Britons brace themselves for hour-long queues at Dover ahead of school break
People embarking on their well-deserved summer holidays are currently stuck in hour-long bottlenecks at the port of Dover.
Ferry operator P&O told passengers to “allow sufficient time” to clear the queues before checking in.
“There are currently major queues at border controls in Dover,” the company said in a tweet. “If you miss your ferry, we’ll get you on the next available ferry free of charge.”
Rivals DFDS and Irish Ferries urged customers to arrive at least two hours before departure, and categorically not without a reservation.
“Due to expected queues, please allow up to two hours to complete border control & check-in,” Irish Ferries added.
“Have documents ready to assist border control checks and reduce queuing time.”
Last week, the port warned customers to expect between 60 and 90-minute delays for the French border during peak periods.
People took it to social media to complain about the situation.
“What on earth is happening at Dover? My queue has not moved for 1.5 hours” asked one user while another called DFDS’s check-in queue management “atrocious.”
Continent-bound Eurostar trains didn’t report any issues today, with the train company expecting to operate normal services throughout the holiday period.