Problems with booking appointment at French Embassy online

[Brit Chick]

Apologies in advance if this topic has already been discussed (I did search beforehand, honest!)

I've had to scrap my plans on for goig to Italy since the first available appointment the embassycouldgive me for my husbands Schengen visa appliction was a month after we were due to go.

We've now booked a holiday to Paris, and sent the application off by post sinc we live in Dorset. However it was returned to us saying that we have to make an application in person, etc etc etc.

I'm loathe to pay a pound a minute to use their automated service, but don't seem to be getting anywhere trying to book the appointment using their site - very frustrating. I can see a lst of dates, some greyed out and some in bold font and underlined but nothing happens when I click on any of these dates.

Please advise - I don't want to lose another holiday cos of these hassles.

[Wanderer]

I've had a delve for u!

Seems only these counties are considered 'Not London' and Dorset isn't one of them I'm afraid.

Cheshire Greater Manchester Staffordshire
Cleveland Tyne & Wear
Cornwall Isle of Wight Yorkshire (North/South/West)
Cumbria Jersey Wales (all counties
Derbyshire Lancashire Guernsey
Devon Mersyside Shropshire
Durham Northern Ireland
Gibraltar Northumberland

[Brit Chick]

Yeah, silly really since it's hardly as if bournemouth is that close to london. i thought as long as you lived outside the M25 then you could make a postal application.

Anyway, looks like I will have to go in person, just got to figure out how to navigate the site in order to book the appointment online.

[clairey]

I tried to book an appointment online for my husband yesterday - it says on their website they release appointments for the following week at 3pm on a Thursday. Nothing seemed to happen though, so in the end I gave in and called the rip off number. £11 for my husband's "free" visa! Roll on December when he can apply for citizenship!

[carobentley]

what dates are available through their phone system nowadays? i recall they only free up 3 days at a time on both the phone and the internet, but they are not the same dates. I have only seen the internet days come up on wednesdays a few times and at no other times. I have yet to see the mystery thursday afternoon dates yet.

[clairey]

The earliest date on the phone was 30th October, but that was when I called on Thursday - don't know what it is now!