will work very hard to save £ an hour on shopping. I'm guilty too - I have sometimes muttered to myself about the opportunity cost of the time I'm taking trailing around an unfamiliar supermarket.
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You know it makes sense.
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As MorningGory says, Super-U in Bourg as well as Intermarche, virtually alongside each other. I tend now, though, to stop at the fairly new Leclerc at Aime, right beside the main road. Good place to fill the car, as well.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Hurtle, it is my own dilemma too. Add into that we aren't even meant to take non-prescription dog food with us.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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To smuggle or not to smuggle, that's the question.
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My answer - make the famous and cherished sarnies, but not any elaborate and suspicious attempts to conceal them. Should they survive to lunch time, celebrate a small victory and, should they be discovered by les Douaniers, be dignified in parting and shed no vain tears, lest they wag their fingers and chide you for Brexit.
So let us melt, and make no noise,
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move;
'Twere profanation of our joys
To tell the laity our love.
(with thanks to John Donne)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Recommend the Decathlon 10 / 20 litre isothermic rucksacks - frozen food with ice packs should stay frozen for your journey without a problem, also they won’t be obvious in between your other luggage in case of a (highly unlikely) search.
Also second the recommendations for Leclerc in Aime / Super U and Intermarché in Bourg: the markups in the Sherpa (Tignes le lac) are eyewatering!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@pam w, an excellent answer, i' faith!
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@pam w, @Hurtle, to be fair, we have the advantage over Home Counties folk of 8 hours driving Edinburgh-Folkstone during which to enjoy lovingly home-prepared sandwiches… packed breakfast and packed lunch in the car, aim for Reims for a fancy dinner, make some more lovingly prepared sandwiches for the final leg into alps. Seems ideal  Only 14 weeks to wait until the next trip…
(Ps @hurtle, hoping you’ll make it to the EOSB so we can have a natter about music and orchestras).
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@Inboard,
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hoping you’ll make it to the EOSB so we can have a natter about music and orchestras).
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That will be lovely. All fingers and toes crossed.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Hurtle, fingers crossed indeed
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We have not found any issues taking human and dog food both ways. We took an electric cooler packed with frozen meals from “Cook” in December and brought back not yet consumed perishables purchased in France. Never been checked. As an aside each person can bring back 18L of wine duty free - much to our kids protests as a case or two always squeezed into their foot wells.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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So does anyone have recent experience in taking pre-made Spag Bol through the Euro tunnel. Our usual approach has been to freeze a spag bol and allow it to defrost over the course of our journey to the alps and have it as either our arrival meal or 2nd night meal (when flying it doesn't defrost in time). Appreciate its illegal, but its one less meal I have to cook when out there!
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@FrediKanoute, yes, not this time as we were breaking the journey to Austria twice, but when we travelled in January I took a cooked dish along with stuff from the fridge, the frozen box helped along with an ice pack or two helped keep it all chilled.
As said above, it is not about saving money but merely convenience. From memory back in January I shoved it all in the fridge when we arrived and we went out to dinner.
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You know it makes sense.
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Have been through the tunnel seven times over the last four five months, and have taken "contraband" food everytime. No one in the least interested. Ive only ever had my steering wheel swabbed, nothing more. Usually a cool bag not even hidden. I dont think anyone cares about the food issue.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Thanks Team Snowheads! Will reassure my wife that we should be fine.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@FrediKanoute, agree it is convenient and that you are unlikely to get caught. But it would be illegal. So is it worth the (probably very low) risk of a criminal record in France? Which in turn might affect the chance of traveling to anywhere in the EU in future?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have to confess - I broke the law this winter. Our coffee flask had milk in it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@ecureuil, would imagine they would confiscate and send on your way rather than actually prosecute you for a crime. Happy to be corrected of course.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just travelled out and back in a motorhome. Had milk and a few slices of cheese in the fridge both ways, no interest shown and no checks of cupboards etc. However we were prepared to lose the contents of the fridge (we have been checked thoroughly before, pre Brexit, as part of standard security procedures) and that's why we took pains to ensure the expensive Savoie ham and fondue cheese we had with us on the return were not in the fridge  edit: actually this was unnecessary for the return, it's only on the outbound that it seems to be needed, if you want to take stuff with you and losing it would be a pain I'd just have it in a cool bag.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I have smuggled sausages, bacon end eggs into France before.
Much like a drug mule I did this by cunningly swallowing them while on the ferry.
Although I didn't wrap them in a condom before swallowing them, neither did I attempt to recover them upon arrival.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@johnE, You may have confessed but should still feel the full force of the law 
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Btw as for what a thorough check can look like, they ask you to get out of your vehicle and swab various parts of the vehicle for explosives / open cupboard doors etc (including the fridge). They don't go opening bags or riffling in detail through your underwear. I can imagine they would confiscate milk etc from the fridge if they opened it and saw it right there but I really don't think they are searching for contraband bacon.
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@Layne, agree confiscation is absolutely more likely. But I don't think you can completely rule out the possibility of prosecution. Particularly if say someone has raised the question in advance, so it is a deliberate breach rather than ignorance! The consequences of prosecution may not be trivial, so it is up to each individual if they want to run the risk.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I smuggled Bacon through those pesky customs checkers, along with some superb sausage rolls, I felt terribly guilty as I ate them, but with a slight thrill of excitement that I had "stuck it to the man"!!!
living on the edge.....I wonder how long inside I would have got?
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I smuggled Bacon through those pesky customs checkers, along with some superb sausage rolls, I felt terribly guilty as I ate them, but with a slight thrill of excitement that I had "stuck it to the man"!!!
living on the edge.....I wonder how long inside I would have got?
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FAQ
so just wanted to blast down to resort with something to chuck in a pan and heat up when we arrive the evening. We likely have some brekkie on route too which made me think about what we would even be allowed to take.
