Queues of traffic pile up at the Port of Dover during Easter weekend getaway
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Easter getaways are already hitting rocky shores as ferry operators warn of processing delays at the Port of Dover.
Irish Ferries has told passengers check-in is expected to take three hours as a high volume of traffic floods in.
Ferry companies are asking coach operators booked on sailings on Good Friday - expected to be the busiest day for outbound Easter travel from Dover - to “spread the travel” across the three-day period from Thursday to Saturday.
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder is heading to Calais where he will feed back live on the delays he faces.
Meanwhile, further travel chaos is resulting from protests and a general strike in France in a row over pension reforms.
About 400,000 people joined a protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms in Paris on Thursday, the French CGT union reportedly said.
Last weekend, thousands of travellers were delayed for over 12 hours as they waited for border processing.
The delays were blamed on French border officials carrying out extra checks and stamping UK passports following Brexit.
Lorry drivers told to prepare for long queues
Lorry drivers using the Port of Dover over Easter have been advised to bring supplies in case of long queues.
Nichola Mallon, of Logistics UK, told Sky News: “If they’re waiting considerable periods of time, that becomes a driver welfare issue and so that’s why we’re working very closely with the Kent resilience forum and to make sure that we can minimise delays.
“In fact, I have a number of meetings today as we closely monitor the situation and make sure that contingency plans are in place if needed, and people are working very hard on that.
“Our message to our members would be to check with your ferry operator to make sure that you’re aware of the latest guidance, make sure that you’ve completed all your paperwork before you head there and have supplies there, just in case, and make sure that you leave enough time to accommodate any delays.”
Another Easter of travel chaos begins as queues build at Dover and France hit by strikes
The four days between Good Friday to Easter Monday are expected to be the busiest since 2019, with post-Brexit passport checks, railway works and strikes in France all set to cause delays for travellers.
For many, it will be a repeat of the disruption faced last Easter that was hit by airport staff shortages and cross-Channel hold-ups.
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:
In pictures: traffic builds up at Dover on Good Friday
Traffic is in full swing at the Port of Dover in Kent during the getaway for the Easter weekend.
Irish Ferries has warned passengers are expecting a three-hour wait for check-in.
Trouble in Calais
DFDS has said in the past hour that there’s a wait time of an hour for coaches at Calais to complete all checks at port due to the high volume of traffic travelling this weekend.
P&O Ferries had a sailing from Calais to Dover last night delayed due to strike action in France.
Dover delays
At dawn on Friday morning, DFDS Ferries – which sails from Dover to Calais and Dunkirk – was reporting: “Queues of up to 30 minutes at border controls.”
Later in the day travellers are warned: “Please allow 120 minutes to complete border controls and check-in.
Irish Ferries, which sails from Dover to Calais, is telling passengers to allow up to three hours to complete border facilities and check-in
Strong summer ahead for Tui as Britons seek sunshine holidays
Tens of thousands of British travellers face disruption on Thursday as another nationwide strike takes place in France.
The latest walkout in protest against President Macron’s proposed pension reforms has caused Eurostar to cancel a pair of trains between London and Paris.
The cross-Channel rail operator said: “There will be a general strike in France on 6 April, which could extend beyond this date. It will involve disruption across multiple sectors, including national rail services and it will have an impact on the availability of some of our crew.”
Read travel correspondent Simon Calder’s report here:
Freight lorries, HGVs and cars are seen queuing on the A20 road towards the Port of Dover
Watch: Port of Dover boss promises smoother weekend for France travellers
ICYMI: Another Easter of travel chaos begins as queues build at Dover and France hit by strikes
The four days between Good Friday to Easter Monday are expected to be the busiest since 2019, with post-Brexit passport checks, railway works and strikes in France all set to cause delays for travellers.
For many, it will be a repeat of the disruption faced last Easter that was hit by airport staff shortages and cross-Channel hold-ups.
Travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:
Package holiday company Tui Group has recorded strong demand for Easter holiday trips to destinations with “guaranteed sun”, as it expects a busy summer and bookings to return to pre-Covid levels.
Read more on this story here:
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2023-04-07 08:19:37Z
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