Festive getaway traffic is expected to peak earlier than normal this year as Christmas Day falls on a Monday – with the two days before Christmas Eve expected to be the busiest.
Christmas Eve is traditionally the main day for getaway journeys, but this year many people are expected to take advantage of the weekend immediately preceding Christmas Day to make trips to see friends and family.
Breakdown cover provider The AA has therefore predicted Friday 22 December and Saturday 23 December will be the busiest days on the UK’s roads in the festive period.
They estimated that 16.1 million car journeys will take place on 22 December and 16.4 million on 23 December.
It issued an “amber traffic warning” for those days as it warned of “lengthy jams”.
The equivalent figure for Christmas Eve is 14.7 million journeys, the AA told Sky News.
The M25, the M5 between Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare and the M6 around Birmingham were identified as motorway stretches where bumper-to-bumper conditions are likely.
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Other potential hotspots include stretches of the M1 from Luton northwards, the M62 and M60 in the North West and the M4 which connects London with South Wales.
AA president Edmund King urged drivers to pack essentials such as water, high-protein food or chocolate, warm clothes and a hi-vis jacket in case they get stranded.
To avoid the chances of a breakdown, Mr King recommended people carry out vehicle checks before setting off, such as on tyres, fuel, oil, coolant and screenwash.
He said: “While Friday 22 December and Saturday 23 December look set to be the busiest travelling days, the unsettled weather forecast could lead to additional delays so drivers should drive to the conditions and slow down where necessary.”
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Rail services will also be disrupted over the festive period due to Network Rail carrying out engineering work.
London Paddington will be closed between Christmas Eve and Wednesday 27 December, meaning no mainline trains will serve Heathrow Airport during that period.
Long-distance services will start and end at Reading, with connecting trains to and from Ealing Broadway or London Waterloo.
London King’s Cross will be closed on Christmas Eve.
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Southeastern services that usually operate to or from London Victoria will be diverted to Blackfriars, Charing Cross and Cannon Street between 23 December and New Year’s Day.
Outside of the capital, an engineering project near Southampton will result in some disruption to services, as will work to build the new Cambridge South station.
No trains will operate on Christmas Day, with a very limited service running on Boxing Day.
Airports will be busy with many people heading overseas for festive holidays or arriving in the UK to spend Christmas with loved ones.
Heathrow Airport expects 6.5 million passengers to travel through its terminals this month, with tens of thousands departing on Christmas Day.
The AA’s traffic estimates are based on a survey of more than 12,000 of its members who were asked about their travel plans.
It was conducted by research company Yonder between 13 and 21 November.
