Dover queues – live: Roads ‘extremely busy’ as passengers urged to bring supplies

High volume of traffic builds at port entrance

Queues of traffic pile up at the Port of Dover during Easter weekend getaway

Huge queues of holidaymakers are waiting on “extremely busy roads” close to the Port of Dover amid warnings of 90-minute delays.

Cars could be seen snaking from the Kent port to the nearby town after 11am on Good Friday, with lorries thought to be stretching back further.

P&O Ferries and operator DFDS were reporting delays of between 60 and 90 minutes to the port’s entrance while Irish Ferries advised people to allow up to three hours before their travel time.

Drivers have been advised to bring supplies in case they are left waiting for hours, with queues expected to lengthen in the early afternoon.

Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s going to be a busy day, we’re running probably about an hour to an hour and a half to get through border controls at the moment, and we will peak through probably early afternoon, and then it will start to slow down after that.”

Key Points

• More chaos for Easter holidaymakers as French protests block traffic
• In pictures: Cars stuck in long traffic queues at Dover
• Simon Calder sets off to Calais
• Huge queue of cars stretching back from Dover port

[8 April 2023 03:00 · Emily Atkinson]

DFDS shares ports update

As of 9pm, traffic was free flowing through border controls at the ports of Calais, Dunkirk and Dover, according to the latest update from the DFDS.

[8 April 2023 04:00 · Emily Atkinson]

Interrail travellers warned to use half-price tickets now or lose out

Travellers who purchased Interrail passes during the anniversary sale last year are being warned they need to “activate” them soon before they become void.

In May 2022, Interrail celebrated half a century of the unlimited train ticket in Europe. To mark the occasion, the company behind the rail pass – Eurail, based in the Netherlands – staged a flash sale from 6 to 11 May 2022.

Prospective passengers were offered one-, two- or three-month Interrail passes at half price. These allow go-as-you-please adventures on the national railways of 33 participating countries.

Travel correspondent Simon Calder has the details:

[8 April 2023 06:00 · Emily Atkinson]

ICYMI: Port of Dover boss promises smoother weekend for France travellers

[8 April 2023 08:00 · Katy Clifton]

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