Warning for British holidaymakers to avoid clashes in France
We CAN’T getaway! British holidaymakers heading for Dover face hours-long queues and motorways are gridlocked ahead of busiest four days for travel since 2019
- The Foreign Office has advised traveling Britons to avoid violent French protests
- UK roads set to be the busiest since 2019 on bumper Bank Holiday weekend
- HAVE YOU BEEN CAUGHT IN THE CHAOS? Email: [email protected][1]
Britons have been warned to stay away from parts of France[3] as ‘Black Thursday’ clashes see hundreds of thousands of demonstrators take to the streets – compounding Easter[4] getaway travel chaos.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of France in the 11th day of industrial action against President Macron[5] raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a parliamentary vote.
Strikes across the English Channel[6] have caused a knock on effect on travel in Britain resulting in flights being grounded and cross-Channel trains cancelled whilst passport delays have caused hours of delays at the Port of Dover.
The pandemonium has come about at the worst possible time for Brit holidaymakers with homegrown strikes at Heathrow’s Terminal already causing heartache for travellers and the roads set to be the busiest they’ve been since 2019 on a bumper Bank Holiday weekend.
Heathrow Airport has told passengers travelling over the weekend to arrive no earlier than two hours before European flights or three hours before intercontinental flights to avoid delays.
Already the Port of Dover has warned that ferry passengers will face multiple hours of delays tomorrow, stating: ‘During the busiest travel hours on Friday, there may be a few hours of waiting.
‘Please, be patient. Please don’t turn up early and without booking.’
HAVE YOU BEEN CAUGHT IN THE CHAOS? Email: [email protected][7]
DOVER: Traffic at the Port of Dover in Kent as the getaway begins for the Easter weekend
PARIS: A youth throws an item on police forces during a demonstration
M25: Heavy traffic for miles on the M25 in Kent this afternoon with traffic heading anti clockwise for the Dartford crossing
Anti clockwise traffic between Orpington and Swanley in Kent is queueing for about 10 miles from the Dartford crossing
NANTES: Youths clash with riot police officers during a protest in Nantes
HEATHROW: Terminal 5 departures area is pictured as many flights to France are cancelled and the industrial action continues
RENNES: Masked protesters react amid tear gas during clashes at a demonstration
DOVER: Lorries queue for the Port of Dover along the A20 in Kent as the getaway begins for the Easter weekend
PARIS: Protesters have invaded Terminal 1 of Paris airport causing massive disruption to services
Operation TAP – in which HGV traffic is staggered into the port- has also been announced causing miles of tailbacks across the A20 in an effort to reduce gridlock for the people of Dover.
AT A GLANCE: Problems with planes, trains and cars
Planes
Both British Airways and EasyJet have warned customers they have had to cut services due to French air control strikes.
EasyJet services between Toulouse and Bristol as well as Gatwick and Bordeaux have been cancelled, a spokesman confirmed.
Meanwhile British Airways said they had to ‘make a small number of adjustments to [their] schedule’ and had cut some services to Nice, Barcelona, Toulouse and Paris.
Budget airline Ryanair has called for French destinations to shoulder the burden of the strikes, tweeting: ‘French air-traffic controllers are entitled to go on strike, but if there is going to be cancellations it is French flights that should take these cancellations, not overflights.’
Matters have been further complicated after a Paris Airports spokesman confirmed that ‘Terminal 1 is blocked by activists, as well as road access to other areas.’
Trains
There was disruption on Eurostar high-speed rail services today with bosses forced to council a pair of London to Paris trains due to strikes.
A spokesman said: ‘There will be a general strike in France on 6 April, which could extend beyond this date.
‘New days of mobilisation may be announced by French unions at short notice.
‘Public transport and train connections may continue to be disrupted in France.’
Queues on UK roads are also likely to be increased by engineering work on the railways, including the closure of London Euston station over the bank holiday weekend.
Cars
Travellers at Dover now face more disruption after chaotic scenes last weekend when thousands of people were delayed, reportedly by up to 14 hours.
Meanwhile, drivers have been warned to expect long delays on popular routes over the coming days.
The RAC is predicting that up to 17 million leisure trips by car will take place between Good Friday and Easter Monday and that road speeds could be reduced to 12mph.
Major roads in south-west England and some in the Home Counties are likely to experience the worst congestion on Good Friday.
These include the M25, M5 and A303, as well as the M20 and A20 to Dover.
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When Brits do arrive in France it is likely they will come face to face with French direct action with scenes of unrest being reported across the country including in the major cities of Paris, Nantes and Toulouse.
The Foreign Office has warned Brits making the trip to France to ‘ensure they have confirmed bookings and enough food and water’ for delays.
