As the summer holiday season kicks off, the Port of Dover is bracing for one of its busiest weekends, with a significant influx of vehicles anticipated. This surge coincides with the start of the summer break for schools in England and Wales. However, there are concerns that new European Union border procedures might extend waiting times for travelers heading to the continent.
French border officials will manually register non-EU travelers due to a delay in the automated processing facilities of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), caused by technical issues. This manual method, while not requiring the collection of biometric data such as fingerprints and photographs at this stage, is expected to slow down processing times and could lead to congestion at the port.
Beyond the port, motoring organizations are also predicting heavy traffic on major UK roads. Routes around London and those leading to the southwest are expected to be particularly affected as millions embark on summer trips. Many are choosing to vacation domestically this year, driven by favorable weather conditions, concerns about flight disruptions, and the rising costs of travel abroad.
In light of these potential delays, the Port of Dover has advised travelers to stick to designated routes and to arrive no sooner than two hours before their scheduled ferry departure. Additionally, airport operators and airlines have issued warnings to passengers to anticipate possible delays as the peak holiday travel period begins.