warned

Under the change Britons will provide four fingerprints and a facial biometric scan to a machine during their first arrival

British travellers visiting Europe are being warned to prepare for the possibility of even longer queues from today. The rollout of the EU’s new border check tech aims to eventually speed up entry, but its expansion this month presents a risk of greater delays, according to travel association ABTA.

Under the automated Entry/Exit System (EES), Britons will provide four fingerprints and a facial biometric scan to a machine during their first arrival, followed by one scan on each subsequent arrival and departure. “As more places introduce the system, and more passengers are processed through it, there is a greater risk that people will face queues and delays,” ABTA warns.

“It’s important travellers are prepared for this as they prepare to go through passport control.” The EU set a January 10 deadline for its member states to roll out the EES at half of their border crossings.

Manual passport stamping will continue until 9 April, meaning double red tape. “We are also urging border authorities to do all they can to minimise delays. They have contingency measures at their disposal – such as standing down the system or limiting checks – and we want them to be utilised to help manage the flow of people,” ABTA says.

The Entry Exit System (EES) requires non-EU citizens to register at the EU border by scanning their passport and having their fingerprints and photograph taken. The rollout began last October and mean British passport-holders need to register on their first visit to a country where EES checks are operating. Registration is valid for a rolling three-year period or until the passport expires.

The new system will be phased in over six months, meaning different ports may have varying requirements until April 2026. By January 10 half of all checkpoints should be in operation.

On exit, and for subsequent visits to a participating country, travellers will only need to scan their passport and provide either fingerprints or a photograph at the border.

EES will be a requirement when entering Schengen area countries including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. EES will not be required when travelling to Ireland and Cyprus.

For travellers using the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone or Eurostar at St Pancras International, the process will take place at the border before they leave the UK.

The government has supported these juxtaposed ports (Eurostar, St Pancras; Eurotunnel, Folkestone; and the Port of Dover) with £10.5m of funding for border infrastructure to make the change as smooth as possible for travellers. While EES is an EU system, the government has been working closely with the travel industry, ports and transport operators to help raise public awareness and understanding of the border changes.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said: “We recognise that EES checks will be a significant change for British travellers, which is why we have worked closely with our European partners to ensure the rollout goes as smoothly as possible.

“The UK and EU have a shared objective of securing our borders and these modernisation measures will help us protect our citizens and prevent illegal migration.”

Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation, Keir Mather, said: “We’ve backed our ports and operators with £10.5 million to help them get ready for the EU’s new Entry/Exit System, ensuring they have the infrastructure and systems in place to manage the changes.

“Our priority is to minimise disruption for travellers and hauliers, particularly at our busiest border crossings. We’ll continue working closely with European partners and local resilience forums to keep traffic flowing and journeys smooth.”

Travellers do not need to take any action before travelling and the process is free. Registration will take place upon arrival at the EU border and may take slightly longer than previous border checks.

Whilst the checks should only take 1-2 minutes for each person, they may lead to longer wait times at border control upon arrival in the Schengen area. At the juxtaposed ports, where registration will be completed in the UK prior to departure, there may be longer waits at busy times. Eurotunnel, Eurostar and the Port of Dover have plans in place to minimise disruption as much as possible.

Children under 12 will not be fingerprinted but under the new EU rules, all travellers, including babies, will be photographed and have digital records created.

The UK Government has rolled out its own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, which is a digital permission to travel for visitors who do not need a visa for short stays, or do not have another valid UK immigration status prior to travelling to the UK.

STORM Goretti is continuing to cause chaos across the UK as further travel disruptions are confirmed.

A number of rail lines have suspended services as the first storm of the year batters Britain.

West Midlands Railway officially cancelled routes this morning, Friday, 9 January.

In an official statement, the rail network said it is “unable to provide services until the afternoon”.

“Due to the significant ongoing transport and infrastructure disruption caused by Storm Goretti, we advise passengers not to travel on West Midlands Railway services on the morning of Friday, January 9,” the operator said.

“Passengers wishing to travel on the afternoon on Friday 9th January should check their journeys before they travel as we work to resume services.”

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No rail replacement road services will be provided due to “uncertain road conditions”.

Network Rail are also experiencing disruption after a “very intense heavy snow” hit the West Midlands/Shropshire and Staffordshire areas on Thursday night.

