Is travel disruption just a British thing?

Our airports are bursting at the seams. A summer of rail strikes starts next week. BA cabin crew are threatening mass walkouts. Petrol prices have reached a high of 185.4p per litre at UK forecourts. In short, it’s a bad time to be a British traveller.

But is travel chaos a strictly British affliction? Have our European neighbours avoided the hellish scenes seen at the likes of Manchester Airport? The answer, according to our experts on the ground, is a resounding “no”.

“At Amsterdam Schiphol we’ve seen six-hour queues, staff fainting from overwork, and passenger rebellion,” says Rodney Bolt, our Netherlands expert. A lack of staff is the main problem, although a KLM spokesman, in an email to Telegraph Travel, also blamed a spate of recent delays on “unfavourable” wind.

Bolt adds that train cancellations due to staff shortages are becoming increasingly common, and fuel prices are spiralling – “my neighbourhood station now sells petrol at between €2.45 and €2.62 (£2.11 to £2.26) a litre.”

Over in France, the cost of fuel is also causing indignation. “It has reached almost €2.50 (£2.16) on motorways,” says Anthony Peregrine, who lives in Languedoc. Strikes could also be around the corner, he adds: “If diesel prices keep rocketing, truck drivers won’t take it lying down. Also, the possibility of a good showing from the extreme left Mélenchonites in next Sunday’s parliamentary elections could be a factor. If they get a majority, unions – notably the radical rail unions – will make hay while the sun shines.”

Strikes have already hit Germany, with easyJet staff at BER Airport walking out last week, leading to several cancellations. But the worst is yet to come, warns our Germany expert, Paul Sullivan: “Lufthansa has said it will be cancelling about 900 flights around Europe this July and two of Lufthansa’s subsidiaries – Eurowings and Swiss – will be reducing their summer services too.” Staff shortages have been blamed.

There are mounting problems on Germany’s railway networks, too. “A heavily discounted rail pass – while intended to offset rising fuel costs and inflation – has prompted overcrowding, with frustrated passengers unable to board some services,” says Sullivan.

Over in Sweden, the land of Greta Thunberg, rail travel’s eco credentials have seen it soar in popularity. So much so that finding enough staff is an ongoing challenge.

Maddy Savage, a Stockholm resident, says: “Operators are offering staff extra money if they agree to take their own holidays outside the peak summer season. But the papers here are full of warnings that passengers still need to be prepared for last-minute cancellations.”

Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport has also been hit hard by delays and cancellation, she adds, and there is more drama on the way, with around 1,000 pilots from SAS to strike later this month. Sweden is also suffering from the same passport renewal delays seen in Britain. “There’s a severe shortage of booking slots since many didn’t bother to renew expired passports during the pandemic,” says Savage.

So if your summer holiday is ruined this month, you’ll find schadenfreudelaced solace across the Channel. They are having just as much trouble as us.

iFlag carrier: staff at British Airways are considering strike action – and the same kind of turmoil can be expected all across Europe