Easter 2024 travel advice: Best and worst days to travel + roads to avoid
The Easter bank holiday is fast approaching. Here’s our top tips on when to travel and which routes to avoid so you can have a cracking Easter! 🐣 (Sorry…)
![](http://doctruyen.online/777/templates/cheerup/res/banner1.gif)
Easter travel
Traditionally, the Easter weekend has always been a busy period for travel, but in recent years the holiday has been particularly hectic on the roads - and UK drivers should expect more of the same this year.
Post-Covid Britain has seen a surge in staycations, resulting in busier roads during holidays. 2022, for example, saw in excess of 21 million leisure journeys, the busiest Easter since 2014.
And warnings were issued before 2023's Easter weekend too, with the RAC claiming "Good Friday could turn bad" due to busy roads with millions getting behind the wheel.
In 2024 we can expect more of the same - so to help you navigate the holiday, we've highlighted the days and routes you should try to avoid.
Busiest days and times on the road at Easter
Based on historic data and trends, here are the best and worst days and times to travel.
We've used INRIX and RAC 'expected trips' data from 2022 and 2023 to highlight when and when not to hit the road.
![easter travel traffic Prepare your routes and travel times for an easy trip](https://content.cuvva.com/assets/eb2b3aa95181947f0eb1be93fde20c2b45256cc84373a3cb5c2da6332300c075/dog.jpg)
Busy roads over Easter weekend
It’ll come as no surprise that motorways up and down the country will be taking the brunt of the Easter traffic. However, some roads look like they’ll be worse hit than others, based on historic data.
Roads to avoid:
- M6 north between Liverpool and the Lake District
- M6 south towards Stoke-on-Trent
- M25 between Surrey and the M40 exit
- A303 near Stonehenge
- M3 north to Basingstoke
![easter travel traffic Prepare your routes and travel times for an easy trip](https://content.cuvva.com/assets/0f3e0dfc97b518217f02e155dc528f2a90f917def5706163bf7a0794e625d6fc/dog2.jpg)
Top tips for Easter travel
If you've not driven much recently, it pays to check both you and your vehicle are safe to hit the road.
There have been several important changes to the Highway Code in the last couple of years, and it’s wise to ensure you read up on these.
Vehicle checks
There are several simple, yet critical, vehicle checks you should do if you’re planning an Easter getaway:
- Fuel - make sure you have plenty of fuel, and remember that motorway services can charge around 30p more per litre than a non-motorway petrol station
- Oil - check your oil levels
- Coolant - check you are topped up
- Screenwash - ditto
- Tyres - ensure they are inflated to the correct pressure and that the tread is at least 3mm deep. Don’t forget to check the spare
- Lights - check your lights all work correctly
- Wiper blades - check they clear your windscreen properly
Passenger checks
To help your break go as smoothly as possible, here are some tips from our experts to ensure an easy ride:
- Mobile phone - make sure your phone is fully charged before you set off in case of a breakdown. Just remember, since January 2022 it's been illegal to even touch your phone while driving - even if you're just changing your music or swiping away a notification.
- Sat nav - with petrol stations, destination and other stop offs programmed in
- Insurance and breakdown cover details - keep them in a handy place
- Face covering and hand sanitiser - be safe
- Water or juice - it’s important to remain hydrated, especially travelling long distance
- Snacks - who doesn’t love a treat?
- First aid kit - this is essential
- Entertainment - if you have children with you, don’t forget to pack something to keep them happy; the “are we there yet?” can rapidly increase your stress levels!
Get insured
Snacks and fuel are important but there is one golden rule you need to abide before hitting the road this Easter: you must be insured - and Cuvva's policies from 1 hour to 28 days might be able to help, with cover starting from just £11.88.
- Temporary car insurance for borrowing or lending a car in minutes.
- Learner driver cover for driving lessons, getting practice in with a supervisor, or taking the driving test.
- Drive away insurance for getting your new car home from the dealership.
- Temporary van insurance for moving home, dropping things to the recycling centre, or carrying a heavy load.
And it only takes a few minutes to get a quote .
![easter travel traffic Road Review](https://www.roadreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/0000-road-review-logo.png)
Traveling On Easter
![easter travel traffic pink cherry blossom tree](https://www.roadreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/april_cover-300x192.jpg)
Easter/spring break traffic tends to be spread over a longer period than Christmas or Thanksgiving. Some people will take off the week before Easter, some the week after. During this time, may find more traffic than on an average spring weekend.
