We have all grown accustomed to queues that seem to stretch light years as British citizens who travel frequently to the EU face the possibility of having their fingerprints individually checked each time, they cross the border into the Schengen area.
Before 31 January 2020, UK citizens enjoyed the benefits of EU citizenship. Free travel with no border controls within the Schengen area gave them easy access to 29 countries. The effortless glide through the diverse landscape of 25 EU member states and the sunny mountains of Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein is a thing of the past.
And when did you last check you had six months of validity of your passport, now you must?
The European Health Insurance Card, which allowed access to necessary medical care while traveling in EU countries, is no longer valid for many travellers, leading to higher health care costs, deterring avid travellers.
Prior to Brexit, we could enjoy mobile roaming across the EU meaning endless media and movies. Now several major UK mobile providers have started reintroducing roaming charges, which means travellers may incur additional cost for data, calls, and texts while in Europe.
Tourism has been massively affected by the impact of Brexit as well. This can deter UK citizens travel to Europe, leading to a noticeable decline in tourism both for the UK and for EU destinations impacting tourism-centred economies.
This also influences a whole lot of other things like visa requirements, driving in Europe and impact on air travel.
Edward Tenison, Head of trip planning for The Beacon said “Has Brexit made a difference, yes and no. Prices have gone up, so it makes school trips more difficult.”
Brexit has made travel more complex for UK citizens with the cons outweighing the pros based on the facts. The border checks, changes in healthcare access, increased travel cost, wait time and paperwork requirements have all contributed to a more challenging travel holiday. The ease and spontaneity of travel within Europe, once taken for granted has now been changed significantly.
Reported By Jahnu M