The government has cautioned Brits should be wary around protests. stating: ‘There is also ongoing strike action affecting multiple sectors including transport networks.
‘Coordinated strike action and large-scale demonstrations are next planned for Thursday 6 April.
‘Demonstrations can take place in France, often in major cities. If demonstrations do turn violent, a heavy police/gendarmerie presence is to be expected.
‘In all cases, you should avoid demonstrations wherever possible and follow the advice of the local authorities’
Domestically the roads are set to be the busiest they have been in the UK since 2019 with the RAC estimating 17million cars will be in use over the long weekend – causing traffic to slow to 12mph in some places.
Chaos broke out on both sides of the Channel as protesters stopped traffic around a mile from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport early on Thursday morning, forcing travellers to walk.
A Paris Airports spokesman confirmed that ‘Terminal 1 is blocked by activists, as well as road access to other areas.’
British Airways grounded around 20 flights that would have used French airspace as air-traffic controllers join the industrial action.
Massive queues formed at the Port of Dover and an early morning Eurostar train from Paris to London was cancelled, along with the corresponding return service.
There have been constant nighttime riots since the measure was forced through by decree, and now millions have gathered in towns and cities across the country.
Queues for passport checks by French officials at Dover ‘were over 60 minutes’ at one point today according to ferry operator DFDS.
The company told passengers: ‘Unfortunately due to high volumes of traffic there are queues at border controls.
‘Once you arrive at check-in we will get you away as quick as we can.’
In response, one passenger wrote at 9.25am: ‘We have been standing for 50 minutes. No movement whatsoever.’
Another said: ‘Cars is at least 90 mins… all 6 lanes of holding being used… currently 45 mins in and only just started moving …’
Speaking to MailOnline, one holidaymaker revealed that once they were through the Dover gridlock they were then stuck in Calais.
They said: ‘I’m stuck in a big backlog at the tunnel passport checks Calais. It’s not the French passport checks, but the British ones!
‘On my way into Calais, I also encountered a French student demonstration with French Gendarmeries watching idlily along. I got out and remonstrated with them.’
There are fears travellers at Dover will face more disruption after chaotic scenes last weekend when thousands of people were delayed, reportedly by up to 14 hours.
Delays at the port have been blamed on French border officials carrying out extra checks and stamping UK passports following Brexit.
Port officials said they have held an ‘urgent review’ with ferry operators and the French authorities in an attempt to avoid a repeat of last weekend’s delays.
Ferry companies are asking coach operators booked on sailings on Good Friday – expected to be the busiest day for outbound Easter travel from Dover – to ‘spread the travel’ across the three-day period from Thursday to Saturday.
Additional ‘temporary border control infrastructure’ has also been installed.
Transport minister Richard Holden described last weekend’s conditions at Dover as ‘unacceptable’.
He told Sky News: ‘I don’t want to see kids on coaches or families in cars queueing up and waiting unnecessarily long periods of time.’
Asked who should apologise for the situation, he added: ‘The port have made it clear that there is a difficult situation there, but there were some weather-related issues in the Channel as well, and there are going to be pinch points at peak times of the year, and small things can knock those best-laid plans off as well.’
Meanwhile, drivers have been warned to expect long delays on popular routes over the coming days.
The RAC is predicting that up to 17 million leisure trips by car will take place between Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Major roads in south-west England and some in the Home Counties are likely to experience the worst congestion on Good Friday.
These include the M25, M5 and A303, as well as the M20 and A20 to Dover.
Queues are likely to be increased by engineering work on the railways, including the closure of London Euston station over the bank holiday weekend.
The Port has warned Brits not to arrive too early for their ferries tomorrow
M25: Heavy traffic for miles on the M25 in Dartford, Kent this afternoon with traffic heading anti clockwise for the Dartford crossing
Protesters hold French CGT and Sud Rail labour unions flags as they gather at Gare du Lyon train station
PARIS: Protesters blockade Terminal 1 of Paris airport on day 11 of industrial strike action
PARIS: A spokesman has confirmed that the airport and surrounding roads are currently blocked
MARSEILLE: Demonstrators march through the streets in protest of President Macron
A driver waits in the queue at the Port of Dover, Kent, today as the getaway begins for the Easter weekend
In France, demonstators took direct action at Paris airport, with a spokesman confirming that ‘Terminal 1 is blocked by activists, as well as road access to other areas.’
There was disruption on Eurostar high-speed rail services, with a spokesman saying: ‘There will be a general strike in France on 6 April, which could extend beyond this date.
‘It will involve disruption across multiple sectors, including national rail services and it will have an impact on the availability of some of our crew.’
Such scenes were replicated across France, as oil depots, town halls, ports, and other transport links were blockaded.
