The busiest summer for overseas travel since 2019 is under way – spelling increased stress on the transport network, from rail to airspace. At the same time, unrest in France is increasing, with British travellers warned about the riots sweeping the country.
July and August 2023 are each expected to see more than 20 million passengers passing through UK airports, with millions more using British ports as well as Eurostar and LeShuttle trains through the Channel Tunnel.
But the travel industry’s resilience is still depleted compared with before the Covid pandemic, with disruption a daily occurrence. Adverse weather and industrial action can cause chaos to a transport system that is working at full stretch, making it vital for travellers to be aware of their rights.
In addition, post-Brexit regulations have created pitfalls for travellers, as well as reducing the availability of tickets on Eurostar trains.
These are the key issues for the great summer getaway of 2023.
Passport peril
Every day, passengers are turned away from UK airports and ports because they have fallen foul of post-Brexit passport rules. Sometimes they discover only at the departure gate that they will not be allowed on board. Travellers who have inadvertently failed to comply with the new conditions are understandably very upset. In addition, they typically lose hundreds or even thousands of pounds invested in their holidays with no hope of recouping their losses from travel insurers.
As part of the agreement on leaving the European Union, the government asked for British passport holders to be treated as “third country nationals” when entering the EU (and wider Schengen Area, which includes Switzerland, Iceland and Norway).
Airlines and holiday companies have now accepted the evidence from The Independent about the exact passport rules imposed by Brussels, and cases of wrongful denial of boarding have almost dried up. But at the same time, with British passport holders about to go abroad in the largest numbers since the UK left the EU, a significant number face being turned away.
For travel to Europe, a British passport must meet two conditions:
- On the day of entry to the EU, the passport must not be more than 10 years old; all children’s passports comply with this rule
- On the intended day of departure from the EU, the passport must have at least three months…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…