Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
(about 5 hours later)
Heavy traffic is predicted on major roads this afternoon, as the Easter getaway begins.
Around 14 million Easter getaway trips are planned by drivers between Thursday and Easter Monday
Some airports and airlines expect numbers over the bank holiday weekend and school holidays to get back to pre-Covid levels.
Drivers are being warned to expect long delays as millions of Britons set off on Easter getaway trips.
The aviation regulator said the industry had learned lessons from challenges of the past few years.
Transport analysis company Inrix predicted Thursday afternoon will see the worst congestion.
Rail passengers have been advised to plan ahead because of engineering works.
Meanwhile, airports and airlines expect numbers over the bank holiday weekend and school holidays to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Roads
And rail passengers are advised to plan ahead because of engineering works.
Research by the RAC and traffic analysts INRIX suggests congestion could be bad on Thursday afternoon, as getaway traffic combines with regular commuters.
'Carmageddon'
In particular, they expect journeys on the M25, between the M23 for Gatwick the M1 in Hertfordshire, to take over two hours - twice the usual time.
Motoring company RAC warned journeys on popular routes could take twice as long as the bank holiday weekend coincides with the start of the Easter holidays.
Good Friday is set to be the busiest day. Bob Pishue from INRIX said: "Although travel times will peak on Thursday and Friday afternoons, drivers should be prepared for longer journeys than normal throughout the entire weekend."
A survey by RAC and Inrix suggested 14 million Easter getaway trips are expected to be made.
With Easter falling earlier than usual at the start of the school holidays, the RAC warned of "carmageddon".
"With Easter falling earlier than usual at the start of the school holidays, it could be carmageddon for holidaymakers," an RAC breakdown spokesperson said.
Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson advised delaying Thursday journeys until late evening, and setting off as early as possible on Good Friday.
In particular, journeys on the M25, between the M23 for Gatwick the M1 in Hertfordshire, are expected to take over two hours - twice the usual time.
National Highways is removing 850 miles of roadworks on major routes to help ease traffic.
The M5 southbound between Bristol and Taunton is also likely to be congested.
The AA said motorists should take extra care in rainy weather. It advised doing vehicle checks like engine oil, tyre pressure, fuel and charge levels before setting off. It also advised bringing essentials such as snacks and warm clothing.
Meanwhile, tourist board Visit England said 11 million people in the UK are planning an overnight trip this Easter.
People heading to the Channel Tunnel of Port of Dover will find the traffic management system Operation Brock in place on the M20. Drivers are being advised to plan ahead and leave extra time.
Overseas holidays
Travel association ABTA thinks two million Brits will head abroad over the long Easter weekend. It says the most popular destinations include the Canary Islands, mainland Spain and Turkey.
Julia Lo Bue-Said runs the Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of travel agents. She says holiday bookings for this Easter are up 9% on 2023. That's despite cost of living pressures, and holidays going up in price.
"We're not seeing any dampening of demand at all. In fact the season is exceptionally strong. [People are] prioritising that discretionary spend verses possibly going out to eat, theatres and things like that."
She does think holidaymakers are doing what they can to control costs. "40% of everything being sold is all-inclusive, and that has significantly increased from what we would typically see."
More late-notice bookings are coming in compared with previous years.
Airports and airlines are expecting big numbers, in some cases above 2019 levels.
Airports and airlines are expecting big numbers, in some cases above 2019 levels.
For example, Manchester airport expects to handle around 320,000 passengers this weekend, 8% more than the equivalent last year.
Stansted Airport saw long queues this week
Manchester Airport said it was preparing for about 320,000 passengers this weekend, 8% more than the equivalent last year.
Glasgow Airport said it would have extra staff in place during "three exceptionally busy weekends ahead".
Glasgow Airport said it would have extra staff in place during "three exceptionally busy weekends ahead".
Low-cost airline Easyjet is predicting its busiest ever Easter weekend.
Low-cost airline Easyjet is predicting its busiest ever Easter weekend.
Stansted Airport saw long queues this week
What about train travel?
The industry hopes to capitalise on the strong demand this year, after the post-pandemic recovery was marred firstly by staff shortages and then other issues such as air traffic control problems and wildfires in Europe.
Network Rail is urging people to check their journey details before they travel.
Flight delays in 2023 were worse than before the pandemic. Only 64% took off within 15 minutes of scheduled departure time, compared with 75% in 2019.
There will be disruption on some rail routes over the bank holiday as some major routes close due to engineering work.
Tim Johnson, strategy director at aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said he believed the industry had learned lessons from recent challenges, and done a lot of preparation.
London Euston, one of the UK's busiest railway stations, will be closed between Good Friday and Easter Monday - except for London Overground trains.
He told the BBC: "We believe the industry is ready for those significant volumes to come through this year. We are confident they can cope based on what they've told us, but it will require every part of the system…to be fully committed to delivering the best possible service".
It is because Network Rail engineering works between London and Milton Keynes will close part of the West Coast Main Line.
Trade body Airlines UK said the whole sector had been "investing in resilience and adjusting operations" to make sure it could "mitigate the impact of external factors for the millions of customers we look forward to carrying... across the busy summer season".
There will be replacement buses on this stretch. Avanti West Coast will operate a revised service on its network.
The CAA advised people to make sure package holidays are ATOL-protected, and that they have insurance.
There is more information about other changes to train services around the country on the National Rail website.
The Airport Operators Association advised people to plan ahead and be patient with staff.
Tighter checks at Dover
This time of year is usually busy at sea ports too.
French authorities at Dover have stepped up border monitoring following the Moscow concert hall attack. Drivers are being advised to plan ahead and leave extra time.
Dover, the UK's busiest international ferry port, declared a critical incident at the start of the 2023 Easter getaway.
Around 20,000 cars are expected to travel through the port between Thursday and Easter Sunday.
Extremely long queues built up, with some coach passengers reporting waits of more than 14 hours.
People heading to the Channel Tunnel at the Port of Dover will find the traffic management system Operation Brock in place on the M20.
The Port's boss later told the BBC steps had been taken to prevent that level of delay in future.
At peak times over the next few days, Dover has told coach operators that even with the right resources in place at the border, wait times could be up to 2.5 hours.
At peak times over the next few days, Dover has told coach operators that even with the right resources in place at the border, wait times could be up to 2.5 hours.
Eurotunnel told the BBC it was putting on extra shuttles and staff to cope with expected high numbers.
Eurotunnel told the BBC it was putting on extra shuttles and staff to cope with expected high numbers.
Trains
There will be disruption on some rail routes over the long weekend, so it's important to check your journey in advance.
For example London Euston, one of the UK's busiest railway stations, will be closed between Good Friday and Easter Monday - except for London Overground trains.
It's because Network Rail engineering works between London and Milton Keynes will close part of the West Coast Main Line.
There will be replacement buses on this stretch. Avanti West Coast will operate a revised service on its network.
There's more information about other changes to train services around the country on the National Rail website.
