Going on holiday soon? 5 travel updates families need to know this week

New EU border checks, airport strikes, wildfires and school holiday fines are making headlines this August. Here’s what families travelling from the UK need to know before setting off.

If you’re heading away with the kids before the end of the summer holidays, there are a few travel updates worth checking before you zip up the suitcases. New EU border checks are now fully operational, industrial action is affecting Barcelona Airport and wildfires have forced tourists to evacuate holiday hotspots in Greece and Croatia.

There’s also continuing confusion over ETIAS and the rules around taking children out of school during term time. So, whether you’re travelling to Europe this summer or already thinking about an autumn family holiday, here are five of the biggest family travel updates to have on your radar.

1. EU border checks have changed – allow extra time when travelling with kids

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) became fully operational on 10 April 2026, changing the way British holidaymakers and other eligible non-EU travellers are processed when entering the Schengen Area. Rather than relying on manual passport stamps, the new digital system records travellers when they cross an external border for a short stay.

For families travelling to destinations including Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Greece, the biggest difference is likely to be their first journey under the new system. Passport information and a facial image are recorded and most visa-exempt travellers aged 12 and over should also expect to provide fingerprints. Children under 12 do not have their fingerprints taken.

There is no EES form for families to fill in before leaving home as registration takes place at the border. However, experts recommend building additional time into journeys, particularly when travelling during the busy school summer holidays or when you have another flight, train or ferry to catch.

“The best way for families to approach EES is to treat their first European border crossing like a formal appointment, rather than just another queue,” says LP Maurice, CEO of travel booking platform Busbud. He recommends keeping the first day of a family holiday relatively flexible rather than arranging something expensive immediately after arrival.

“I would avoid placing an expensive theme park booking, cruise departure, long drive or tight rail connection immediately after arrival,” Maurice says. He also recommends dividing responsibilities between adults where possible, with one person handling passports and instructions while the other looks after the children.

Travel expert and author Nick Kembel expects some of the greatest pressure to be felt at busy border points, including UK-Europe ferry terminals, Eurotunnel, Eurostar and major airports serving destinations such as Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Greece. His main advice for parents is to “build more breathing room into the journey than you think you need”.

Keeping every family member’s passport together and accessible can also help, as can packing snacks, water and entertainment for children in case queues are longer than expected. Families booking separate flights or rail journeys should be particularly cautious about tight connections as missed onward travel may not have the same protections as a journey booked on a single ticket.

– READ MORE: What families need to know about the new EES border checks –

Allow extra time for new EU border checks at the airport

2. Flying to Spain? Barcelona Airport strikes could disrupt family holidays

Spain remains one of the biggest summer destinations for British families, but anyone flying through Barcelona-El Prat Airport should check their journey carefully before leaving home. An indefinite strike by Groundforce ground-handling staff began on 4 August, with services including baggage handling, check-in and boarding potentially affected, with issues still onoing. The Catalan government has issued specific passenger guidance in response to the action.

This doesn’t mean families should assume their flight will be cancelled or delayed. However, ground-handling disruption can have knock-on effects throughout the day as aircraft, baggage and crews move through the airport, making it worth monitoring both outbound and return journeys.

Jürgen Himmelmann, co-founder of Global Work & Travel and DealsAway, previously spoke to Family Traveller about disruption at Spanish airports: “The biggest mistake is waiting until the airport to find out there is a problem.”

Himmelmann recommends checking the airline app before leaving for the airport and, where possible, looking at where the aircraft operating your flight is arriving from. A delay earlier in the day can affect subsequent services even when your own departure initially appears to be running normally.

Families should also keep receipts for food, drink and other necessary expenses if they experience significant disruption and check their travel insurance wording before departure. Not every policy treats industrial action in the same way, particularly when a strike was already known about when a trip or policy was booked.

– READ MORE: New family-friendly hotels opening this summer 2026 – 

Barcelona, Spain

3. Do UK families need ETIAS to travel to Europe in 2026?

The arrival of EES has understandably caused confusion around ETIAS, but the two systems are completely different. EES records eligible travellers when they cross a European border, while ETIAS will be a pre-travel authorisation that eligible visa-exempt travellers will need to obtain before travelling once the scheme launches.

For now, British families do not need an ETIAS to travel to Europe. The EU’s official ETIAS website currently states that the system is not yet operational, that applications are not being collected and that travellers do not need to take any action at this point. The EU says it will announce the specific launch date several months before the system goes live.

