P&O Ferries has warned of large queues in the Dover buffer zone on Saturday 27 December as post-Christmas getaway traffic builds, urging motorists to allow extra time even as sailings between Dover and Calais continue to run to schedule.

With car-borne holidaymakers and returning workers converging on Kent during one of the forecast peak days of the festive travel period, operators and motoring groups say the risk of extended waits stretching into the evening is high.

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Queues Build in Dover Buffer Zone as Return Wave Begins

By late morning on 27 December, P&O Ferries was advising customers that “large queues” had formed in the port’s buffer zone, the holding area used to stack traffic before it feeds into French border control and check-in.

Although boarding and departures were still operating, the company urged drivers to factor in slower progress on the final stretch into the port and to be prepared for waits before reaching the terminal.

The warning follows days of elevated demand at Dover, where nearly 30,000 cars are expected to pass through over the wider Christmas and New Year period as travellers head for France and onward to mainland Europe.

Port officials have repeatedly asked motorists not to arrive more than two hours before their scheduled sailing, arguing that early arrivals can exacerbate congestion on approach roads and push queues back towards local communities in Dover.

Saturday’s queues come on top of recent disruption linked to IT issues affecting French border controls, which earlier in the Christmas getaway led to delays of up to an hour for ferry passengers.

Although those technical problems have eased, the combination of pent-up demand, high forecast road traffic and the resumption of full ferry timetables after Christmas Day has left little slack in the system on one of the busiest weekends of the season.

Post-Christmas Travel Surge Raises Risk of Evening Delays

Motoring organisations and travel analysts had already highlighted 27 December as a potential pinch point for UK transport networks, with millions of people expected to take to the roads between Christmas and New Year for family visits, winter breaks and shopping trips.

The AA and RAC anticipate three peak travel days before the return to work in early January, with Saturday 27 December among those likely to see heavy congestion on motorways and key arterial routes.

In that context, traffic feeding into Dover is part of a wider pattern of elevated demand across the southeast of England. Forecast hotspots include sections of the M25 orbital motorway and routes towards Kent, adding to journey times well before drivers reach the port.

As more travellers attempt to return from Christmas visits or begin New Year holidays in Europe later in the day, operators warn that queues in the Dover buffer zone could lengthen and persist into the evening.

For families travelling with children or pets, the prospect of extended roadside waits has prompted renewed guidance to carry water, snacks, blankets and charging cables for devices, and to ensure vehicles are fuelled before entering the stacking system.

While conditions remain far from the multi-hour gridlock seen during some past bank holiday and Easter getaways, the cumulative effect of rolling queues and stop-start traffic is expected to be felt throughout the afternoon and evening peak.

Port and Ferry Operators Keep Sailings on Schedule

Despite the pressure on approach roads and the buffer zone, ferry schedules on the Dover to Calais route remained intact through the middle of the day, with operators reporting smooth check-in and boarding once passengers reached the terminal.

P&O Ferries and rival companies have kept full timetables in place following the traditional Christmas Day shutdown, aiming to move as many vehicles as possible to prevent congestion spilling back into the town.

The Port of Dover has continued to coordinate closely with French border police, who carry out exit checks on UK soil under long-standing bilateral arrangements. Earlier in the festive period, a French border IT issue significantly slowed passport processing and reduced hourly throughput, quickly leading to tailbacks.

Lessons from that episode have fed into today’s operations, with contingency staff and traffic-management plans on standby should booth capacity be reduced again.

On Saturday, however, the primary challenge appears to be sheer volume rather than system failure. Once vehicles clear the buffer zone, reports indicate that processing at French controls and check-in desks is broadly in line with normal peak-period conditions.

That has allowed operators to avoid large-scale cancellations, with any missed departures generally rebooked onto the next available sailing at no extra charge for affected motorists.

Strategic Importance of the Dover-Calais Corridor

The Dover-Calais corridor remains the UK’s single most important short-sea link with mainland Europe, handling a mix of holiday traffic, coaches and freight that underpins both tourism and trade.

During peak holiday periods, the balance tilts heavily towards leisure travel as families, skiers and city-breakers use the route as their gateway to the continent. This seasonal shift places unique strain on port infrastructure that is calibrated year-round for a blend of freight and passenger flows.

In recent years, the route has faced additional complexity from evolving border rules and systems on the EU side. Although a full biometric Entry/Exit System for tourists has been postponed until after the Christmas peak, partial rollouts and spot registrations for some categories of traveller have underlined how even small changes in processing times can have outsized effects when traffic volumes are at or near record levels.

Local authorities in Kent, including Dover District Council and Kent Police, work with national highways agencies to use traffic-management schemes such as buffer zones, contraflow lanes and, as a last resort, queuing on key arterial roads.

Their aim is to shield residential areas from the worst effects of port-bound congestion. The concentration of so much continental traffic into a relatively small geographic area leaves little room for error when demand surges suddenly, as it often does immediately after Christmas.

Impact on Holidaymakers, Families and Coach Groups

For individual travellers, Saturday’s queues have translated into frustration and uncertainty over arrival times at European destinations. Families heading to ski resorts in the Alps or to winter city breaks in France and Belgium face not only the waiting time in Dover but also onward driving in busy conditions on French motorways, where additional traffic from mainland Europe adds to the load.

