Fingerprint scanners. Four-hour queues. Missed flights before the holiday’s even started. We’re looking at the worst airport queues this Summer.
That’s the reality at airports across Europe this summer, as the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) grinds border control to a crawl. Which? Travel’s editor analysed traveller reports (the EU itself doesn’t publish this data) and found these are the 11 airports where EES delays are hitting hardest right now. If you’re flying through any of them, budget serious extra time!
Alicante, Amsterdam Schiphol, Berlin, Krakow, Lisbon, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Milan Linate, Palma de Mallorca, Paris Beauvais and Tenerife South are among the top 11.
The culprit is “bunching” – several UK flights scheduled to depart at once, all needing EES processing in the same narrow window. It only takes a minute or two per passenger, but when four or five planes’ worth of people hit the border together, the queue snowballs fast. Ryanair has separately flagged Madrid, Lanzarote, Milan Malpensa, Verona, Frankfurt Hahn and Budapest as also seeing significant delays, so the pain isn’t limited to just these 11.
But do you know where you won’t find a single queue this summer? No security, not a delayed gate, or passport scanner in sight?
The Bannau Brycheiniog. Right here in Wales.
Skip the Terminal, Head for the Hills
While half of Europe stands in line, an Adventure Britain break gets your group straight into gorges, rivers and open hillside – no departure lounge required.
Whether it’s a family trip, a reunion with old friends, or a stag or hen do that needs to be memorable for the right reasons, the Brecon Beacons deliver the adrenaline without the admin. Think canyoning through waterfalls, gorge walking, climbing, caving and hillwalking, all led by instructors who know this landscape inside out.
No fingerprint kiosks. No four-hour holds. No “unfortunately your flight has now closed.” Just a short drive, a change of clothes and you’re in the water.
Why Groups Are Choosing Wales Over the Airport Queue This Year
Zero border chaos. No EES, no e-gates, no biometric registration – you walk straight in.
Built for groups. Family reunions, friend groups and stag/hen parties are exactly what these sessions are designed around.
All-weather, all-ability. Activities are pitched for real people, not just thrill-seekers – everyone in the group gets a way in.
Closer than you think. No long-haul transfer, no jet lag, no lost luggage – just time back in your holiday instead of a queue.
Who It’s For
Families: shared adventure that gets everyone off their screens and into the same story, without a single airport tantrum.
Friend groups: the kind of weekend that becomes the thing everyone talks about at the next get-together.
Stag and hen dos: a proper send-off with mud, water, and nerve, minus the 4am airport check-in and the inevitable delay!
FAQs
Why are so many airports facing long queues this summer? The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), rolled out across Schengen countries in 2026, requires biometric registration for non-EU travellers. The main driver is “bunching” – several UK flights departing at once, all needing processing in the same short window, and it’s adding significant time to border checks at busy leisure airports, with some routes seeing multi-hour delays at peak times.
Which airports are worst affected? Alicante, Amsterdam Schiphol, Berlin, Krakow, Lisbon, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Milan Linate, Palma de Mallorca, Paris Beauvais and Tenerife South are among the airports currently reporting the longest EES-related queues.
Is a UK-based adventure break really queue-free? Yes. An Adventure Britain break in the Brecon Beacons involves no border control, no EES registration and no flight risk – you arrive by road and go straight into the activity, everything’s sorted for you! Packages can include all your food and transport between activities (depending on your group size).
What activities are available? We offer a number of activities and packages, including gorge walking, canyoning, climbing, caving, hillwalking, quad-biking, stand-up paddle boarding and kayaing. Sessions are built for families, friend groups and stag or hen parties of all experience levels – all equipment is provided. Find out more about our activities.
Do we need experience to take part? No. Sessions are led by fully-qualified and experienced instructors and pitched to suit the group, whether that’s a first-timer or a seasoned adventurer.
Ready to Trade the Queue for the Adventure?
This summer, some groups will spend more time at border control than at their destination. Yours doesn’t have to be one of them.
Book your Adventure Britain break in the Brecon Beacons
Airport queue data source: Which? Travel, July 2026.