Europe-bound motorists face gridlock in Dover and beyond
Ferry line urges passengers to ‘delay non-essential trips to a later date’
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Your support makes all the difference.One of the busiest holiday weekends of the year has got off to a sclerotic start. A combination of traffic on the approaches to Dover, delays in the port itself, atrocious weather and mechanical problems are extending what should be a 90-minute crossing to many hours.
Highways England warns of queuing vehicles on the A2 and A20, the main approaches to the Kent port, tweeting: “Heading to Dover this afternoon? delay for ferry crossings, Long delays and queues #A2 + #A20.”
Britain’s busiest port is handling tens of thousands of vehicles today. A buffer zone has been put into effect while drivers wait for border checks. P&O Ferries warns: “Long queues in and around the port, please allow 3hrs to clear all checks.”
The Met Office issued a warning for severe Force 9 gales in the Strait of Dover, which is delaying sailings. In addition, P&O Ferries is suffering “technical issues” on its ships to Calais and back.
Departures are three hours behind schedule. Motorists are being told that they will be placed on the next available sailing, with free tea or coffee on board by way of an apology. P&O is advising passengers to “delay non-essential trips to a later date”.
The main problem for travellers booked on the rival firm, DFDS, is traffic on the approaches. The line says: “Customers arriving late due to delays on the motorway will be accommodated on the first available sailing free of charge.” DFDS is delaying sailings by around 30 minutes to help delayed customers at port
Once across the Channel, British motorists’ problems are only just beginning.
In France, the final Saturday of July is known as le grand chassé-croisé des vacances – the big holiday crossover, when families who holiday in July tangle with those who prefer August vacations. A government warning of “extremely difficult traffic” nationwide applies all day on the official calendar of congestion.
The biggest traffic jams are expected on the main autoroutes to the south of France, but the roads along the coast are also experiencing very heavy traffic.
The wildfires which have ravaged parts of the littoral, extending almost the sea, have added to travellers’ problems. The Foreign Office is telling UK holidaymakers to “monitor local media and follow the advice of the local authorities”.
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