# Escaping the UK



## EvermenEXE (Jun 26, 2013)

So for all residents of the UK. How would you go about escaping to mainland Europe?

Only three rules:

1-No Planes
2-No Swimming the Chunnel
3-Be Descreet

I'm totally open for ingenious methods btw, the two characters are literally designed to be capable of pulling off most physical tasks.


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## DPVP (Jun 26, 2013)

Not a uk resident but just thinking about why Columbia engineering students don't have to take the swim test.

build get passage on or steal a boat

or they could take that train under the channel that goes to France. Maybe they could walk it.


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## EvermenEXE (Jun 26, 2013)

I was thinking about them walking it, but when I asked a friend of mine from the UK she said there wasn't any way to get across the Chunnel beyond traditional means.


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## DPVP (Jun 26, 2013)

? Is that a cant walk it as in you can't walk the subway tunnels in NYC? I whould think they whould have auxiliary access tunneling for repair and rescue crews



did some research, asylum speakers and illegal imaginings to the uk have jumped on board the trains illigaly before


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## philistine (Jun 26, 2013)

Contact a fisherman in a decent-sized vessel, and pay him off to covertly transport me to the mainland. 

I would be hiding in a hollow crate of salted herring with a pack of smokes and a bottle of Talisker.


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## EvermenEXE (Jun 26, 2013)

philistine said:


> Contact a fisherman in a decent-sized vessel, and pay him off to covertly transport me to the mainland.
> 
> I would be hiding in a hollow crate of salted herring with a pack of smokes and a bottle of Talisker.


That is the most beautiful escape plan I have ever heard. You have my kudos sir.


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## movieman (Jun 27, 2013)

Isn't the traditional method of sneaking into the UK to hide in the back of a truck going through the Channel Tunnel? You should be able to do the same in the opposite direction.


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## Bloggsworth (Jun 27, 2013)

Millions risk their lives to come here, so why would anyone want to leave. You can't swim the chunnel, it hasn't got any water in it. The tunnel is very intensely monitored, we are told that not even a rat can get through it. Easiest way is to walk onto any ferry bound for Eire, they check nothing, no need for passports, then travel to Cork then a Brittany ferry to Roscoff, the Irish won't check anyone leaving unless there is an Irish warrant out for them.


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## PiP (Jun 27, 2013)

I was going to say hide in a removal van but I prefer philistine's idea. 

Many people from the UK have second homes in Europe and are always transporting goods, so the white van brigade are quite common. And of course, many travel to France to buy cheap alcohol.

It was reported in the news awhile back that someone hijacked a French lorry, complete with driver, at a service station  by the Ferry port...


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## TheJungleDrummer (Jul 1, 2013)

The fishing boat is a good one.  The other you might want to consider is some of the cross channel yacht races.  He could be a crew member, then just disappear after post race celebrations. Check the Royal Ocean Yacht Club website:  July 2013 | Month | RORC Events


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## shinyford (Jul 1, 2013)

Move to Scotland and wait for independence.


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## philistine (Jul 1, 2013)

EvermenEXE said:


> That is the most beautiful escape plan I have ever heard. You have my kudos sir.



It would be, provided my alcohol hook-up brought the right bottle. If he came back with a large flask of Jack Daniels, it'd be one helluva' rough ride.


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## Robdemanc (Jul 2, 2013)

People have hand glided across the channel before but I suppose that is not discreet unless you can do it at night.   

If you were not in a rush you could wait for the next ice age when sea levels would drop enough to be able to walk into Europe.


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## JEvershen (Aug 12, 2013)

The obvious choice here is to boat across from England into France of the Netherlands. Something I like to remember is that Scotland is relatively close to both Norway and the Faroe Islands. Norway is obviously closer to mainland europe. The vikings often attacked from there to the Shetland Islands and if the could do it in there boats I'm certain it would be easy to do in a more modern boat. Also there are a lot of fishermen up there and it would be relatively easy to either bribe a fisherman or to stow away. The reason I bring this to attention is that things like the channel tunnel are patrolled etc. I doubt anyone is patrolling up there.


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## Greimour (Aug 12, 2013)

I scrolled to the end after two-three posts to answer without reading other threads, so pardon if this has been mentioned - but its the channel. The channel Tunnel goes underneath the channel that is a stretch of sea connecting England to France.

I am a UK resident. 
I used to write practice exercises given to myself to try and refine my techniques. Sort of a self-help type deal. In one such instance I wrote as if I personally escaped the UK without a passport.

