The Kent port said the decision is part of measures aimed at avoiding a repeat of the “horrible situation” last weekend, when many coaches were delayed for several hours before boarding ferries.

Good Friday is expected to be the busiest day of the Easter bank holiday weekend for coaches embarking on cross-Channel trips from the port.

The port said that, to “reduce coach volumes” on that day, ferry operators DFDS, Irish Ferries and P&O Ferries are “working with their coach customers to spread the travel” across the three-day period from Thursday to Saturday.

Thousands of holidaymakers face having their Easter trips disrupted as the Port of Dover is limiting Good Friday coach travel.

This comes after an “urgent review” by the port’s management with ferry operators and French border control authorities.

Coach sector trade association the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) previously said that limiting the number of coaches allowed to use the port would be “an unacceptable and backward step”.

The port said it has installed “additional temporary border control infrastructure as contingency capacity for coach processing”.

Other measures aimed at reducing congestion this weekend include French border control authorities providing a full complement of officials to process outbound travellers despite coach volumes expected to be a third lower than a week ago, and drivers being advised not to arrive early so as to “avoid unnecessary bottlenecks”.

Holidaymakers face major travel disruption on Easter weekend as Port of Dover limits Good Friday coach travel