Ferry passengers travelling through the Port of Dover during the bank holiday getaway have been warned to expect long queues and possible delays amid EU border checks. The port is preparing for 18,000 travellers between Friday and Sunday, with Saturday expected to be the busiest day of the year so far, handling more than 8,000 travellers.
The port advised that the busiest periods each day will be between 6am and about 1pm. This is the first holiday period since the implementation of the EU’s entry-exit system (EES), which requires fingerprints and photographs from travellers from third-party countries such as the UK. However, the full system is not yet running for cars, and French border police are manually creating records, leading to hour-long processing waits by 6am on Friday.
Passengers are advised to use main road routes, arrive no earlier than two hours before departure, and have all travel documents ready. They should also bring food and water for possible delays. Those who miss their ferry due to disruption will be placed on the next available sailing.
Meanwhile, the AA estimates 23.4 million car journeys will take place on Friday, with blackspots including routes to Skegness, the M4 from London to Wales, and the M6 towards the north-west coast. The RAC expects leisure traffic to peak on Friday and Saturday. Rail services will also face disruption due to strike action and engineering works, affecting West Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway, and key intercity lines such as the East Coast Main Line.
Travel trade organisation Abta reported strong demand for short-haul sunshine holidays in Spain, Italy, and Portugal, as well as city breaks. Parking app RingGo noted that coastal towns like Bournemouth, Hastings, and Torquay are likely to be busiest on Saturday. The Met Office has forecast a heatwave, with temperatures potentially reaching 33C in southern England and the Midlands on Monday.
