I think that I can fly to Bologna direct from Heathrow and one day I would like to do Milan. Both places that I've never been to. I may of passed through on the way to somewhere else, but they have never been my destination. I'm fact, I have a vague recollection of using one of the Milan airports once. I felt ripped as the hire car was that tiny Fiat thing,a500 I think, but it was good fun and I quite enjoyed it. Having a Fiat in Italy just felt right.
I was only doing London City for fun. It makes no sense to me as I am miles away and on the other side London. I would probably stay in central London the night before and Berlin was just something to do. Milan and Madrid are just jaunts with no reason. Bologna is the only one where I really want to go for a reason. Now that Berlin came into my head, I would quite look forward to going, but nothing is certain. I believe that Bologna has to be from Heathrow and something has to be from London City, but I don't want to use it twice. So (without sussing flight departure times, I think that it will probably be London City for Berlin, Heathrow for Bologna and Bristol for Madrid. Possibly, Possibly. Milan could be Heathrow, Bristol., or Exeter. Since I don't think Exeter does Milan direct, that may rule out Exeter. I have never used Exeter so I need to discover a reason to fly from Exeter Airport.
I really don't want to use Brittany Ferries again as a foot passenger. It's shite for that. I would only use it if I had to take a vehicle. I realise times have changed but it went from lifting your visor to taking off your helmet completely last time I did it on a bike. Surely now you don't have to drop 'em, bend over and spread your cheeks for a photograph Does everyone in a car need to do this now? Maybe it's just Brittany Ferries. Being French, I would be unsurprised if there is not a little'payback' going on.
Can someone educate me here? I keep reading stories in our garbage press about four hour EES queues. I have done it twice with Brittany Ferries and it probably takes less than a minute. That's fingerprints, a photo and passport scan. Clearly I'm missing something. One French Official did tell me this is payback for leaving the EU but I didn't find it any problem. Either I missing something that should be obvious to me, or the stories that I read are bull. Which is it?
As the system has now been fully operative since April 10th (starting in October 2025) AFAIK the system broadly works well. I imagine it all depends on how many machines and border operatives there are at the crossing and this can vary as can passenger demand...
Maybe. And it's dealing with people and some people are odd. And I suppose that flying attracts the impatient. Border officials, of any country, react badly to impatience and rudeness. Maybe with flying, it attracts people with those qualities.
Last time I came back on a ferry TO Portsmouth every single biker had to remove helmets, took an hour to get through us all, never had that going abroad in 55 years.
As they want to photograph your face then helmet removal will be the way from now on. we need to rejoin the EU but that’s never going to happen- too many little far-right englanders, Farage got away with it once and will do so again. Strange phenomenon where people always have the idea that they are better off with a far-right government, even after being Liz Trussed up.
This digital system has been going on for years in airports if you have a biometric passport which by now most people should have. Ive always found it quick and trouble free (unless you get behind a Perry then it can be time consuming)
How do you get a biometric passport? That could be useful as I'll be doing at least three flights in the next 18 months. I hope that you don't have to see a doctor. I've had my fill oh them over the last seven years!
All passports are Biometric for the last 20 odd years so if yours is in date then you already have one
I have a biometric passport(British) and flying into Milan recently was an absolute disaster!!!! Only 2 humans at the kiosk and all the machines malfunctioning so everyone had to be seen by a human. That has gone backwards from pre Brexit where only sometimes did customs officers even open your passport!