It came as a mass security operation rolled into action exactly three weeks after President Macron raised the retirement age.
The biggest march on Thursday will be between Les Invalides – where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried – and Italy Square in Paris, where some 5000 police will be on the streets.
Talks between prime minister Elisabeth Borne and the unions broke down after less than an hour on Wednesday, while Mr Macron is away visiting China.
Casualties of the ongoing violence and industrial paralysis in France have included a Royal State Visit.
King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, cancelled the long-planned trip to Paris and Bordeaux last month, because of the escalating disturbances.
Beyond riots, anti-Macron protests in France have included some 10,000 tonnes of rubbish building up on the streets of Paris after binmen withdrew their labour.
Airline customers were also warned of strikes and cancellations against the backdrop of widespread strikes in the UK and the rest of Europe.
Steven Moore, air traffic chief at Eurocontrol, said: ‘There will be delays. There’s no doubt about it.’
British departures during the Easter weekend are set to rise 11 per cent compared to last year and by 650 per cent since 2021, although they will remain about 13 per cent lower than before the pandemic, Cirium data suggested.
KENT: Traffic is pictured at the Port of Dover today as holidaymakers begin the Easter getaway
KENT: Cars were seen lined up on the road in the slightly foggy morning today as people tried to go on holiday
After last year’s long Easter delays and more set for this weekend, many Brits have been choosing to fly to Ireland instead of mainland Europe.
Last month alone there were 452,000 arrivals from the UK into the airports of Dublin and Cork, operator DAA told MailOnline.
For Cork Airport the figures were up 44 per cent compared to last year as post-pandemic travel bounced back.
The numbers represented a 31 per cent increase at Dublin Airport compared to March 2022.
However, the aviation industry in the rest of Europe has been gearing up for Easter travel disruptions marked by strikes and cancellations, in a major test of the industry’s ability to prevent a repeat of last year’s summer holiday season chaos.
Details of the delays remain unclear but the warnings illustrate how vulnerable aviation remains to external pressures, despite efforts to avoid a repeat of last year’s queues and cancellations.
Airlines are frustrated at the escalation in industrial action after they have worked for months to tackle the pressing problem of labour shortages via better coordination and by staffing up for a potential return to pre-pandemic traffic levels.
EasyJet boss Johan Lundgren said: ‘I think it’s something that we have to plan for and we’re doing our best to try to mitigate that. But it’s, of course, very difficult because… you sometimes get only 24 hours notice.’
That is unlikely to quell a debate over the European Union’s strict passenger compensation rules.
Airlines say they have to pay compensation without themselves getting compensated for air traffic delays.
Consumer groups say air traffic control strikes are not new and airlines should be quicker to react and pay compensation.
LILLE: A demonstrator looks on next to French police officers in riot gear
KENT: Holidaymakers will be hoping to beat the queues that have become so common at the port
PARIS: Riot police officers detain a youth during a demonstration in the capital
Throughout the morning, more and more cars have joined the queues at the port in Kent
Independent travel expert Frank Brehany [8]told MailOnline that the volume of traffic raises important questions of capacity planning.
‘Consumers are travelling in the face of so many theories and a lack of real advices that I can understand their frustrations,’ he said. ‘In essence they need to think about the realities and the practical.’
‘As someone who’s been commenting on travel for many years, we need to understand that insofar as recent delays are concerned, these are purely down to one factor; the fact that the UK is now a third party country and must follow the entry/exit system into any country in the EU.
‘The volume of traffic is not a case of fleets of coaches simply turning up because many of the travellers and travel companies will have booked many weeks/months in advance; it raises important questions of capacity planning.
‘With regards to strikes, these are announced in advance, thus allowing transport companies to manage and redirect passenger traffic through alternative routes where possible, again in advance.
‘The practicals relate to the plethora of Consumer Rights that apply whether you are travelling by land, sea or air. These are well-established, having been part of our EU Rights previously and they all provide substantial rights for delay, cancellation, care, compensation and assistance for persons with reduced mobility.
‘When the UK Brexited, those laws were transported onto the UK Statute books and still provide the majority of Consumer Rights and are supported by guidance notes from the Department for Transport.
‘It is lamentable that Consumers are not made more widely aware of these extensive rights by MP’s & Ministers, but then, it is equally lamentable that Government has substantially reduced the opportunity for enforcement of those rights, particularly where Companies do not advise their customers of the existence of those rights.
‘Consumers should think about those rights and guidance, search for them online and argue their rights with their travel companies.
‘As for strike action that may affect your plans, companies will know about such actions in advance and they have clear obligations to deal with that information, re-route and take care of their customers where possible.’
