Millions of road journeys are planned over the festive period
With just days to go until December 25, the UK’s transport systems are bracing themselves as people make extra journeys by road, rail and air. This weekend is one of the busiest as it coincides with schools breaking up on Friday and people going away for Christmas week.
Friday was one of the busiest days for air travel, with nearly half a million people jetting off from airports across the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority stated. According to the RAC, Saturday was due to be the peak for road travel, with 4.1million trips planned by motorists.
But roads will remain busy in the run up to Christmas. Approximately 3.5million journeys are expected on Sunday 21 while a further 5.3million trips are set to take place at some point between the 19 and 21, although drivers are unsure exactly when they’ll travel.
According to the RAC’s research there will then be a slight lull in festive trips at the start of Christmas week. As Monday and Tuesday are normal working days for many people, around 3million journeys are expected to be made on both of these days.
However, volumes of traffic could be at their highest since COVID on Christmas Eve when 4.2million getaways are expected, making it the single busiest day for getaways over the period. The data also shows drivers are planning to make a further 4.2million journeys at some point between Monday 22 and Christmas Eve.
If you’re planning on driving in the coming days, the RAC shared the best and worst times to drive, according to data and research conducted by the RAC and transport analytics experts INRIX.
Monday December 22
- Worst time to travel: 10am to 5pm
- Best time: After 5pm
Tuesday December 23
- Worst time to travel: 11am to 5pm
- Best time to travel: Before 11am
Wednesday December 24
- Worst time to travel: 1pm to 7pm
- Best time to travel: Before 11am
Leisure trips by car show no sign of easing on the Christmas bank holidays either, although the absence of regular commuter traffic and heavy goods vehicles should make journeys easier. Drivers are expecting to make 4.7m journeys to see friends and family on Christmas Day, 4.6m on Boxing Day and 4.1m on the 27 as they travel home or continue their celebrations elsewhere.
