Brexit Affects on travelers

A search of"Brexit" on this forum, limited to the past 6 months, brings up several threads that address your question.

https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=6m&filter=Travel+Forum&query=brexit&utf8=%E2%9C%93

As I’ve said in other threads, you’re not there to negotiate international trade deals. Britain has never been on the Euro, so no changes.

You can run into political protests anytime.

How will Brexit affect travel to Great Britain?

It will lead to a dramatic increase in posts on travel forums asking how it will affect travel.

And lead to British posters trying to find increasing elaborate ways to say: we don’t know; the government doesn’t know; no one knows.

Nothing has been settled. British politics is in turmoil over the issue and with one month to go, it’s not clear to ANYONE whether it will even happen, or whether we’ll crash out of Europe with no deal.

However best guess for US tourists is that it shouldn’t make a difference as the UK has never been in the Schengen Zone or used the Euro for currency, so nothing changes on that front. Will there be longer queues at the airport? We don’t know. Will there be riots? Probably not: we don’t do that sort of thing.

You’re a tourist. How could it possibly affect you?

Some people read the excellent 'The Timewaster Letters' and think they can do the same. Not just this post, there are many more lately.

It can be humourous, if you are good at it.

Spam?

I would stay away until it’s sorted out, which will probably be in about 2050.

I don't think anyone knows what the ultimate outcome of the Brexit situation is going to be. In any case, it's not likely it will affect tourists in any significant way.

You’re a tourist. How could it possibly affect you?

Thinking the same thing....

Emily, Continental... my exact thought too everytime i see this question.

Jennifer, brilliant answer.

Waiting in your car (as a tourist or not) for the ferry to the UK will certainly be different as soon as Brexit will be a reality, or do I see this wrong?

If anything, it would make your trip more interesting.

You will have to go through customs and it will take more time to load the ferries as customs inspections will be more intense. And as the terminals are at the moment not ready to deal with the Brexit situation the expectation is huge congestions of trucks on the access roads waiting for the necessary paperwork. Not directly something to look forward to, me think.

I’m honestly just curious, why would Brexit cause a flight or a train to be cancelled?

"why would Brexit cause a flight or a train to be cancelled"

Particularly with flights, there are agreements in place as to what airlines can fly where. At the moment, with the UK still part of Europe, all European airlines can set up routes everywhere - So Ryanair (Irish) was able to operate between e.g London and Glasgow
Easyjet (British) operated flights within Europe - e.g Barcelona to Rome. (These are actually bad examples because they both have subsidiary companies based in UK and Europe respectively to allow them to circumnavigate these rules)

In the event of a "no deal" Brexit, it is possible that those rights would cease as of midnight on the 29th March. If there is a deal, then there are already draft agreements to keep the status quo, at least for the immediate future.
Train delays are likely to mostly effect the Eurostar services - and this is likely to be a result of increased security checks being needed,

Never say never and never say nothing with Brexit.

Nobody knows.

There could quite easily be congestion in Kent on the roads and railways.

I'll wait and see.

Believe nothing from this government except that they have not the slightest sliver of a spliter of a clue.

"Crisis? What Crisis?"

"There won't be a hurricane."

TimW, thank you.

I wouldn't worry too much about flights. What has already been hinted at is that UK based airlines will continue to fly to EU countries they just won't be able to fly between EU countries. (Similar to what US airlines do now to the EU.) And EU based airlines will not be allowed to fly between British airports.

The EU really can't play hardball with this too much as many European airlines need to fly over UK airspace to get to North America using the shortest route. And the transfer of tourists between the two means billions of dollars/pounds/euros in revenue to each side. No one wants to lose that.

Personally, I don't think personal travel will be affected that much. There might be some confusion in the beginning. The biggest issue has more to do with trade.

Of course, no one really knows.

I wouldn't worry too much about flights. What has already been hinted
at is that UK based airlines will continue to fly to EU countries they
just won't be able to fly between EU countries. (Similar to what US
airlines do now to the EU.) And EU based airlines will not be allowed
to fly between British airports.

The problem is that if the UK leaves the ECAA, there has to be new rules to allow flights between UK and the EU27. The EU is said to be preparing for a no deal, including a temporary air service agreement. So there will probably be some flights at least, even in case of a no deal.

The EU really can't play hardball with this too much as many European
airlines need to fly over UK airspace to get to North America using
the shortest route. And the transfer of tourists between the two means
billions of dollars/pounds/euros in revenue to each side. No one wants
to lose that.

That won't be a problem. Overflying rights are governed by other agreements. And yes, the EU can play hardball as the UK won't close their airspace for EU airlines. Or at least they wouldn't if they thought about it, as the UK has the most to lose. (If they did it, they can expect the EU27 to reciprocate and there will be a situation that is an inconvenience for KLM and Lufthansa, but a disaster for BA.)

Of course, no one really knows.

That is true, and with only a month to go it seems that everything is possible at the moment.

I suppose one may notice somewhat longer lines at passport control in the UK as the previous EU (non-UK) are in line with us from the US, and if moving on to the Continent, the UK residents having to get in line with us.