Thousands of holidaymakers face the threat of more travel misery today after gridlock at the Port of Dover saw some endure six-hour waits.
Britain’s busiest passenger port yesterday declared a “critical incident” after blaming a shortage of French border officials.
Meanwhile, motorway fuel protests coincided with the busiest summer getaway on the roads for at least eight years.
And queues were also reported at airports.
It added up to a chaotic start to the holidays, with yesterday dubbed “frantic Friday” followed by a “woeful weekend” as more people try to head away.
Some of the worst scenes were at Dover, where travellers reported being stuck in five-hour queues to complete border checks before they could check in for their ferry.
But what caused the chaos, and is it likely to continue? Here is all you need to know.
What caused Port of Dover chaos?
This year’s start of the summer getaway was always going to lead to longer than normal queues.
But what prompted the gridlock was a shortage of French border officials tasked with checking passports on this side of the Channel.
Who was to blame?
The Port of Dover firmly laid the fault at the door of the French for not having enough staff to man the border checking kiosks.
French officials said not all of the border police turned up because there was an incident in the Channel Tunnel.
But Eurotunnel later hit back, saying that was “absolutely not the case”.
Eurotunnel’s Director of Public Affairs John Keefe told the BBC.
“The incident at the port started overnight well before a minor technical incident in the Channel Tunnel.
“There is absolutely no correlation between the two.”
Will the disruption at Dover continue?
It remains to be seen.
Certainly today will be extremely busy, especially with families who delayed heading off.
P&O Ferries tweeted late yesterday: “We expect tomorrow to be just as busy.”
The Port of Dover said: “Passengers need to come prepared with water, food and supplies and to check with their chosen ferry operator for the latest information and advice.”
It also appealed for travellers to avoid trying back routes to reach the port “as that makes the situation worse, particularly for local residents.”
I’m flying this weekend, will I be stuck on long queues?
Most experts say queues are an inevitable part of flying over what will be the busiest weekend since before the Covid crisis struck.
But industry chiefs claim, at least, that things won’t be as bad as the chaos over Easter and the half-term break.
Measures such as capping passenger numbers at Gatwick and Heathrow are designed to prevent the airports from buckling under the pressure.
But delays are still very likely.
Given previous issues around baggage, if you are flying as a family it may be advisable to spread clothes between your checked-in luggage to ensure no-one if left without.
