Heightened security following the Brussels attacks, a points failure and speed restrictions have brought long queues and delays for those travelling by road and rail from Britain to France on the first day of the Easter bank holiday.
Vehicles heading for the Channel ports in Kent faced tailbacks of up to nine miles on the A20 while on the M20 there was severe congestion on approaches to the port of Dover and the Eurotunnel terminal near Folkestone.
Many of the 22,000 passengers travelling on Eurostar from St Pancras in London also experienced problems on Friday. There were long queues before boarding and those going to Paris experienced longer journeys due to a points failure and speed restrictions approaching the French capital.
The ferry operator DFDS, warning passengers of “extremely congested” roads in and around Dover, advised passengers to allow additional time to travel and two hours to complete check-in. Those that missed their booked sailing would be transferred to the next available ferry, it said.
More than 189,000 passengers were expected to pass through Dover for the start of the Easter getaway, with more than 130,000 expected to travel next week during the school holidays.
A Eurostar spokeswoman said passengers were facing enhanced security checks following the terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday. “There are big queues because it’s Easter weekend, so we have a lot of passengers today,” she said. “It’s the biggest day on Friday.”
The Home Office warned that travellers could face some additional delays as a result of heightened border security. A spokesperson said: “In the wake of the despicable attacks in Brussels, we have intensified checks at our juxtaposed border controls in Belgium and France, enhanced our presence at a number of ports and introduced enhanced searching of inbound tourist vehicles.
“We have also enhanced security checks on some flights and provided specialist search dogs at key ports. Travellers may experience some short additional delays over the Easter weekend due to increased security measures at UK ports. Those travelling should ensure they have ample time to make their journey ”
Despite the queues, many of those leaving the UK for Easter will be glad to have made the effort. Most of Britain will enjoy a dry day on Friday, but by Saturday heavy rain and strong winds will spread across the country, according to the Met Office.
Sunday will be brighter but feel colder, showers will continue and hail, thunder and strong winds are forecast in some areas. Northern parts of Britain will dry up on Monday, but wind and rain will continue elsewhere and spread again by Tuesday.
