Millions of Britons are facing travel chaos this weekend with flights grounded, trains cancelled and traffic already building up at Dover as the Easter weekend getaway begins.
The four days between Good Friday to Easter Monday are expected to be the busiest since 2019, with post-Brexit passport checks, rail works and strikes in France all set to cause delays for travellers.
On Thursday morning, holidaymakers booked on cross-Channel ferries from Dover were already facing queues of 90 minutes for passport checks by French officials due to a “high volume” of traffic.
Meanwhile, a strike in France over President Macron’s pension reform plans is set to cause widespread disruption, with Air France, easyJet and RyanAir among the airlines who have cancelled flights due to air traffic controllers joining the walkout.
Dozens of British Airways flights have also been grounded as security staff walk out at London Heathrow.
Elsewhere, drivers are being warned to expect long delays on popular routes over the coming days, with the RAC predicting that vehicle speeds could be reduced to just 12mph at some points on Good Friday. The M25, M5 and A303, as well as the M20 and A20 to Dover, are among the roads expected to be worst hit.
Eurostar has also cancelled trains between London and Paris on Thursday because of the national strike, while widespread engineering work will begin across the UK on Good Friday, disrupting services until Easter Sunday.
It comes after chaotic scenes at Dover last weekend – the start of the school holidays – when tens of thousands of people were delayed, reportedly by up to 12 hours, as a post-Covid surge of coach trips came up against tougher post-Brexit border checks.
Ferries
There were already queues of around 90 minutes from Dover, the main departure point by sea to Continental Europe, on Thursday morning, as Britons began their journeys.
Holidaymakers booked on cross-Channel ferries from Dover are already facing queues of 90 minutes for passport checks by French officials
(PA)
P&O Ferries told travellers to allow extra time for journeys.
Ferry operator DFDS – which sails from Dover to Calais and Dunkirk – wrote on Twitter: “Unfortunately due to high volumes of traffic there are queues at border controls. Once you arrive at check-in we will get you away as quick as we can.”
Coach and car drivers are being advised not…
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