Christmas traffic is estimated to be at its busiest level in five years today as 4.2million getaways have been planned.
Roads and motorways will likely be filled with cars, train services will be overcrowded and airports will be packed.
Today, Christmas Eve, could be one of the most nightmarish days to travel home on as the RAC estimate there will be 4.2million leisure trips planned, the highest of any day in the seven days leading up to Christmas and the highest level since Covid.
There are a total of 37.5million trips planned in the same period from December 17 to December 24.
This is the highest number since the RAC began recording data in 2013 and a huge increase of 8million more trips than last year’s 29.3million.
At the same time, the AA predict there will be 22.7million cars driving home for Christmas today, causing even more chaos on the roads, though this is a slightly lower figure than on the five days leading up to it.
Road closures will also be another thorn in the side of drivers as major routes will be shut off starting today.
The busy port at Dover last Saturday. 37.5million trips are estimated to be planned in the week leading up to Christmas Day
Massive delays were also seen on the M6 last weeks as people make their way home for Christmas
From Christmas Eve, the M27 will be shut in both directions between Junction 9 (Whiteley/Park Gate) and Junction 11 (Fareham East/Gosport) from 8pm until 4am on January 4.
The RAC has set out the worst and best times to drive on Christmas Eve.
The most congested times will be 1pm to 7pm while the best times to travel will be before 11am.
See the routes which are most likely to be congested today in our list at the bottom of this page.
Avoiding the roads could also lead to running into more congestion on the rail network as vital several services are not running during the Christmas period, particularly from London.
Rail closures may force more people onto the roads too, spelling yet more misery for drivers.
Stations will likely be rammed with people travelling home for Christmas like here in Kings Cross
No trains will run to or from Waterloo from Christmas Day until 28 December, and a very limited service to Waterloo until 4 January.
- No trains to or from Waterloo from Christmas Day until 28 December, and a very limited service to Waterloo until 4 January.
- No trains between Leeds and York between Christmas Day and 6 January.
- No trains between Cambridge North, Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Stansted Airport from Christmas Day until 5 January.
- No trains between Stratford and Liverpool St from Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
- No trains between Dalmuir and Balloch/Helensburgh Central, or between Glasgow Queen Street and Crianlarich, 24 December – 2 January.
- No trains between Milton Keynes and Rugby between Christmas Day and 5 January.
- No trains between Preston and Carlisle, 31 December- 15 January.
- No trains between Carlisle and Lockerbie from 1 January and 7 January.
A total of 42,046 departures are scheduled from UK airports between 19 December and 4 January
Airports are also bracing for an influx of Christmas travellers, particularly with the record number of getaways planned.
A total of 42,046 departures are scheduled from UK airports between 19 December and 4 January, according to data from Cirium, up 2 per cent from last year.
Thankfully, the busiest day has already come on Friday December 19 when 2,853 flights were scheduled to depart UK airports.
However, Christmas Day itself is becoming more and more popular as a flight day, with 889 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports – 10 per cent higher than last year’s and 33 per cent higher than pre pandemic levels in 2019.
The busiest days to travel from major UK airports is are as follows, according to UK Aviation News:
- Heathrow – 19 December
- Gatwick – 21 December
- Manchester – 21 December
- Stansted – 19 December
- Birmingham – 22 December
- Luton – 19 December
- Edinburgh – 22 December
- Newcastle – 19 December
- Bristol – 19 December
