The Port of Dover is bracing for a surge in traffic as the summer holiday season kicks off, with one of the busiest weekends expected as schools in England and Wales begin their break. Concerns have been raised that new European Union border processes might extend wait times for travelers heading to Europe, as thousands of vehicles are anticipated to pass through the port.
With the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) not fully operational due to technical delays, French border officials will have to manually register non-EU travelers, which includes those from the UK. While biometric data collection, such as fingerprints and photographs, is not yet part of the process, the manual registration is predicted to slow down processing times, potentially leading to bottlenecks at Dover.
On the domestic front, motoring organizations have cautioned travelers about possible heavy traffic on key UK roads, especially around London and routes to the southwest, as millions embark on summer getaways. Many individuals are choosing to vacation within the UK, motivated by pleasant weather forecasts, fears of flight disruptions, and rising costs of international travel.
To manage the influx, the Port of Dover is advising passengers to stick to designated routes and to arrive no more than two hours before their ferry is scheduled to depart. Meanwhile, airports and airlines are also alerting travelers to the possibility of delays as the peak holiday travel season begins.