As the summer holiday season kicks off, the Port of Dover braces for one of its busiest weekends, anticipating a surge of travelers to the continent. This influx coincides with the introduction of new European Union border procedures, which could potentially slow down transit times. Thousands of vehicles are expected to pass through the port, as schools across England and Wales commence their summer break.
In light of technical issues delaying automated processing facilities, French border officials will be manually registering non-EU travelers as part of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). While this phase of registration will not involve collecting biometric data such as fingerprints and photographs, the manual nature of the process is likely to extend waiting times, potentially causing congestion at the port.
Motoring organizations have issued warnings about anticipated heavy traffic on major roads throughout the UK. Areas particularly affected include routes around London and those leading to the southwest, as millions embark on leisure trips. Many travelers are choosing to stay within the country for their vacations, influenced by favorable weather forecasts, concerns about flight disruptions, and the increasing costs of international travel.
Travelers using the Port of Dover are advised to adhere to designated travel routes and to arrive no more than two hours before their ferry departure to help ease the flow of traffic. Meanwhile, airport operators and airlines have also advised passengers to prepare for possible delays during this peak travel period.