European Destinations Britons May Want To Avoid This Summer Due To Overtourism, Long Border Queues

As summer holidays begin, millions of Britons are heading to Europe's most popular destinations in search of sunshine, beaches and city breaks.

But for some travellers, the holiday has started with something far less relaxing: hours-long airport queues and crowded border crossings.

Across TikTok, travellers are sharing videos of packed airports, delayed journeys and long waits at border controls, with some warning holidaymakers to prepare for extra time this summer.

Why Are Airport Queues Taking Longer This Summer?

One of the biggest reasons behind the delays is the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES), a new border control system for travellers arriving from non-EU countries, including the UK.

Under the system, travellers entering the Schengen Area for the first time must have their fingerprints and facial image recorded. The information is then stored digitally for three years and checked on future visits.

The system began rolling out in October 2025 and became fully operational on April 10, 2026.

While European officials say the system will improve border security, experts and airlines have warned that the additional checks are creating longer queues at some of Europe's busiest travel hubs.

Frontex deputy executive director Uku Sarekanno told GB News that the situation may not 'stabilise' for another one to two years as some countries continue adjusting to the new system.

Where Are Travellers Reporting Long Delays?

According to reports from travellers, several destinations have already seen long waits this year.

Among the airports most frequently mentioned online are:

• Faro Airport, Portugal
• Milan Linate Airport, Italy
• Malaga Airport, Spain
• Athens International Airport, Greece
• Rhodes Airport, Greece
• Tivat Airport, Montenegro

Tivat Airport in particular is often criticised during the summer because of its relatively small size compared with the huge number of tourists arriving in Montenegro.

Meanwhile, Milan's Linate Airport made headlines in April after around 100 EasyJet passengers missed their flight to Manchester because of passport control queues linked to the EES rollout.

According to the BBC, some passengers reported waiting up to three hours at border control, with travellers claiming people were fainting and becoming unwell while waiting in the heat.

Some users also shared videos of Malaga airport, reporting how crowded it was. However, some viewers shared a different experience on the comments:

'We came into malaga airport last night and it was super quiet x,' kfarquhar77 wrote.

Travellers Warn About Croatia-Montenegro Border Crossings

It's not just airports causing frustration.

Several TikTok users have also warned about long waits at the Croatia-Montenegro border, particularly for those travelling to coastal destinations such as Herceg Novi.

In a video posted on May 31, one traveller warned:

'If you're planning on going to Herceg Novi, be careful. The line is huge.'

The comments quickly filled with people sharing similar experiences.

User @coddy53 wrote: 'We waited four hours last year. No one was there, they were on a lunch break.'

Another traveller, Arkle, commented: 'There four weeks ago. Two hour wait going into Montenegro, four hour wait coming back out again.'

However, not everyone has experienced delays.

User Regan Thickett said: 'It's not always like this guys. I went to Montenegro and also Bosnia from Croatia only three weeks ago and there were no queues whatsoever.'

The mixed experiences suggest queue times can vary significantly depending on the day, time and border crossing being used.

What Is The Schengen Area?

The Schengen Area allows people to travel between participating countries without routine passport checks at internal borders.

The current Schengen countries are:

• Austria
• Bulgaria
• Belgium
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

Importantly, Montenegro is not part of the Schengen Area, despite being one of the most popular destinations for travellers visiting the Balkans.

Many tourists staying in Croatia choose to cross into Montenegro by road, which often creates additional border queues during peak summer months.

Wizz Air Issues Warning To Holidaymakers

With passenger numbers expected to rise throughout June, July and August, airlines are encouraging travellers to leave extra time before flights.

Wizz Air has advised passengers to arrive at airports earlier than usual, carry portable chargers, keep water with them and allow extra time when making connecting flights.

According to the BBC, Wizz Air UK managing director Yvonne Moynihan has advised British holidaymakers to arrive at airports up to three hours before departure due to delays linked to the new checks.

She advised passengers to book tickets with 'a number of hours' between flights, to avoid missed flights, because of lengthy passport control queues.

For many holidaymakers, the queues may simply be an inconvenience. But for those heading to some of Europe's busiest destinations this summer, arriving early could make the difference between catching a flight and missing it altogether.