//Is this more nonsense?
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/apr/15/brexit-orient-express-murder-london-folkestone-leg-route-border-delays //
Depends what you are referring to, maggie.
If you’re referring to European countries making entry to their territory cumbersome for tourists then, yes, of course it is nonsense. Normal countries don’t do that. It’s a great pity they don’t make it equally cumbersome for the tens of thousands of people making their way from North Africa to places like Lampedusa. Perhaps, there would not be so many people queuing up to pay thousands of euros for a seat in a rubber boat from Northern France to the UK. But that’s their business.
Belmond, who run the VSOE on the Continent, are not making a great sacrifice with their rearrangements and few of their customers are being inconvenienced. The majority of their customers from London take the Eurostar to Paris to join the vintage train for their onward journey. Relatively few take the train from Victoria to Folkestone. There are no ferry services from Folkestone and passengers have to be bussed from there to Dover to join a ferry. Frankly it’s a very awkward journey, even without the French Border Control people playing silly beggars and I’m surprised the operator offers it as an option, especially with some of their trips costing up to £10k a pop.