ABTA said timely, practical travel advice mattered more than ever in 2024 as several rules changed at once. Its message combined short-term preparation for airport security with broader reminders on passport validity and future EU border systems.
Good summer travel preparation starts well before departure. Travellers who review official advice, insurance cover, passport rules and airport requirements early are in a far stronger position to avoid disruption.
The promise of more eGate access for British travellers sounded dramatic, but the practical picture was narrower. Faster processing at some airports was possible, yet the legal status of UK travellers at the EU border and the underlying entry rules were not being rewritten.
ABTA's passports-and-visas page is broad rather than event-led. It works best as an early travel checklist, covering passport validity, visa checks, renewal timing and a separate warning for some British and Irish dual nationals returning to the UK.
Every summer, some holidays collapse at the airport because travellers check their passport too late. In 2025 the safest approach is to remember that renewal speed helps, but only if you understand the rule for your destination.
British travellers still enjoy visa-free short trips to much of Europe, but the rules are no longer as simple as they were before Brexit. Passport validity, the 90/180-day limit, and upcoming ETIAS and EES checks now shape every journey.
A new EU border regime is set to change how non-EU travellers enter France. For Britons with family, property or frequent stays across the Channel, the impact could extend far beyond a few extra minutes at passport control.
Europe is moving toward a new pre-travel authorization system for many non-EU visitors. ETIAS is not a visa, but it will add a mandatory online step before short trips to the Schengen Area.