If you’re like many people, and are planning to hit the road this Easter break, you should know that research shows it’s one of the busiest times of the year for road accidents.
While many of us will be taking the opportunity to make the most of the long weekend, it’s important not to stretch yourself beyond your limits and keep road safety front of mind.
Top tips for safe driving this long Easter weekend: • Get a good night’s sleep in the days leading up to your journey. • Avoid beginning a trip at the end of a day’s work. • Take a break and stretch your legs every 2 hours, and swap drivers if you can. • It is dangerous to rely on caffeine, energy drinks, and loud music. • Slow down while driving at night. • Ensure that your registration, car servicing, and car insurance are up to date before you leave.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Have a wonderful and SAFE holiday with family and friends.
Easter travel warning with '14 million' holiday road journeys, record numbers at airports and major rail works planned
The RAC warns that journeys on popular routes could take twice as long as usual, while Bristol, Newcastle and Edinburgh airports say they predict a record number of passengers. Network Rail will also carry out engineering work between London Euston and Milton Keynes.
By Dylan Donnelly, news reporter
Thursday 28 March 2024 07:50, UK
![easter travel traffic File pic: PA](https://e3.365dm.com/24/03/768x432/skynews-car-cars-port-of-dover_6500117.jpg?20240325025235)
Britons have been warned of long delays on their Easter getaways with more than 14 million journeys expected on the roads, airports prepared for a record number of passengers, and engineering works on key rail services.
The RAC warned that journeys on popular routes could take twice as long as usual, as the bank holiday weekend leads into a two-week holiday for many schools.
Trains are also set to be stopped as Network Rail carries out engineering works on the West Coast Main Line - which stretches from the capital to Scotland - between London Euston and Milton Keynes.
And at least three major airports have said that the coming days will be their busiest ever Easter weekend.
Travel expert Simon Calder told Sky News that Bristol, Newcastle and Edinburgh all predict a record number of passengers from Good Friday to Easter Monday, with routes to Geneva tipped to be extremely busy.
Around two million Britons are expected to fly away over the holiday weekend, with Bristol predicting 30,000 holiday-goers on Easter Sunday alone.
Airports will stay busy over the school holidays, with Luton expecting to see around 38 passengers a minute on 5 April.
More on Rail
![easter travel traffic Ticket barriers at Glasgow Queen Street station. Trains will be disrupted due to industrial action as the RMT has announced industrial action on June 21, 23, and 25. Picture date: Monday June 20, 2022.](https://e3.365dm.com/24/07/192x108/skynews-glasgow-train-scotrail_6622113.jpg?20240820142919)
ScotRail peak fares to return as pilot scheme scrapped over passenger numbers
![easter travel traffic London North Eastern Railway and Great Western Railway are affected by the disruption](https://e3.365dm.com/21/05/192x108/skynews-rail-trains-london-north_5373905.jpg?20210508091224)
LNER drivers announce new strikes in management row - two days after union backs government pay deal
![easter travel traffic Undated file photo of a person buying a train ticket. Picture by Lauren Hurley/PA Wire/PA Images](https://e3.365dm.com/23/10/192x108/skynews-train-ticket_6332307.jpg?20231023104223)
Thousands of fare evasion prosecutions to be quashed
Related Topics:
Business airports like Heathrow will see "a lot of pressure today", according to Mr Calder, who added that increased demand has been caused by Easter falling earlier than usual.
"With Easter Sunday on 31 March, actually a lot of schools are breaking up today which is putting extra pressure on what would already be a busy Easter," he said.
On Sunday 7 April, Gatwick and Southampton are set to see their busiest days.
![easter travel traffic File pic: PA](https://e3.365dm.com/24/03/768x432/skynews-gatwick-airport-delay_6502873.jpg?20240328015431)
No 'good time' for rail works
The West Coast Main Line will be closed between Good Friday and Easter Monday, with disruption to rail services also expected in Glasgow and Huddersfield.
Laurence Bowman, Network Rail's network strategy director, said earlier this week that there is "never a good time to do the work we need to do", but explained that a lower number of commuters over the bank holiday weekend gives them "the opportunity to do major work we couldn't do in a normal weekend".
