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

[Figmentofmyimagination]

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.

I had this in Spain- despite having already done the finger prints in France , I had to re do the whole thing - I don't understand why

From what I've heard it's been the same in all EU tourist areas this year. So much so that Greece abandoned the system for the summer.
Hours of queues reported from the Algarve to the Canaries.

It’s not just there it’s the EU. Surely you must have read about this?

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.

Greece was a dream this summer - we'll be going back next year if they do the same. Fuck two hours at passport control.

If only there was a way just to make the people who voted to leave the EU suffer.

A lot of people seem to be avoiding European travel, wonder why! Maybe some other places are cheaper these days that you could look at ?

So going to the EU is now similar to going to the US.
How many times were you asked if you were a terrorist?

Yes, it was publicised all this spring summer that the new system was coming in and long delays were expected (and indeed were happening), I suppose you might have missed it if you weren't travelling over the summer holidays though.

If I understand correctly you should only have the long wait the first time in and out because they are getting you onto the system after that and it'll allegedly get quicker because it'll just let you through with a scan, although I'm still not sure that's faster than someone just stamping your passport.

Fortunately our only EU summer trip was through a tiny airport with not many non-EU travelers, so though it took longer than usual it wasn't a massive delay.

Yay Brexit.

That’s weird, my friend and her dh came back from Prague yesterday (4 night trip) and didn’t experience that at all.

Yes but flying in and out of Schiphol this summer was surprisingly unstressful. So it definitely varies over the EU.

Brexit anyone ? . No longer part of the EU . One of the consequences that has taken a while to become obvious.

Had they been somewhere else in the EU since spring?

Like where? Can’t wait to enjoy my pina colada on the beach in Russia 😂

It’s luck of the draw, really. I’ve flown into and out of Rome, Barcelona and Geneva since the changes were introduced. I went in prepared for hours-long waits having heard terrible things about how these airports were handling the new checks but breezed through in less than 15 minutes on all 6 occasions.

I think certain times of the week (like Friday evenings) are worse than others.

It wouldn't be so bad if it was just once you had to put all your details into the system but people are having to do it at ever airport. The system doesnt seem to be working properly. When we went to Rome earlier in the year, it was all rather confusing.

It also seems to depend on whether lots of other flights have arrived or are departing at the same time. I visit Lanzarote at least twice a year and have never encountered problems but Thursdays seem to be chaotic with massive queues because that’s a really busy day at the airport.

That said, the new machines do slow things down and for apparently no benefit. Someone somewhere is making a lot of money selling these new machines!

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.

They went to France with their dog by ferry in the summer - not sure how that would make a difference. My dd1 also went to Tenerife in the summer and had no issues. I get that the op had a bad experience but let’s not scare everyone.

Greeks are great, they just ignore what they dont like.
system doesn't work properly hence why you might need to do everything twice
Germans have it sussed. Go to a police kiosk at an airport, ask for easy pass, takes about 10 mins, after which you do your fingerprints and photo at the booth and then use the e-gates. Valid for a year.

I travel to Europe a lot, often from my local airport to change to somewhere else. I have had the whole finger print/photo thing about 8 times since January this year. Most airports handle it well and it maybe adds about 10 minutes. More annoying has been landing in the EU and the queues because we have had to bloody get our passports stamped etc. The UK was never a Schengen country but complaining about restrictions on travel because the UK chose to leave the biggest trading block/free travel zone in the world just seems misinformed. Even if you did not vote for Brexit, it is not other countries fault and surely no one can be surprised that this has meant restrictions/changes now we are no longer part of the EU agreements?

Two hours plus queue into Berlin yesterday. It puts me off flying altogether.

Why? Brexit.

I had that recently in Geneva, and Florence, and at the channel tunnel. No-one warns you, it is what it is.