‘Frantic Friday’: this year's summer surge is never short of surprises

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [View in browser]( [The Independent]( July 22, 2022 [The Independent]( It’s “Frantic Friday”: the alliterative amalgamation for high-pressure travel, with millions taking to the skies, rails and roads. The week that brought us excessive heat is ending with excessive apprehension. [ Michelle (left) and Rosanna (right)]( Departing soon? Euston station in London as the rail network struggled to cope with record temperatures Where should a pessimistic travel guide begin? Probably with the document that everyone hoping to travel abroad needs: a passport. This week Thomas Greig from HM Passport Office revealed [55,000 new applications and renewals have been with his organisation for more than its specified deadline of 10 weeks](. “That is completely unacceptable,” declared Dame Diana Johnson, the Labour chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee. A Tory member, Tim Loughton, said: “The productivity of most MPs’ offices has gone down extraordinarily because we are dealing with constituents who are desperate to get their passports that they applied for 10 weeks or more before.” Unable or simply unwilling to leave the country? Trains traditionally provide the low-stress alternative – but the rail unions have other ideas. Next Wednesday [40,000 members of the RMT union will walk out]( in their dispute over pay, jobs and conditions, closing about half of Great Britain's rail network and leaving just a skeleton service for less than 12 hours a day on key inter-city and commuter routes. Commuters comprise a shrinking slice of rail passengers: leisure travellers are the key to the future, and it is notable that the [Aslef train drivers’ strike on 30 July]( and the next RMT stoppages on 18 and 20 August are aimed squarely at holidaymakers and weekend daytrippers. The next prime minister may personally prefer [the comfort of a taxpayer-funded private jet]( – but the winner of the leadership campaign must confront the alarming erosion of public confidence in [Great British Railways]( (the name of the reimagined British Rail which will run the trains from next year). Impulsive travellers who yearn to leave the political wrangling and industrial action behind may not fare well with a sudden farewell: this weekend 35 easyJet departures from London Gatwick to Malaga are sold out. The next available flight: 7.05pm on Wednesday 27 July, assuming you can find a train to the airport. Fancy Faro instead? The last seat on a [British Airways flight from Heathrow to the Algarve tomorrow will set you back £710](. The vast majority of travellers, of course, booked ages ago and will get where they need to be. But there are plenty of unforeseen hurdles. Thursday brought the astonishing prospect of [KLM passengers with transfer bookings at Amsterdam airport learning they could not check in cases](: hand baggage or the highway. Just in case there’s a repeat elsewhere, another good reason to take [cabin luggage]( only. After all, it’s summer: what do you really need apart from sunglasses – and optimism? [Get inspired...](   Ultimate guide to Mexico]( Everything you need to know before a visit to this North American hotspot [I'm an image]( [Casablanca city guide]( Where to stay, eat, drink and shop in Morocco’s screen-star city [I'm an image]( Flight-free Spain]( How to set sail for Bilbao, stop off in San Sebastian, catch a coach to Valencia and travel by train to Barcelona on a multi-stop, overland adventure Tip of the week: Roads to avoid this weekend   Most of [the weekend road congestion]( is expected in the southern half of England and eastern South Wales. The worst jams on the M25 are predicted to be between Bromley and the Dartford Crossing; from Maple Cross to the M3; and from the M23 (for Gatwick) to the M40 (for Oxford), which takes in Heathrow. The RAC recommends motorists start their journeys either very early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the inevitable queues. Pick of the week: Barbados Immerse yourself in a luxury destination like no other, Barbados has something for every kind of traveller. Find exciting experiences and all-inclusive hotels with up to 60% off this summer in Barbados. [Book your getaway now!]( Deal of the week: European Rail Timetable   What to do with a slightly out-of-date guide to all the key European rail routes? The publishers could have pulped the Winter 2021-22 edition of the [European Rail Timetable](, but instead decided it is far more sustainable to sell them at just £2.09 plus a few pounds in postage and packing. Mine arrived within three days of ordering, and most of the timings are spot-on – and paper provides a far better way to research a complex trip. [Get some expert inspiration for more sustainable travel]( Travel voucher of the week [Save £150 on holidays over £800 with this TUI voucher code]( Question of the week: Frontier formalities in Europe   Q I am going to Spain at the weekend. Is it true you now have to [prove you have a return ticket, produce a bank statement to show you have enough money in the bank for duration of stay and proof of where you are staying?]( A With the Brexit agreement, the UK asked for British passport holders to be treated as third-country nationals by the European Union. So you need proof of onward or return travel from your EU destination – normally a booking for a flight, train or ship. Next, “evidence of sufficient means of subsistence”. Bank cards do not in themselves reveal your wealth, so you could take a credit card statement showing your spending limit, or a bank statement to back up your debit card. The final aspect: accommodation. A booking for hotel, villa or Airbnb should suffice, but if you are staying privately then you should have an invitation letter from your host. [What are the current passport rules for UK visitors to the EU?]( Stat of the week 9km On the hottest day in history, Network Rail tweeted this was the increase in the length of the rail network from its usual 30,000km due to expansion. But the assertion is not strictly accurate. If it were, the East Coast main line track from Edinburgh to London would end 190m south of the existing platforms at King's Cross station – in the middle of McGlynn's Free House on Whidborne Street. What you might have missed   - Airport pick-up: [Passenger invited to travel 4,000 miles to collect lost luggage]( - Boiling point: [10 of the hottest destinations on Earth]( - Family fortune: [Qantas moves 13-month-old baby to a different flight - without her parents]( Simon’s diary   Every day from Monday to Friday I tackle a top travel story, or explore a topic in more detail than usual in ‘Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast’ – available free on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Pocket Casts]( or [Acast](. I find the easiest way to rush out stories is to tweet them. It’s also an easy way to contact me. My direct messages are open and I read all DMs, though regrettably I can’t respond to every one. Let me know your thoughts [@SimonCalder]( Each Saturday and Sunday I take questions live at 5.30pm British time on Instagram Live – from wherever I happen to be in the world – so please do come and say hello. Follow me on [@Simon_Calder]( Or you can find me on TikTok. 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