'Take food and water': new European border rule causing six-hour delays

Australians travelling to Europe are being warned to bring food as airport delays of up to six hours plague holidaymakers entering the region.

A new European Union Entry/Exit system (EES), which is now in place in 29 countries, is causing nightmare queues as travellers move through airport processing.

Smartraveller has warned the new system is causing delays of between four and six hours in some European airports, and travellers have missed flights as a result.

"Queues to access EES self-service kiosks are long. Be prepared to stand for an extended time. Take food and water if needed. If you have mobility or health concerns that limit how long you can stand, talk to airport support staff," the website states.

Smartraveller urges travellers to allow extra time between connecting flights, choose flexible flight options and arrive well before your flight is due to leave.

The hours-long delays and airport chaos at European borders come almost three months after the new digital traveller checks were rolled-out across the region.

A UK paper reported a local family was stuck at Charles de Gaulle airport for more than five hours in queues for EU border biometric checks. They ended up missing their flight home.

In another incident, more than 100 passengers missed an EasyJet flight from Milan to Manchester after being unable to clear passport control in time, another UK media outlet reported.

A week later, Ryanair passengers were in the same boat at a second Milan airport when they were stuck in a queue so long they had to watch their flight leave without them, according to more reports.

Brett Mitchell, Managing Director of Intrepid Travel ANZ, is warning Australian travellers not to get caught in the same situation.

"For Aussies heading to Europe right now, the practical advice is to allow significantly more time than you normally would at the border, particularly at busy hubs," Mitchell told Explore.

"If you're connecting through a European airport or have a tight onward transfer, build in an extra buffer. Once you're enrolled in the system your subsequent crossings should be smoother, but right now the system is still bedding in."

The EES system was introduced across 29 European countries in a phased approach, wrapping-up on April 10.