Coach operators, who run tightly timed itineraries that may include overnight driving and multiple pick-up points, are particularly vulnerable to unexpected delays at the port.

A hold-up of an hour or more in the buffer zone can ripple forward through rest stops and regulatory driving-time limits, forcing schedule adjustments later in the journey. Some companies build additional contingency into their timetables during the festive period, but extended waiting can still impact planned arrival times at hotels and attractions.

Passengers with fixed onward commitments, such as check-in windows at holiday rentals or timed entry to events and theme parks, are being advised to monitor updates from their ferry operator and to communicate proactively with accommodation providers if they face significant slippage.

Travel insurers typically expect policyholders to allow ample time to reach departure points; operators’ guidance to arrive no more than two hours before sailing must be balanced against the broader risk of network-wide congestion.

Wider UK Travel Pressures Over the Festive Period

The situation at Dover forms part of a broader picture of heavy festive travel across the UK. Forecasts for the 11-day period spanning Christmas and New Year point to tens of millions of leisure car journeys, with shopping trips, sporting fixtures and visits to family and friends driving repeated waves of demand. Some of the worst-congested stretches are expected on the M25 around London, on routes to key retail hubs and on corridors serving popular tourist regions.

Rail disruption tied to engineering works and staffing shortages on several main lines has pushed additional travellers onto the roads, compounding pressure on motorways and trunk routes.

At the same time, airports are handling near-record December passenger numbers, stretching both terminal facilities and surface transport links to and from major hubs. In this context, the Dover queues are one visible manifestation of a system operating close to its limits on multiple fronts.

National Highways has sought to mitigate the impact by suspending or scaling back non-essential roadworks on key routes where safe to do so. Nevertheless, rolling congestion and the knock-on effects of minor incidents can quickly remove any spare capacity.

With further peak days expected around 29 and 30 December, transport planners warn that Saturday’s conditions may be a precursor to several more days of challenging travel.

Advice for Travellers Heading to Dover in the Coming Hours

Authorities and operators are offering a series of practical recommendations for anyone planning to use Dover on Saturday 27 December or in the following days. The core message is to check live information before setting out, allow more time than usual for the final approach to the port and follow official signage on the A20 and A2 rather than diverting through local roads in search of shortcuts.

Drivers are encouraged to time their arrival to fall within the two-hour window before departure, which helps regulate the flow of vehicles into the buffer zone and reduces the likelihood of queues backing up onto the wider road network.

If congestion still leads to a missed sailing, ferry companies are generally rebooking passengers onto the next available crossing, though at the busiest times this may entail a further wait.

Given the potential for queues to extend into the evening, travellers are being urged to travel with full fuel tanks, to keep warm clothing and basic provisions easily accessible, and to ensure that phones and navigation devices remain charged. Those with flexibility in their plans may wish to consider travelling early in the morning or later at night on less pressured days, when traffic volumes are expected to be lower.

FAQ

Q1. Why are there large queues at the Dover buffer zone today?
The queues are being driven mainly by very high post-Christmas traffic volumes as holidaymakers and returning travellers converge on Dover on one of the busiest days of the festive period, creating pressure on approach roads and staging areas even though sailings themselves are operating normally.

Q2. Are P&O Ferries sailings currently running on time?
Yes. As of late morning on 27 December, sailings on the Dover to Calais route are still scheduled to run as planned, with operators reporting that check-in and boarding are generally smooth once vehicles have cleared the buffer zone and reached the terminal.

Q3. How long should I expect to wait in the buffer zone?
Waiting times vary throughout the day and depend on overall traffic levels, but drivers are being warned to prepare for extended queues that could last an hour or more at busier periods, especially as the afternoon and evening travel peaks develop.

Q4. What happens if I miss my booked ferry because of the queues?
If congestion causes you to miss your scheduled departure, ferry operators at Dover typically place you on the next available sailing without an additional charge, although this is subject to space and may mean a further wait during peak times.

Q5. When should I arrive at Dover for my sailing?
The Port of Dover and ferry companies are advising motorists not to arrive more than two hours before their booked departure time, as doing so can contribute to congestion and does not usually confer any advantage in terms of processing or boarding.

Q6. Are the delays linked to technical problems at French border control?
Earlier in the Christmas getaway there were IT issues on the French side that slowed passport processing, but today’s queues appear to stem primarily from heavy demand and high traffic volumes rather than ongoing technical failures.

Q7. Is freight traffic being affected in the same way as car passengers?
Freight vehicles also use the port and can be affected by buffer-zone congestion, but operators often have separate staging arrangements and priority processes, meaning the pattern of delays can differ from that experienced by private motorists and coach passengers.

Q8. What can I do to make the wait more comfortable?
Travellers are advised to bring water, snacks, warm clothing, any necessary medication, and charging cables or power banks for devices, as well as to make comfort stops and refuel before entering the stacking system leading into the port.

Q9. Will congestion at Dover continue over the next few days?
With further peak travel days forecast in the run-up to New Year, transport experts expect continued pressure on Dover, particularly during late-morning and afternoon periods, though exact conditions will depend on day-by-day traffic flows and any unforeseen incidents.

Q10. Where can I get the latest travel updates before heading to Dover?
Before setting out, motorists should check real-time information from their ferry operator, national traffic services and reputable news outlets for updates on queues, incidents and any changes to sailing schedules affecting the Port of Dover.