Rail, road and air: Christmas getaway travel to hit record-breaking high
With Christmas just days away, millions of people across the UK are preparing for one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Whether heading abroad for winter sun or snow, or travelling within the country to reunite with loved ones, holidaymakers face a challenging journey amid record-breaking demand and transport disruption.
Airports, roads, and rail networks are expected to be under immense pressure, with Friday marking the peak for road congestion and Sunday the busiest day for international departures.
Travel experts are advising passengers to plan ahead and allow extra time to navigate the expected delays.
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Roads
Drivers have been urged not to travel on major routes for six hours on both Friday and Saturday to avoid the worst Christmas holiday traffic.
The RAC and transport analytics company Inrix said roads are likely to be busiest between 1pm and 7pm on those days.
An estimated 23.7 million journeys are planned for Friday, according to the AA. That is more than the busiest Christmas getaway day of any year since the organisation began recording data in 2010.
It has identified several likely congestion hotspots, including:
The M4/M5 interchange near Bristol
The M25 near Heathrow airport, west London
The M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham
The M4 around Cardiff and Newport
The M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow
The AA said Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday may help spread festive journeys this year, but could also mean more days of long delays as getaway journeys on Friday are followed by last-minute shopping trips and visits to friends and family.
Rail
Across the Christmas and New Year period National Rail will carry out a series of engineering work which will impact rail travel.
Several lines are expected to be closed, affecting services to and from stations such as London Liverpool Street, London Paddington, Crewe, Cambridge and Harpenden.
National Rail is advising passengers travelling to check their journey via the train operator’s website.
The majority of work will take place from December 24, 2024 to January 2, 2025.
Air
An estimated four million people in the UK are preparing to spend the Christmas and new year period overseas, according to a travel trade organisation.
Abta said Sunday will be the busiest day for departures between Friday and January 2, with Christmas Day the quietest.
It identified the most popular destinations for winter sun holidays as the Canary Islands, southern Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Dubai.
The ski resorts of France, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia lead the way for holidaymakers seeking snow, while the most popular city break destinations include Amsterdam, Budapest, Dublin, Paris, Prague and Vienna.
Heathrow airport expects this will be its busiest December on record for passenger numbers, exceeding the previous high of 6.7 million in 2023.
Around half a million departing passengers are expected at both Manchester and Stansted airports over the Christmas and new year period, with 400,000 at Luton, 200,000 at Birmingham and 175,000 at Bristol.
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “Christmas and new year are one of the busiest times of year for overseas travel with millions heading off to spend quality time with family and friends.
“Holidaymakers are either looking for some winter sun or guaranteed snow, as well as the opportunity for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves with someone else doing the hard work of cooking and clearing up after the festivities.
“We’re encouraging people to plan ahead when making their journeys. Public transport and the roads will be very busy, so always leave plenty of time to arrive at your departure port to avoid any difficulties."
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