Efforts are being made to clear rail routes, with some services expected to be affected until Sunday, 11 January.

Meanwhile, Avanti West Coast issued “do not travel” advice to anyone planning to use Midlands routes until 1pm on Friday.

“An amended timetable will operate across all routes from 0700 until 1500, when we currently expect services to return to normal,” the train service operator said.

“We strongly recommend travelling outside these times if possible.”

Storm Goretti has also caused disruptions to air travel, with East Midlands Airport and Birmingham Airport forced to cease operations after flurries of snow left runways unusable.

Some areas of the country could see as much as 15-25cm of snow fall and settle as the extreme weather continues for a second day, while Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly were issued a rare red weather warning.

Gusts of 99mph were recorded at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly while 90mph winds hit Culdrose, Cornwall where gales brought down power lines and trees.

National Highways said the A30 in Cornwall is closed in both directions between the A394 at Longrock and the A3074 at St Erth.

The closure is reportedly “due to a large number of trees that have fallen and are blocking the road”; Devon and Cornwall Police are assisting at the scene.

Specialist crews are working to clear the trees from the carriageway.

The A628 Woodhead Pass connecting Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire also remains closed in both directions between the A616 for Flouch and the A57 for Hollingworth because of snow.

National Highways has urged drivers to check the weather forecast before travelling today, saying: “Consideration of the weather forecast should be taken before commencing journeys, with considerable delays possible.”

This year has seen a raft of items banned from cruise ships, and if you’re planning on sailing away in 2026, make sure you don’t have any of these items in your luggage or you could risk having your possessions confiscated

While a cruise can be an excellent way to see the world, stepping on-board one of these giant floating resorts is very different to checking into a hotel. There are cruise etiquette rules to observe, and due to safety regulations and the close proximity to other guests, strict guidelines that passengers will need to follow.

In 2025, many cruise lines announced bans on common travel items, citing either safety concerns or antisocial behaviour. If you haven’t been on a cruise for a while, it’s worth double-checking with your cruise line what is and isn’t allowed in your bag.

Here are some of the items that have been banned in recent months and could end up being confiscated if you bring them on board.

1. Satellite internet

Onboard WiFi can be a big expense on top of the price of your cruise, especially for longer journeys or if you plan to use multiple devices. Some tech-savvy passengers have tried to avoid the cost by bringing devices such as Starlink Mini onboard, which provides internet via a satellite, but cruise companies have not been impressed by this ingenious hack.

Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian are among the cruise lines which banned passenger-owned Starlink devices, although some of their ships use the system to provide WiFi at a cost. Cruise lines have claimed that satellites could cause interference to the ship’s systems and problems with its own WiFi.

2. Travel routers

Many cruise WiFi packages can only be used on one device, leading some passengers to bring routers to use in their cabins, which allows them to connect multiple devices to a single connection. However, some cruise lines are cracking down on what was once a popular money-saving hack. There have been claims that these routers could cause cybersecurity issues on cruises, and many cruise groups on social media are full of passengers complaining that their devices were confiscated when trying to bring them in their luggage.

3. Clack fans

This rather strange ban was implemented by Carnival Cruises in the USA in response to a dance craze. The 2024 song Boots on the Ground by 803Fresh spawned a popular TikTok dance that became a staple on cruises, and involves using a paper clack fan to accompany the beat. However, the American cruise line banned them from nightclubs and indoor dance floors over safety concerns, although they can still be used in spaces such as decks.

4. Bluetooth speakers

If you’re dreaming of sitting out on your balcony blasting your favourite tunes, then you may be disappointed. Many cruise lines have now banned Bluetooth speakers, citing noise levels, annoyance to other passengers, and the possibility of blocking important safety announcements. Celebrity, Carnival and MSC all have speaker bans.

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5. Upside down pineapple stickers

According to Australian news outlet Cruise Passenger, upside-down pineapples, often used as a symbol that couples are interested in swinging, will no longer be allowed on cruises run by Carnival. When asked about the stickers, Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald wrote: “Thank you for mentioning that, those are definitely no longer allowed on the ships and they will be removed from any cabin door.”

Their guidelines for passengers wanting to decorate their stateroom door also state: “Items displayed during the cruise should not contain any message that may be considered offensive or contain nudity, profanity, sexual innuendos/suggestions.”

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