As cubsur often relates with his minute by minute accounts of his travels, 2 hours will fly by incredibly quickly if you have 30 mins queue at the check in desk and 30 mins at security.

It's always a personal choice but I find it nice and relaxing to be there in good time and have time for some refreshments.

"Do you still have to go through the same security queues as the international travellers?"

There is only one route through security where you have to take off your shoes, belts and have your bagagge screened, no matter where you are going.  But  you avoid the queues for pre-flight passport checks that UK and Ireland bound travellers have to suffer.

For domestic flights, TAP and the airport website advise being there minimum 90 minutes before departure.

For the record, when I flew to UK on 8th June I arrived at the airport 2 hours before departure then stood in the Easyjet checkin queue for 1 hour 15 minutes Four desks were dealing with three flights all leaving more or less at the same time. No big wait at security and only a minute of two at the exit passport control, but it takes about 10 minutes with all the walking. Just made it on board!

No problem at Faro this morning. Only one Easyjet flight near mine. Arrived almost at the head of the queue at 0905, checkin opened at 0930 for departure at 1130. Everything was good getting me through security and exit passport control and I was airside at 0955.

Huge crowds at Jet2.com and Ryanair checkins.

Flight will be about 15 minutes late leaving.

Now for Gatwick!

At Faro it is probable that Irish and EU passport holders coming from the UK or Ireland will be able to use the gates. The third world previously known as the UK will have to undergo the ritual examinations to be allowed into Portugal. There was a pretty big scrum at the passport control area when I passed today, going the other way. Not as bad as when I arrived that night two weeks ago, but pretty bad.

No such issues at Gatwick this afternoon. Plane took off 45 minutes late in the end, perfectly acceptable by air travel standards. Landed at Gatwick 1435, off the aircraft at 1449, no waiting at all at the electronic gates, which are of course open to those of many nations unlike those at Faro, had my bag at 1512 and was on the station heading for my train at 1530.

I am wondering that since UK passport holders will need the ETIAS 'visa' to enter the EU from next year, will the UK retaliate? All measures so far to 'keep them out' having failed unless you are are a second rate footballer or can row. Will an extra layer of bureaucracy have any effect?

And of course there will be a fee to pay for the ETIAS, which will be valid for three years. I can't yet find out how much this will cost. Presumably those of us living in Portugal using UK passports will have to have one to be able to come back.

How do I get a Portuguese passport?

Yours, temporarily,

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells.

PS it is very hot and humid here.

Seems one of the problems is that there are not enough staff available to stamp UK passports for those coming through the e gates and staff the desks at the same time.

It is bizarre that in this digital electronic age where everyone's comings and goings are scanned and recorded on countless databases that someone has to physically bash a rubber stamp onto a piece of paper.