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Original poster

To warn you not to travel to Prague by plane on a non-EU passport

254 replies

Figmentofmyimagination · 16/10/2026 21:33

Horrible chaos. 2+ hour passport control queues. First a very long queue for the new machine check - eyes, finger prints etc - and then second very long queue for a manual check - why???. V hot. Incredibly stressful and unpleasant experience. No forewarning by easyJet. Never want to do that again. Apparently it will be the same when we leave. Everybody has to do it - even if you have previously supplied your finger prints etc while travelling to a different EU country.

OP posts:
EmpressaurusKitty · Yesterday 07:55

I went to Prague last November & did fingerprints & photo for the first time.

The only problem I had was that I’d planned to have dinner at their pasta restaurant while waiting for my 7pm flight but it was closed, the food court only had a few limp looking salads & I had to make do with a panini & muffin.

Original poster
Figmentofmyimagination · Yesterday 07:53

What was most shocking was the sheer chaos of it - a two or three strong queue, snaking all through the departure lounge, mixing up departures and arrivals, and the pointlessness of it, checking all the same info twice. It wasn’t just people from the uk. There was a big group of South Korean tourists in the queue. You wonder who thought about the economic cost of all of this for cities that rely on tourism. 2.5 hours of lost spending in bars and restaurants, cancelled transfers, very upset people who won’t be returning anytime soon and will be telling all their friends. I am in my 60s and my only previous flights this year have been to Asia and Ireland. I knew I hadn’t done the whole finger print thing but I somehow imagined there would be a separate queue for people like me to do it once, and then that would be that. Instead everyone has to do it - everytime. It is absolute madness. I have always been very sad about the decision not to remain in the EU but honestly when you come face to face with this level of bureaucratic incompetence, you do start to see the EU as an institution in a different light.

OP posts:
Beachtastic · Yesterday 07:48

Dameputtingonabraveface · 16/10/2026 22:31

@Beachtastic, honestly, most European countries are just a bit bewildered about the UK's decision to leave the EU, apart from that they give it no headspace at all. They certainly do not 'hate us', they are just getting on with their lives and the issues in their own countries. It makes no difference to them really, however some of the behavior shown by our MEPs and the way leaving was dealt with showed incredible disrespect and entitlement. We left, our choice, Europe really is not salty about it

That may be true of sensible citizens, but I used to live in the EU and it seemed to make a difference almost overnight. I got the impression some airports were more or less saying "OK, you want to be separate? Here's your own queue, muthafuckas" 🫣😁

Luckyingame · Yesterday 07:47

Good. Czech citizen here. 😊

Wadsworthy · Yesterday 07:45

The point about Brexit (for the hard of thinking) is that we lost our EU passports.

HawaiiWake · Yesterday 07:29

CraftyNavySeal · 16/10/2026 22:02

Brexit doesn’t explain why the system is crap. The EU should have been able to roll out a system that works, and I say that as an EU citizen.

I went to Singapore and Korea this year and got through passport control in seconds after filling in an e visa.

Show quote history

This is the EU system and not Brexit, done it via Singapore and Malaysia since the year 2000 and all good, Korea too. May be the EU system was badly planned whilst they should have used Singapore system?

CornishYarg · Yesterday 07:26

Someone upthread asked what happens if you miss your flight due to an EES queue. It's almost certainly going to be up to you to cover the extra costs in that case.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/eu-entry-exit-system-questions-uk-travel-simon-calder-b2968666.html

We flew in and out of Copenhagen this summer. Going in was awful - 2 hour queue, only two desks open, no machines working, same queue regardlessof whether you'd registered before. So coming home, we left lots of time (although we needed to wait for bag drop to be opened before we could go through) then sod's law, we breezed straight through the EES checks in 5 minutes!

Simon Calder answers your EU entry-exit system questions

Travel expert Simon Calder answers readers’ questions on the EES rollout – from delays and missed flights to passenger rights, queues and what travellers can expect this summer

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/eu-entry-exit-system-questions-uk-travel-simon-calder-b2968666.html

StarlightLady · Yesterday 07:23

Wadsworthy · Yesterday 07:19

Ahhhh Brexit.

Take back control. Oh yes.

They had a choice. It’s what the (slight) majority voted for! And now they moan.

sweetpickle2 · Yesterday 07:23

It’s not Prague specifically- I’ve flown to Spain, France and Italy this year and they’ve all had the same. Varying levels of busyness depending on how many people were landing at the same time.