"We've got 493 different pieces of work taking place this Easter, most happening overnight," he added, "including laying over 8,000 metres of new rail and putting down over 40,000 tonnes of new ballast to support the tracks."
'Carmageddon'
RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson warned it "could be carmageddon" over Easter and said heavy traffic and "lengthy queues can be expected along routes to the usual hotspots".
Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue also said that "drivers should be prepared for longer journeys than normal throughout the entire weekend".
Read more from Sky News: Tube and rail strikes announced for April and May Man dies in plane crash at war museum airfield Two victims of Baltimore bridge collapse recovered
![easter travel traffic File pic: PA](https://e3.365dm.com/24/03/768x432/skynews-london-euston-train_6500116.jpg?20240325025140)
Worst times to travel
A survey commissioned by the RAC and Inrix found that 2.6 million journeys are planned on Good Friday, with around 2.3 million trips expected for both Easter Saturday and Sunday.
Another two million trips are expected on Thursday and Easter Monday, and a further 3.3 million journeys are due with no clear starting date, making for a total of around 14.5 million journeys.
Inrix and Mr Calder both separately predicted that the worst of the traffic is expected between 2pm and 7pm on Thursday when holiday journeys mix with regular commutes.
Inrix added that the busiest route is set to be the western section of the M25 between the M23 for Gatwick and the M1 for Hertfordshire where journeys from 4pm are tipped to take more than two hours, more than twice as long as usual.
The M5 southbound between Bristol and Taunton, and the M3 between the M25 and the south coast are also likely to be congested, according to Inrix, with estimated journey times more than double what they normally are.
The survey, from research company Find Out Now, polled 2,136 UK adults.
![easter travel traffic File pic](https://e3.365dm.com/23/12/768x432/skynews-dover-traffic_6401160.jpg?20231222060119)
A yellow weather warning for strong winds is also in effect on Thursday , with unsettled conditions from Storm Nelson likely to further disrupt travel.
The Met Office said the alert applies from 7am until 6pm on Thursday and extends in a band from locations such as St Ives and Penzance in the South West across to Brighton.
Sky News weather producer Christopher England also said: "It'll stay mostly unsettled into next week, with further heavy showers or longer spells of rain, and 70mph gusts near Channel coasts, thanks to the Spanish-named Storm Nelson."
More delays in Dover
Meanwhile, Britons taking ferries should be able to embark without much issue, with the exception of the Port of Dover where French border staff check passports before leaving the UK.
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
![easter travel traffic easter travel traffic](https://news.sky.com/assets/ui-graphics/ui-app-promo-apple-app-store.png)
In a statement, the port pointed to France's heightened terror alert after the attack in Moscow , saying: "These measures may increase border processing times at the port.
"Please be mindful of this when travelling to the port and check with your ferry operator for arrival times."
Last year saw severe delays and long queues at the port with wait times stretching up to two hours.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
![easter travel traffic Traffic at the Port of Dover in Kent as the getaway continues for the Easter weekend](https://e3.365dm.com/23/04/768x432/skynews-weekend-easter-traffic_6113667.jpg?20230407090306)
Around 20,000 cars are expected to travel through Dover's port between Thursday and Easter. A Coach Processing Facility has been set up in the Western Docks for Thursday and Saturday in a bid to ease travel.
Coach passengers and motorists will be processed away from the main port, and then moved to the Eastern Port for a quick passport check, before embarking on their ferry journey.
Related Topics
🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!
Get us in your inbox
Sign up to our newsletter for the latest and greatest from your city and beyond
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.
Awesome, you're subscribed!
The best things in life are free.
Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush).
Déjà vu! We already have this email. Try another?
- Things to Do
- Food & Drink
- Arts & Culture
- Coca-Cola Foodmarks
- Feeling Curious?
- Los Angeles
Easter getaways: these are the best (and worst) times to travel over Easter weekend
Everything you need to know to make your Easter travels as smooth as possible, from airport disruption to busiest traffic times
![easter travel traffic Annie McNamee](https://media.timeout.com/images/106083161/170/170/image.jpg)
After a long, hard, 40 day trek through the desert and his own death, Jesus is coming back this Sunday, as he tends to this time of year. After a similarly difficult 14 hour crawl up the M1, you are also likely coming home this weekend, for a couple of days of gorging on chocolate, arguing with your extended family about Kate Middleton, and deflecting questions about why you haven’t bought a house yet – a cause just as noble as saving mankind from sin.
