Travel Chaos Looms for Brits on Easter Weekend with Gridlocked Motorways and French Riots
Brits hoping to travel for the Easter holiday are facing travel hell.
Families traveling to France will encounter delays, cancellations, and long lines, followed by riots and strikes once they finally cross the Channel.
On Good Friday, 17 million Americans are expected to drive, resulting in gridlock on the nation’s highways. In addition, rail passengers face significant disruptions throughout the weekend.
Families waited for hours in bumper-to-bumper fashion to board ferries amidst Dover’s enormous lines.
When they arrived in Calais and encountered nearly identical delays at passport control, their agony during the crossing of the English Channel intensified.
As a result of a general strike by French workers, all flights and Eurostar rail services were canceled.
They erected blockades near the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, while rioters engaged in running battles with police in the capital, Nantes, and Toulouse.
Two million Britons were expected to travel abroad during the Easter break. However, they were warned last night to prepare for chaotic days and to avoid certain regions of France.
As a record 17 million motorists hit the road, vacationers in the United Kingdom face gridlocked highways.
Since 2019, highway traffic is projected to reach its peak.
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The disruption will extend to the country’s railroads due to planned engineering projects. Today through Tuesday, London Euston Station, one of the city’s major rail hubs, will be closed.
At the Port of Dover, those attempting to flee to the continent were warned, “This Easter weekend will be busy.”
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Operation TAP, wherein lorry traffic is staggered into the port, has also caused miles-long backups on the A20. The chaos at Dover began early, when a traveler grumbled, “We’ve been standing for fifty minutes.” No movement.”
Another individual who made it to Calais stated, “I’m stuck in a lengthy queue at tunnel passport checks.”
Last weekend, tens of thousands of individuals waited up to fourteen hours in line at Dover. As a result of Brexit, French border agents are conducting additional checks and stamping British passports, causing delays.
Port officials reported conducting an “urgent review” with ferry operators and French authorities to prevent a recurrence.
In the meantime, air traffic controllers in France went on strike.
As French airspace nearly closed, dozens of flights were grounded, including at least 20 operated by British Airways.
EasyJet flights between Toulouse and Bristol and Gatwick and Bordeaux were among those canceled. Ryanair reported that French air traffic controllers have been on strike for 30 days this year, resulting in the cancellation of 3,080 flights over Europe.
There have been disruptions to Eurostar high-speed rail services, and more are expected.
A spokesperson stated, “French unions may announce new mobilization days at short notice.”
In France, public transportation and train connections may continue to be disrupted.
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In response to President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to raise the retirement age, riots have broken out.
The Foreign Office advised Britons traveling to France to “ensure they have confirmed reservations and sufficient food and water” in the event of delays.
More than 10,200 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports during the Bank Holiday weekend, an increase of 11% compared to last Easter.
Today, however, 1,400 security personnel at Heathrow Airport are expected to again strike over pay.
Easter will feature glorious weather, with the hottest day of the year so far expected on Sunday.
Temperatures may reach 18C (64.4F), exceeding the 17.8C (64F) recorded on March 30 in Santon Downham, Suffolk.
Kathryn Chalk of the Met Office stated that today and Easter Saturday will be warm and sunny. However, she added, “Sunday will likely be the best day of the week. There will be no precipitation and plenty of sunshine. It will be ideal weather for Easter.”
The odds of it being the hottest Easter Sunday on record have been slashed by Ladbrokes to 5-1; the current record is 25.3C (77.5F) in the Solent in 2011.
Overnight into Bank Holiday Monday, rain is likely to arrive, but there will still be plenty of sunshine.
The weekend is also anticipated to cause an increase in pollen levels.
Travel Chaos Looms for Brits on Easter Weekend with Gridlocked Motorways and French Riots
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