Families travelling to Europe for Christmas are facing enormous delays at airports, ferry terminals and on the roads.
It comes as holiday-makers are already feeling the effects of strict new EU border checks at European airports.
Those arriving at Geneva for festive skiing holidays have experienced swingeing delays of up to four hours due to the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES).
Meanwhile, ferry passengers at the Port of Dover suffered lengthy waits yesterday, after French border controls were hit with IT issues.
Port staff estimate nearly 30,000 cars will embark on outbound journeys during the festive period, forecasting its busiest year on record for the Christmas getaway in the UK.
And roads continue to be busy, with 37.5 million leisure trips by car set to go ahead in the week before Christmas Eve, according to the RAC.
Airport waits caused by the EES come after the controversial measures were introduced for all non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area, which includes most countries of the European Union.
The EES is an automated system that requires non-EU passengers to scan details such as their fingerprints and facial biometrics at specially installed kiosks.
The Port of Dover traffic builds up due to Christmas holidaymaker and Border controls checks being carry out on Saturday night
Holiday and freight traffic queues to use the Port of Dover, Kent, as travellers make their way to their destinations during the Christmas period
Holiday and freight traffic queues on to use the Channel Tunnel, Kent on Saturday
The airport body Airports Council International has urged the EU to take action to reduce delays after seeing a 70 per cent increase in waiting times caused at airport check-in and exit areas across Europe.
It said the delays of more than three hours have brought misery to passengers in airports in France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
Travel expert Paul Charles, who runs the PC Agency, said: ‘There’s never a good time to introduce this sort of system because it involves a wholesale change in the way that passengers are processed, but inevitably they [the EU] had not put enough resources into ensuring it is a smooth process.’
P&O Ferries, which operates some of the ships from the Port of Dover, has urged customers to allow extra time for their journeys.
And warning about traffic on the roads this week, AA patrol expert Shaun Jones said: ‘Patience will be your best present this year.’
RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader Nick Mullender said: ‘With record numbers predicted to be taking to the roads this Christmas, journeys have the potential to be Grinch-worthy without some careful planning.’
Last night, a Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘The EU’s phased roll-out of EES is not yet fully implemented, and current queue times at Dover are normal for the Christmas period.
‘We encourage travellers using ports to check with their travel operator before departing to understand when to arrive and any potential impacts to their journey.’