I’d be surprised if easyJet didn’t warn you, I have emails from them about it that they sent before my journeys.

SulkySeagull · Yesterday 07:23

Yes Lisbon what the same, not just EU either, everyone. What’s worse is they stick passport control after duty free/restaurants. So you think you’ve done security etc and relax for a bit of shopping and a bite then you realise there’s a whopping 2 hour queue to get on the plane! Same at Majorca.

Dont even speak to me about Tivat…

Wadsworthy · Yesterday 07:19

Ahhhh Brexit.

Take back control. Oh yes.

SmolBlackKitten · Yesterday 07:18

That's Brexit for you.

Yello24 · Yesterday 07:16

Agree it’s not a ‘Brexit punishment’. Just piss poor management of a change.
UK borders are actually very efficient. We have the same potential controls on EU citizens as they have on us but we don’t impose the same pain on them. Our control of European nationals is probably lighter than it should be but it’s the UK way. Too nervous of pressure groups and complaints to avail ourselves of some of the control that Brexit could have made possible.

user1476613140 · Yesterday 07:16

Shirke · 16/10/2026 22:18

I don’t bother now. Went to Greece in the summer as they binned it off and it was simple.

City breaks, I can’t be arsed. Been to many and I find many of them similar anyway. I’m quite enjoying visiting places in the UK

I feel that way too. I prefer to visit parts of the UK. I visited Craster yesterday on my way home from a holiday and really enjoyed seeing Northumbrian coastline. Beautiful part of the UK and I want to see it in more detail. 😍

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · Yesterday 07:13

Just back from driving to Germany.
I was surprised that the checks on the LeShuttle crossing both ways were just to hand over your passport at the manned booths. No fingerprinting and no queues to speak of at all.

garlictwist · Yesterday 06:59

I went to Gran Canaria in Feb and it was dreadful. Went to Slovenia in June and no queues at all. It really seems to depend where you go. It put me off going abroad again though when I next had some time off in September and I went to London on holiday instead.

notimagain · Yesterday 06:56

It varies from one airport to another.

It's not Brexit or "the EU" specifically having a go at the Brits, the system that's causing the problem in places is tied into entry/exit of the Schengen Zone (not entry/exit of the EU) and it potentially clobbers anyone travelling on a third country passport..e.g. US Citizens, Australians etc.

But yes if your caught in it it's a pain

StarlightLady · Yesterday 06:49

The UK voted for this! They are controlling their borders. It’s what you were told Brexit would do.

malificent7 · Yesterday 06:20

People want tight borders everywhere.....this is how it plays out.

Not saying it's great...I voted remain but we can't have it both ways.

Littlegreywolfcub · Yesterday 05:56

Just got back from France and Belgium - no problem at all on Eurostar..

TerfOnATrain · Yesterday 05:52

Palma in August managed its visitors without any issue when we went. Greece in July didn’t bother. DH said it was a breeze when he went to Marbella in May too.

Gemütlich81 · Yesterday 05:46

likelysuspect · 16/10/2026 22:16

What happens if like OH he cant stand that long and I need the loo every half hour.

You book assistance before you travel

mrsbinghamsapron · Yesterday 05:39

I went to Prague in August and it was absolutely horrific. It took us over 3 hours to get through. Our poor taxi driver said it was the longest he'd ever waited for anyone.

On the way back, we left for the airport stupidly early, and got straight through - OBVIOUSLY 🤦🏼‍♀️😂 ended up sat in departures for nearly 4 hours

embolass · Yesterday 04:52

It must depend on the day I think ??
DS and friends back 2 weeks ago from Prague and had no issues. Myself and DH Croatia in May and Munich recently again no issues 🤷🏻‍♀️

NotAnotherScarf · Yesterday 00:58

phlebasconsidered · 16/10/2026 21:39

I guess you must be very young. Everyone knows that since Brexit fucked it, travel was easier and now it isn't. We reap what we sow.

Oh christ this doesn't have much to do with brexit. Its more that the eu have adopted a system that doesn't work. No one has the balls to admit it.

Actually its bloody good reason to celebrate not being in the eu. Given that uk airports would be equally stuffed and all those non eu tourist ie yanks would be put off coming here and spending the £7 billion they do