As the summer holiday season kicks off, the Port of Dover is bracing for one of its busiest weekends, with a large influx of travelers expected as schools in England and Wales close for the break. This surge in travel coincides with the implementation of new European Union border procedures, which have sparked concerns over potential delays for those heading to the continent.
Due to technical delays in automated processing facilities, French border officials will manually register non-EU travelers under the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). While this phase does not involve collecting biometric data such as fingerprints and photographs, the manual process is anticipated to slow down processing times, potentially leading to congestion at the port.
Adding to the travel challenges, motoring organizations are cautioning about significant traffic on major UK roads, particularly around London and routes leading to the southwest. With millions embarking on summer leisure trips, many are choosing domestic destinations, influenced by favorable weather, concerns over flight disruptions, and the rising costs of international travel.
The Port of Dover has issued guidance to passengers, advising them to stick to designated routes and to arrive no earlier than two hours before their scheduled ferry departures to manage the expected congestion. Meanwhile, airports and airlines are also alerting travelers to the possibility of delays as the peak holiday travel period commences.