Delays are expected on pretty much every form of transport, with rail, ferry, and air travel providers all saying this is set to be their busiest Easter weekend in a long time. If you’re planning your travels, here’s everything you need to know to avoid the worst of the traffic and overall misery on your way back home.
What is the busiest day for travel over Easter weekend?
As you might expect, Good Friday is expected to be the busiest day for drivers. According to a survey conducted by research group Find Out Now, an estimated 2.6 million journeys will be made by car this Friday (March 29), with a further 2.3 million to be made on Saturday and Sunday. Adding in people who plan to travel but don’t know exactly when, there’s going to be roughly 14 million journeys made by Brits in cars over the next few days. That’s one trip for every four people in the UK. In short: it’s going to be busy.
Traffic wise, travel software company Inrix predict that this afternoon (March 28 between 2pm and 7pm) will see motorways at their most congested, with some journey times being doubled. The M25 between the M23 Gatwick and M1 Hertfordshire junctions are expected to be the busiest in the country, and the M5 Southbound between Bristol and Taunton is also likely going to be pretty tightly packed, so avoid those if you can.
This rush is thanks to Easter falling closer than usual to schools breaking off, so we're all trying to get where we're going at the exact same times.
What’s the best time to travel?
Ultimately, travel this weekend is going to be a bit grim. An analyst from Inrix explained that drivers ‘should be prepared for longer journeys than normal throughout the entire weekend’, so it’s really swings and roundabouts.
Some times are better than others, such as early in the mornings or very late at night. Alice Simpson, a spokesperson for RAC, says, ‘Anyone who can delay leaving on March 28 until much later in the evening or set off as early as possible on Good Friday is likely to have a better journey than those who travel during the peak periods of the day.’
‘Lengthy queues can be expected along routes to the usual hotspots like the West Country, the Lake District and the south coast, especially during the middle of the day when most people make trips.’
What about airports?
If you’re getting away from the rain and subzero temperatures this weekend, you’re not alone. Bristol, Newcastle, and Edinburgh airport all told the Independent that they are seeing record passengers this Easter. With so many Brits heading to warmer pastures like Barcelona, Dubai, and Alicante, it’s probably wise to factor in some delays to your plans if you’re travelling between Thursday and Monday.
What’s happening with trains over Easter weekend?
As for travellers braving the railways, your souls are not to be spared from this wretched weekend’s disruptions. Network Rail is, very cleverly, shutting down part of the main route connecting London to the north and Scotland over the Bank Holiday weekend, so expect to see delays if you’re going between the capital and anywhere above Birmingham.
Strikes will also affect journeys into April, and you can keep up to date on all the latest strike information here .
Are ferries running as normal?
Ferries running internally within the UK should all run as normal, so those crossing the Irish sea or heading to domestic islands should be fine. Getting across the channel is a little more complex, as post-Brexit regulations add some time to processing and customs.
Those crossing from the port of Dover should expect some delays, as security has been tightened even further following the recent Moscow concert attack.
Did you see that these are the UK’s six best holiday homes right now ?
Plus: everything you need to know about when and how to see the April 8 eclipse .
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
Discover Time Out original video
- Press office
- Investor relations
- Work for Time Out
- Editorial guidelines
- Privacy notice
- Do not sell my information
- Cookie policy
- Accessibility statement
- Terms of use
- Modern slavery statement
- Manage cookies
- Advertising
- Time Out Market
Time Out products
- Time Out Worldwide
- Today's news
- Reviews and deals
- Climate change
- 2024 election
- Newsletters
- Fall allergies
- Health news
- Mental health
- Sexual health
- Family health
- So mini ways
- Unapologetically
- Buying guides
Entertainment
- How to Watch
- My watchlist
- Stock market
- Biden economy
- Personal finance
- Stocks: most active
- Stocks: gainers
- Stocks: losers
- Trending tickers
- World indices
- US Treasury bonds
- Top mutual funds
- Highest open interest
- Highest implied volatility
- Currency converter
- Basic materials
- Communication services
- Consumer cyclical
- Consumer defensive
- Financial services
- Industrials
- Real estate
- Mutual funds
- Credit cards
- Balance transfer cards
- Cash back cards
- Rewards cards
- Travel cards
- Online checking
- High-yield savings
- Money market
- Home equity loan
- Personal loans
- Student loans
- Options pit
- Fantasy football
- Pro Pick 'Em
- College Pick 'Em
- Fantasy baseball
- Fantasy hockey
- Fantasy basketball
- Download the app
- Daily fantasy
- Scores and schedules
- GameChannel
- World Baseball Classic
- Premier League
- CONCACAF League
- Champions League
- Motorsports
- Horse racing
New on Yahoo
- Privacy Dashboard
Easter travel – live: Bank holiday chaos as drivers face 20-mile queues on M4 and M5 and delays at Dover
The bank holiday travel chaos continues as drivers face up to 20-mile-long queues on major motorways as well as two-hour delays at the Port of Dover.
