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Greece Will Not Implement the EES System for British Tourists This Summer
If you are travelling to Greece this summer, you may not have to wait as long as you thought at passport control.
Under the EES scheme, which came into effect on 10th April, UK travellers need to provide fingerprints and a facial scan on their first entry into the EU.
However, Updates to Greece’s Foreign Travel Advice state:
“Greek authorities have indicated that they will not collect biometric data (fingerprints and photos) for UK travellers as part of EES. Follow the advice of authorities on the ground. If you are resident in Greece, make sure to show your residence documentation at passport control to ensure you are not registered in EES.!
The exemption applies at all Greek airports, ports and land border crossings and is effective immediately.
At many airports in Europe, there have been huge border delays, with waits of 2-3 hours and, in rare cases, queues of up to 6 hours.
Nearly 5 million British tourists visited Greece in 2025, and destinations such as Rhodes, Crete and Corfu can each see around 2,000 British arrivals per day during the peak summer season. I can only imagine what the queues would have been like, especially at small island airports.
It’s still unclear exactly how this will work. Will passports be stamped instead, and how long will the exemption last? This also doesn’t apply to the separate ETIAS system, which is due to be implemented in late 2026.
This is great news if you have a trip to Greece booked, but if you’re travelling later in the season, it’s worth checking if the exemption is still in place.
Get Gold Club Avolta Status Via No 1 Lounges
No1 Lounges has launched a new partnership with Club Avolta. You will receive complimentary Gold status when signing up with Club Avolta by entering the code No1AvoltaG when creating an account via No1 lounges.
If you already have an account, you can enter the code in the app. When I signed in via No1 with my existing account, my account was automatically upgraded to Gold.
Club Avolta is the loyalty programme for Avolta, the company behind over 5,000 airport duty-free shops and restaurants in more than 70 countries. As a Gold member, you’ll receive 7% off selected airport shopping and a range of other benefits. Considering the match from Radisson VIP to Club Avolta Platinum has been suspended, if you diddn’t take advantage of the match, Gold is still a good option.
No1 is also running a 20% off promotion for lounge visits across its 17 lounges at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Luton and Jersey when you use the code SPRING26 for visits before 30th April.
If these don’t align with your travel dates, Club Avolta members still receive 15% off No1 Lounge bookings throughout the UK.
IHG April Destination Deals: Up to 30% Off
IHG has just launched some fantastic destination deals for bookings made up until 26th April, with stay dates from 24th April to 7th June 2026. Selected stays 25-30% off (depending on the brand) for IHG One Rewards members.
This month, top destinations include:
- UK: London, Luton, Alfreton, Bedford, Burton-On-Trent, Chester, Chesterfield, Derby, Dunstable, Hemel Hempstead, Huntingdon, Letchworth Garden City, Liverpool, Neath, Newport, Nottingham, St. Albans, Stansted, Stevenage and Watford
- Canada: Halifax and Ottawa
- USA: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Orlando, Dallas, Boston, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Savannah.
- Germany: Berlin, Potsdam, and Schönefeld
- Greece: Athens
- Poland: Dabrowa Gornicza, Jasionka, Jozefow, Katowice, Lodz and Lublin
- Serbia: Belgrade
- Turkey: Ankara, Bursa, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Kayseri, Manisa, Nevsehir, Trabzon and Yalova
- Mexico & Central America: Metepec, Toluca, Pachuca, Morelia, Cuernavaca, Puebla, and Tlaxcala
- South America: Barranquilla, Medellin, Cali, Lima and Montevideo
- Asia: Kuala Lumpur, Kobe, Osaka, Hangzhou, Kunming, Shangri-La and Dali
It’s nice to see London included again, plus plenty of US destinations we didn’t see last month.
There’s also a huge range of other places within the continents/countries listed above. You can view the full list here. Though availability varies by property, if you’re planning a stay before 7th June, it’s well worth looking into whether the destination you plan to visit is included and what’s available. The list is also the perfect starting point for a spontaneous trip!
As with most deals, the discount applies to the Best Flexible Rate, so it’s worth comparing it against other rates to double-check you’re getting the best deal. Bookings must be at least 3 days in advance.
Most high-end London hotels are fully booked for the deal on all dates, but there are still some great deals elsewhere. For example, a stay at the Crowne Plaza Athens in a Junior Suite is reduced from £464 to £324 per night or a standard room from £385 to £270.
1 comment
Arrived in Crete yesterday. Sailed through immigration, very different to our experience in February in Tenerife! 2 hours to get in and nearly the same getting out. Really put us off going again!