A protester holds a placard which reads ‘the water boils at 100 degrees, the people at 49.3’ during a demonstration in Calais today. The 49.3 is a special clause in the French Constitution that was used by French government to push the pensions reform bill through the National Assembly without a vote by lawmakers
French labour unions form a demonstration as part of the eleventh day of nationwide strikes
European consumer lobby BEUC said consumer prepayments for air tickets should be phased out, especially in times of disruption, as airlines often spend that money quickly leaving consumers struggling for months to get their money back.
The spectre of new delays came as France was gripped by the latest in a series of national protests over pension reform on Thursday.
France’s strikes alone have caused thousands of hours of delays so far – sometimes triggering 70,000 minutes of delays in one day, based on data shared by Eurocontrol.
If a flight is delayed early in the day, there is a compounding effect as planes arrive later and take off later in their destination airports, causing systemic issues.
Since March 13, France’s civil aviation authority DGAC has almost daily required airlines to cut their flights by 20 per cent to 30 per cent at several airports, including Paris’s second biggest hub Orly.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has complained that those strikes disrupt the ability of airlines to cross through French airspace, where overflights represent about 15 per cent of European traffic, according to Eurocontrol.
He called last week on the European Commission to do more to stop such strikes hitting overflights, by introducing minimum service rules, though industry experts say strikes are a national issue.
The disruptions are coinciding with a recovery in travel demand, and there’s little sign of reconciliation in France.
Laurent Berger, Secretary General of French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT) and newly-elected French CGT labour union leader Sophie Binet attend a demonstration
French police stand in position during a demonstration on day 11 of nationwide strikes
Fabrice Criquet, secretary general of the Force Ouvriere union at Paris airports operator ADP, said the only way for the situation to return to normal was for President Emmanuel Macron’s government to withdraw the pension reform.
He said: ‘Strikes aim to disrupt operations by definition, that’s what they do, we have been protesting for months over this pension reform and will continue to do so.’
Strikes by labour unions from various industries have caused travel disruptions across Germany in recent weeks, with some industry executives calling for a new approach to the disputes to minimise the ongoing tumult.
At Frankfurt Airport alone, more than 300,000 passengers were unable to fly due to the strikes.
‘For us, this has meant a significant million euro amount in terms of lost revenue,’ head of Frankfurt Airport Stefan Schulte said.
‘We have to ask ourselves whether it would not be better to have a coordinated truce for critical infrastructure. To not have different strikes at different times, which always affect the overall system so strongly,’ he added.
In Portugal, border control officers are set to strike this week as well as train workers.
Algarve’s Hotels and Tourism Enterprises Association have called for preventive action, warning that border control strikes could have dire impacts on the region’s reputation with tourists – a key driver of Algarve’s economy.
Airlines and airports, criticised in the media and parliaments for their handling of last year’s air travel surge, say they are hamstrung by the fact that they have almost no influence on Europe’s spiralling industrial unrest. Other sectors have also been severely hit, however.
‘[Our members,] they’re worried, but let’s say they are reasonably worried. They have done a lot of work to make sure that this goes reasonably well,’ said Olivier Jankovec, the head of airports industry group ACI Europe.
Last year saw massive queues that spelled misery for holidaymakers going to France via Dover but 2023 could be far worse, Dover Port boss Doug Bannister warned. Pictured: Six-hour queues at the Port of Dover on July 23, 2022
Doug Bannister (pictured) said this summer could see ‘significant and continued disruption for a very long time’ because of the EU’s new border checks
‘How do you prevent strikes? This is not something you can really prevent, because you can’t receive a 20 per cent salary increase like this overnight.’
Next month the mayhem could get even worse when the EU implements a harsher border check system.
At the moment it takes about a minute and a half for a car to go through checks at Dover.
Under the system that will likely come into force in May 2023, it may take up to ten minutes.
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) will take note of non-EU citizens every time they go in or out of the Schengen Area.
It will replace manual passport stamping with automatic scans and detail a person’s name, fingerprints and ID photo alongside the date and place of entry or exit.
Dover Port boss Doug Bannister warned that rolling out the system in May could be risky as the summer travel season would just be starting.[9]
Responding to a suggestion there could be 19-mile tailbacks through Kent, Mr Bannister told the Transport Select Committee there could be even longer queues this summer than last.
Mr Bannister said he hoped the system would be introduced with a ‘transition period’ but admitted he feared a cold-turkey introduction of the system would take place.
This, he said, would spell ‘significant and continued disruption for a very long time’.
References
- ^ [email protected] (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ John James For Mailonline (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ France (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Easter (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ President Macron (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ English Channel (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ [email protected] (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Frank Brehany (www.frankbrehany.com)
- ^ Dover Port boss Doug Bannister warned that rolling out the system in May could be risky as the summer travel season would just be starting. (www.dailymail.co.uk)