Around 2.6 million car journeys were expected to be made on Good Friday as the Easter getaway got underway, with holiday traffic causing “significant” congestion around the M25 and roads in the South West and South East by lunchtime. Queues of 15 to 20 miles were seen on the M4 and M5 interchange near Bristol, which is adding 45 minutes to journey times.
Meanwhile, the Port of Dover warned of two-hour delays on Friday afternoon. Huge queues could be seen building up there after ferry company DFDS reported on Thursday that its services were running with delays “due to strong winds in the Channel”.
And once again there are long waits for French passport control at the Kent port, where frontier formalities are carried out before boarding ferries to France. Since Brexit, officials are required to scrutinise and stamp UK passports.
It comes after plans were dashed as strong winds from the Spanish-named Storm Nelson hit the start of the wet long weekend, forcing the cancellation of trains, with almost 200 flood warnings and alerts remaining in place across the UK on Friday.
Motorists stuck in ‘pretty horrendous’ 20-mile long Good Friday motorway queues
Port of Dover warns two-hour delays continue blaming ‘adverse weather'
Severe disruption for rail passengers, particularly between london and southwest england, holiday traffic has been ‘pretty horrendous’ on good friday so far.
16:30 , Sam Rkaina
Holiday traffic has caused “pretty horrendous” 20-mile long queues on major motorways, adding 45 minutes to journey times.
Around 2.6 million car journeys were expected to be made on Good Friday, with “significant” congestion around the M25 and roads in the South West and South East by lunchtime.
The RAC said holidaymakers heading south were behind much of the congestion after forecasters predicted sunnier spells there over the next few days.
Queues of 15 to 20 miles were seen on the M4 and M5 interchange near Bristol, which is adding 45 minutes on to journey times.
Meanwhile, the western side of the M25 was described as “pretty bad” and a “lot worse than normal”, with 40-minute queues.
It was also busy on the top-end of the M20, with congestion heading into Folkestone.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams told the PA news agency: “Everyone’s heading to Devon and Cornwall, that’s the attraction, and there’s been a bit of better weather.
“It’s causing some pretty horrendous queues.”
More than 170 flood warnings and alerts remain in place in UK after Storm Nelson
16:00 , Tara Cobham
More than 170 flood warnings and alerts remain in place across the UK following Storm Nelson.
As of Friday morning, 152 flood alerts had been issued by the Environment Agency (EA), meaning flooding in those areas is possible, while 21 flood warnings were in place in areas where flooding is expected.
Met Office forecasts warmer temperatures for Easter weekend
15:30 , Tara Cobham
The Met Office has forecast warmer temperatures for the Easter weekend than those of recent days.
The forecaster said Britons can expect rising temperatures for their bank holiday weekend, with highs of 16C predicted for Sunday.
📈 Temperatures are on the rise over the Easter weekend, with highs of 16°C on Sunday pic.twitter.com/ngJaIPj0xX — Met Office (@metoffice) March 29, 2024
15:04 , Tara Cobham
Ted Hennessey reports:
Met Office reveals latest forecast for Easter weekend
14:30 , Tara Cobham
The Met Office has revealed its latest forecast for the Easter weekend.
The forecaster warned of a risk of thunder later today.
If you have any travelling plans 🚌 or attending an Easter Egg hunt 🥚 outside then you may want to know the latest weather forecast for the #Easter weekend Find out all the details below 👇 pic.twitter.com/AbofPAFM70 — Met Office (@metoffice) March 29, 2024
14:00 , Tara Cobham
The Port of Dover has warned delays of up to two hours continue, blaming the backlog on the “adverse weather”.
