Travel latest news: First day of Brexit brings new travel rules for Britons

Travel latest news: First day of Brexit brings new travel rules for Britons

Big Ben sounded at midnight last night to mark the completion of Brexit, signalling a host of changes for travellers visiting Europe.

With the country now having completed the transition phase for leaving the EU, holidaymakers heading to the Continent are now potentially faced with longer wait times at airports, curbs on duty-free imports, and the return of data roaming charges.

From today, Britons will be met with additional checks at EU airports, which the European Tourism Association has said could lead to an additional 90 seconds per passenger at passport control – or an extra five hours per planeload.

UK travellers are also faced with a raft of new fees and charges, including higher travel insurance premiums to cover the outgoing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme, larger mobile phone bills (although some networks have pledged to continue offering free roaming for the time being), and more costs and complications for those travelling with pets.

However, there are still a number of aspects of European travel that have not changed: financial protection against the failure of holiday operators will continue to be offered by the UK government, and British motorists are still allowed to drive without applying for an International Driver Permit.

The effect