This is important because outdated information about ETIAS continues to circulate online and the system is easily confused with EES. Families travelling this summer should not pay a company or website to obtain an ETIAS authorisation that they do not currently need.

When ETIAS does launch, the application process will be online and the official fee is set at €20. Until then, families should concentrate on meeting the usual passport and entry requirements for their destination and allowing additional time for EES registration where it applies.

– READ MORE: Families can save on UK days out this summer thanks to VAT cuts –

British families do not need an ETIAS to travel to Europe yet

4. Wildfires are affecting European holiday destinations – here’s what families should know

Extreme heat and wildfires are affecting several parts of Europe during the peak summer holiday period, including destinations popular with British families. The situation can change rapidly, so travellers should check conditions for the specific resort or region they are visiting rather than making decisions based on headlines about an entire country.

In Greece, more than 300 tourists and residents were evacuated by boat on 13 August as a wildfire reached the resort area around Siviri in Halkidiki, with homes and holiday accommodation threatened and roads closed. Croatia has also been badly affected, with a major wildfire reaching the tourist town of Omiš and forcing around 1,000 people to evacuate.

The wider European heatwave has also contributed to fire risk elsewhere. France has been battling multiple wildfires during exceptionally hot and dry conditions, while emergency services across Europe are dealing with fires during one of the busiest periods of the tourism season.

For families, the key is to keep checking official advice right up until departure and while away. An active wildfire in one part of Greece, Spain or Croatia does not mean holidays throughout the country are affected, but travellers staying near an impacted area should follow instructions from local authorities, their accommodation provider and their tour operator rather than relying on reports circulating on social media.

Extreme temperatures are also worth factoring into family itineraries even where there are no nearby fires. Parents travelling with babies or young children should consider moving outdoor sightseeing to the cooler parts of the day, carrying plenty of water and planning regular shaded or air-conditioned breaks rather than trying to follow a packed itinerary in temperatures approaching 40°C.

It’s particularly relevant this summer because British travellers are increasingly looking to Europe for their holidays. Research supplied to Family Traveller by AllClear Travel Insurance found that short-haul European breaks had increased from 44% of holidaymakers in 2024 to 51% in 2026, with Spain the most popular European choice among those surveyed, followed by Italy, France and Greece.

–  READ MORE: 7 ancient sites in Rhodes that bring history to life for families –

The key is to keep checking official advice

5. Taking kids out of school for a holiday? Check how much the fine could cost

With family holiday prices often considerably higher during the school holidays, taking children away during term time remains tempting for some parents. However, the rules in England have changed in recent years and the number of fines being issued for unauthorised family holidays is substantial.

Department for Education figures show that 459,300 penalty notices were issued for unauthorised family holidays during the 2024/25 academic year, accounting for 93% of all penalty notices for unauthorised absence. That was an increase of 16,000 compared with the previous year.

For a first offence, the fine is £80 if paid within 21 days and rises to £160 if unpaid within that period. Crucially, fines are issued per parent, per child, meaning the cost can quickly mount for a family with more than one school-age child.

For example, if two parents take two children on an unauthorised term-time holiday and both receive penalty notices, the initial fines could total £320. A second penalty notice for the same child within three years is charged at £160 per parent, while parents can receive a maximum of two fines for the same child within a three-year period before further unauthorised absences can potentially result in prosecution rather than another fine.

The figures suggest plenty of families are still choosing to travel during term time despite the financial risk, but parents shouldn’t simply treat the fine as an additional holiday expense. Schools can only authorise absence in certain circumstances, so anyone considering a trip should check their school’s policy and the current government guidance before booking.

– READ MORE: 15 beautiful beaches kids won’t believe are in the UK –

A little extra preparation could make a significant difference

What should families check before travelling this summer?

None of these updates means families should be nervous about travelling, but a little extra preparation could make a significant difference during the remainder of the summer holidays. Check your airline or travel operator’s app before setting off, make sure every passport meets the entry requirements for your destination and find out whether your journey will involve EES registration at your first Schengen border crossing.

If you’re travelling somewhere experiencing extreme temperatures or wildfires, check current official advice for your specific destination immediately before departure and continue monitoring it while you’re away. Families with connecting journeys should also leave more time than they might have done previously, particularly when a border check sits between two separately booked services.

Most importantly, don’t assume information you read when you booked the holiday several months ago is still correct. From new European border technology to industrial action and fast-changing weather conditions, checking what’s happening shortly before you travel could save a lot of unnecessary stress when the whole family is in tow.