As of 2pm on Friday, the port said the processing time for tourists was two hours in the wake of Storm Nelson, which battered the UK with wind and rain, causing major travel disruption across the country.
At 2pm the processing time for tourists is up to 2 hours from arrival at the Port as we continue to clear the backlog from the adverse weather. Thank you for your patience — Port of Dover Travel (@PoD_travelnews) March 29, 2024
13:56 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
On the railways, passengers are having to cope with a combination of planned disruption – in the shape of Network Rail engineering closures – and unexpected chaos.
The closure of the West Coast main line between London Euston and Milton Keynes for a upgrade was flagged months in advance, and many people made their journeys between London, the West Midlands, northwest England and southern Scotland late on Thursday before the line was blocked.
The main trans-Pennine route has buses running instead of trains between Manchester and Huddersfield – again, advertised well ahead.
Much of the “on the day” disruption involves Great Western Railway, which serves the West of England and South Wales from London Paddington. The main line to Exeter, the rest of Devon and Cornwall has been closed since last night due to flooding between Newbury and Westbury.
The rail firm is telling passengers: “The flood water has now subsided, however there has been significant damage to the railway infrastructure so Network Rail need to keep the line closed in order to make the railway safe. This disruption is expected to last until the end of the day.
“Our high speed trains between London Paddington and the southwest will divert between Reading and Taunton.”
The trans-Wiltshire railway from Westbury to Swindon is also closed.
Local stations are being linked by taxis organised by GWR.
Simon Calder travel advice: When to renew your passport before visiting Europe
13:30 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
Since Brexit , the rules on passport validity for British visitors to the European Union have tightened.
Gone are the days when you could travel to the EU at any point before your travel document expired; the UK is now a “third country”, with rules to match.
Added confusion has come in the form of the UK’s own HM Passport Office, which has continued to give out incorrect information regarding child passport expiry dates .
These are the key questions and answers based on EU rules:
Easter travel chaos: How bad will it be?
13:00 , Tara Cobham
The great Easter getaway could see travellers caught up in delays by road , ferry, rail and air. In a normal year there would be a gap between most schools breaking up and the long weekend. But with Easter falling so early the two are combined. Term is ending at many schools on Thursday 28 March, putting extra pressure on transportation.
At least three major UK airports – Bristol, Newcastle and Edinburgh – have told The Independent this will be their busiest Easter ever. Some airlines are predicting record numbers for the spell between Good Friday and Easter Monday. Geneva routes will be extremely busy with winter sports fans, while Malaga, Alicante, Faro and Tenerife are the leading spring sunshine holiday destinations.
Among city breaks, Amsterdam , Barcelona, Dublin, Paris and Rome are the most popular. Dubai , Orlando and New York are the key longer-haul destinations.
Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent reports:
Easter travel chaos: How bad will it be and when are the worst time to travel?
In pictures: Travellers at Liverpool Street station as getaway continues for Easter weekend
12:35 , Tara Cobham
Watch: Queues at Dover as Easter getaway underway
12:34 , Tara Cobham
Dover delays for post-Brexit passport checks
11:32 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
Once again queues have built up for French passport control at the Port of Dover, where frontier formalities are carried out before boarding ferries to France. Since Brexit, officials are required to scrutinise and stamp UK passports.
The port is warning of two-hour delays.
P&O Ferries has tweeted: "Ahoy travellers. We are aware of the queues in Dover. Please rest assured that if you miss your sailing, we will put you on the next available ship once you reach check in."
The current processing time is around 2 hours for tourists after arriving at the port, which is as planned for our peak hours. Thank you for your patience as we work with our partners to get you on your way ASAP — Port of Dover Travel (@PoD_travelnews) March 29, 2024
In pictures: Wind and rain batters UK as Londoners seen setting off for long weekend
10:53 , Tara Cobham
Respect the liquids rule, says Manchester airport boss
10:47 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
Chris Woodroofe, managing director of Manchester airport, has been giving advice to travellers heading abroad this weekend.
Speaking to The Independent’s daily travel podcast, the airport boss said: “There's been a lot of talk in the news about the new liquids and laptops rules. The reality is that pretty much every UK airport is in the process of changing. So if you're coming to an airport, do make sure you still get your liquids and your laptops ready to come out of your bag.
“If you come to [Manchester airport] Terminal 2 today, there's a reasonable chance you'll go through one of those new lanes, and that's great. It just means you don't have to take the things out of your bag.