The first method I used was sneaking onto a Cruise Ship. When it stopped near a port in Canada, I bailed overboard and swam the rest of the way. 
In another variation the cruise ship stopped near Norway and I jumped ship there.

Another method I used that didn't include boats was a terrible version of what I later seen actually achieved on Top Gear... which was to weld parts of a car to ensure it was adecquately water-proof and stuck a motor boat propellor on the back - then literally drove to France on the water. (This was achieved on Top Gear as stated, but years later and my knowledge at the time was far to limited to pull it off in my writing)

Top Gear Link

Escaping to Ireland is very easy... no passport, no ID... just grab a ferry from North West Wales. Hollyhead to Dublin. But then you have to escape Ireland as it's still europe. From Norway though with the cruise ship thing, you could just travel by land out of Europe.

You could also get out the same way immigrants get in. Inside a Freight Lorry such as the back of an Arctic Truck. Once you leave mainland Britain it is quite easy to backpack across Europe. A few choice slips of certain borders would be required - for example escaping India if you successfully got in is not an easy job. Getting into India from Pakistan is pretty much impossible. 

Another method I used was Volunteering on a wildlife expedition for sealife. Helping the Penguins or Whales or Sea Lions or others... even perhaps children in Africa. If you check Volunteer sites you could see how to go about Volunteering, but in my story I used a fake passport stolen from a similar looking chap down the local pub. After swiping his passport I wasn't convinced I would pass for the guy, considering the picture; but it worked out ok, to my characters relief (my relief) 

Although thats all purely fiction and I don't know if any of my methods would have worked. If escaping Britain is step one of escaping Europe, the first, best and safest bet is heading to France across the channel.

A lot would depend on factors within the story.
For example, if the character was English and went to Ireland from Hollyhead, entering Southern Ireland wouldn't be that safe. They always ask where you're from to check if you're English (especially ages 16-24) if you can pull of Welsh or Scottish you're safe - otherwise you may get a beating. If you are Scottish, Welsh or manage to pull off either one... by claiming to be wanted by English Government for an attempt on (lets say 'the house of commons') which the UK government is keeping top secret, you may even find help to escape Europe from the IRA .. (if they believe you) who knows... the possibilities expand with plausible imagination.


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## Charlaux (Aug 12, 2013)

Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Bradley Wiggins, pedalo.

Serious answer: bribe someone with a boat.


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## Greimour (Aug 12, 2013)

Charlaux said:


> Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Bradley Wiggins, pedalo.
> 
> Serious answer: bribe someone with a boat.



What if money is a problem. And what if they refuse the bribe without reason and then the they phone the police - like I said in my post. Too many factors depend on the story itself. 99% of people fleeing UK would just boat across the channel. You can do it in a row boat, canoe, ship or other... there is a chance of getting caught - and probably a high one, but thats a method MANY will choose - especially for being discreet. The other 1% would probably try a reverse run of the immigrant Wagon point of entry via the Channel Tunnel.

Another method - depending on reason for escaping country is simply a good choice of occupation. There is a guy who works with Customs and Immigration that has no passport who flies to France every day. He is one of the guys who checks goods prior to it entering the UK. Then he flies back to UK at the end of his shift.

I know this because I watched it on a program called Immigration UK. 
On another similar show, another man had the same Job, but he did have a passport and didn't always fly to France but to other places in Europe too. 
Thanks to being European, you have the right to travel to and work in any European country. This is without use of passport, but certain ID is required - like proof of being an EU citizen. There is a certain visa involved too, but I am not sure what would be required to get it. I know that a Polish fellow I worked with not long ago came to the UK by plane. He did not have a passport but he did have some EU Work Visa thing and an EU ID card.


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## Charlaux (Aug 12, 2013)

If money was a problem, hm.

I couldn't bribe my way abroad, then I'd try to climb onboard a vessel and stow away. I'd think it pretty inadvisable to try and boat across yourself with no sailing experience, you're likely to have to call the coastguard and get them to tow you back. Especially if you were driving a Top Gear-style invention. If you made it halfway, maybe someone from Europe would pick you up and you could pretend to be a European citizen with a lost wallet and amnesia... language skills permitting.  

I assume the being discreet rule means no showing up at border checks? If you couldn't bribe your way onto a boat I doubt a lorry driver would take you aboard when you’re much more likely to be stopped.


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## skitty (Sep 21, 2013)

Could a hot air balloon possibly count? They fly in the air, and they are definitely not planes.


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## escorial (Sep 21, 2013)

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