“We're in the middle of a £1.3 billion transformation programme. In the next 12 months we are going to spend half a billion pounds on improving Terminal 2, investing in those new security scanning machines and really pushing on to make Manchester airport the place the people in the North can be proud of.”
Listen to the full episode here:
March 29th - Manchester Airport reaches for the skies | Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
In pictures: Passengers descend on King’s Cross Station on Good Friday
10:45 , Tara Cobham
Almost 200 flood warnings and alerts in place across UK
10:10 , Tara Cobham
Almost 200 flood warnings and alerts are in place across the UK.
As of Friday morning, 163 flood alerts had been issued by the Environment Agency (EA), meaning flooding in those areas is possible, while 30 flood warnings were in place in areas where flooding is expected.
In pictures: Cars pass Stonehenge in Wiltshire on A303 as Easter getaway continues
10:07 , Tara Cobham
AA warns electric vehicle drivers to have sufficient charge – or risk fines and penalty points
10:04 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
The AA is warning drivers of electric vehicles to ensure they have sufficient charge – or risk fines and penalty points.
Jack Cousens, head of road policy at the motoring organisation, said: “There can be some genuine reasons for running out of fuel or electric charge such as a faulty gauge, charging fault or undetected fuel leak.
"On occasions, cars may get stuck in jams for hours due to bad winter weather or miles of disruption leading to Channel ports which could result in running out of fuel or charge running low. Hence, we advise to always have at least one-quarter of a tank of fuel or sufficient charge to account for diversions if some chargers aren’t working.
“Most of the out-of-fuel cases the AA sees are a result of driver misjudgement, and the police have the power to give a warning or a penalty if it is deemed to be careless driving or causes an obstruction. If you are running low, you can use the AA route planner to find the closest and cheapest fuel and the nearest charging point.”
Met Office reveals weather extremes of Thursday after day brought ‘real mix'
09:58 , Tara Cobham
The Met Office has said Thursday brought a “real mix” of weather as it revealed the extremes of the day.
The UK saw snow, hail, thunder, rain, gales and sunshine, as temperatures plunged to below freezing in some areas and as high as 12.5C in others.
There was a real mix of weather on Thursday with snow, hail, thunder, rain, gales and even sunshine! Here are the extremes...👇 pic.twitter.com/53V6COvjwe — Met Office (@metoffice) March 29, 2024
In pictures: Passengers at Manchester airport at start of Easter getaway
09:54 , Tara Cobham
One of UK’s main motorway arteries, the A1(M), is closed today, warns AA president
09:53 , Tara Cobham
The president of the AA is warning that one of the UK’s main motorway arteries, the A1(M), is closed today.
Edmund King has said the road is shut on Friday at J6 northbound between Welwyn and Stevenage for roadworks.
He added that the M20 is slow towards Dover.
A1M closed today at J6 northbound Welwyn Stevenage for roadworks. M20 slow towards Dover. — Edmund King OBE (@AAPresident) March 29, 2024
Port of Dover report passengers face delays of well over an hour
09:42 , Tara Cobham
Major queues have been seen at the Port of Dover as passengers face delays of well over an hour.
The Port of Dover was reporting on Friday morning that the processing time for cars arriving at the port was 70 minutes.
Both tourist and coach traffic flowing well through border controls, with the current processing time for cars upon arrival at the port now 70 minutes. Thank you for your patience during this busy day for travel — Port of Dover Travel (@PoD_travelnews) March 29, 2024
09:00 , Tara Cobham
Warning over Easter ‘carmageddon’ traffic chaos – which day will see the worst traffic?
08:30 , Tara Cobham
Drivers are being warned of chaos on roads over the Easter weekend, with as many as 18.5 million car trips planned at the start of school holidays .
Those setting out on their journeys are likely to encounter delays from Thursday 28 March, when children break up at the end of term, into Good Friday, with one specialist warning that it could be “carmageddon” for those making their getaways.
The overall travel picture should not be as bad as in 2023, when the Easter weekend coincided with strikes that led to the cancellation and delays of dozens of flights and widespread rail engineering work.
Benjamin Parker reports:
These are the worst days for Easter traffic after ‘carmageddon’ warning
In pictures: Passengers queue for ferries at the Port of Dover in Kent
08:16 , Tara Cobham
Manchester United fans risk being stranded after kick off time change
08:00 , Tara Cobham
Manchester United fans have spoken out in anger against the decision to move their Premier League match against Brentford at the weekend to the late kick off time.
The match is due to kick off at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday 30 March at 8pm GMT.
The kick off time is just two minutes before the last train is scheduled to depart London St Pancras for Manchester Piccadilly. London Euston is not in service this weekend because of engineering works between London and Milton Keynes.
Sonia Twigg reports:
Why Manchester United fans have been left fuming by Brentford kick-off time
Manchester Piccadilly station almost deserted
07:21 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
One of the UK’s busiest rail hubs, Manchester Piccadilly, is extremely quiet this morning. Two of the key routes from the station are closed for Network Rail engineering work: the West Coast main line to London Euston and the main trans-Pennine route to Huddersfield and Leeds.
From Manchester to London, the journey time is nearly doubled to around four hours. Avanti West Coast trains are running as far south as Milton Keynes Central, from where rail replacement buses are running to Bedford for a connection to East Midlands Railway.
Buses are also replacing trains between Manchester and Huddersfield.
Disruption on other lines began early, with Northern trains from Manchester Piccadilly to the airport delayed.
One week from today, no Avanti West Coast trains will run because of a strike involving train drivers belonging to the Aslef union.
Stansted airport cut off from London by rail
07:17 , Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent
Passengers heading for the UK’s fourth-busiest airport, London Stansted, face big potential problems this morning. The Stansted Express railway line from the capital to the airport is not running, with “major disruption” expected until 10.30am.
A falling tree brought down overhead wires near the station of Stansted Mountfitchet. Some trains are running to Bishop’s Stortford, where taxis are available. But on one of the busiest days of the year so far for the Essex airport, it seems inevitable that some airline passengers will miss their flights.
National Rail is telling passengers: “Customers are asked NOT TO TRAVEL between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.
“Tickets for today will be accepted tomorrow.”
Trains to and from Cambridge are also affected, but passengers can use an alternative line from London King's Cross.
Normally four trains per hour would run each way between Stansted and London Liverpool Street, with capacity for more than 2,000 passengers.
UK airports bracing for two million holidaymakers over Easter weekend
07:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Two million British holidaymakers are set to jet off abroad over the Easter weekend, with one airport bracing for “record-breaking” passenger numbers.
Turkey, Dubai and the Canary Islands are among the most popular destinations amid wet and windy weather forecast for the UK, although trips to Dublin are also in demand.
Travel trade organisation Abta said airports are reporting “strong numbers”, with 175,000 due to leave from Stansted, 105,000 from Luton, 160,000 from Manchester, 79,000 from Birmingham, and 89,000 from Edinburgh between Friday and Monday.
Manchester Airport managing director Chris Woodroofe said: “It’s exciting that record numbers of people will be taking off from here this Easter: 320,000 people will travel (through the airport) over the bank holiday weekend - that’s up 7% on April 2023.”
Glasgow predicts more than 90,000 passengers over the four days, while Birmingham Airport said it expects a 27.2% increase in departures on last year over the full Easter period.
Bristol, which predicts 30,000 holiday trips on Easter Sunday alone, advised: “If travelling with Easter eggs, passengers are advised to keep any chocolate treats in your cabin baggage and to make sure they’re easily accessible as they may need to be opened for a quick check.”
Liverpool Airport expects around 60,000 passengers over the four days, which is around 7% higher than last year.
Weather warnings for wind and rain issued ahead of Easter weekend
05:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Met Office said the forecast for the Easter weekend remained “unsettled” but “bright and breezy”, with temperatures of up to 15C in west London and 14C in Manchester on Sunday, which was typical for this time of year.
RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “With plenty of classic early spring weather over the Easter bank holiday weekend, drivers getting away will definitely need to be on their guard and ready to cope with rapidly changing road conditions.
“Slowing down in the heaviest of downpours on Good Friday and Easter Saturday is a must as stopping distances will be far greater.”
UK airport expects record weekend as Easter egg warning issued
03:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Two million holidaymakers are set to jet off over the Easter weekend , with one airport bracing for “record-breaking” passenger numbers.
Turkey , Dubai and the Canary Islands are among the most popular destinations amid wet and windy weather forecast for the UK, although trips to Dublin are also in demand.
Travel trade organisation Abta said airports are reporting “strong numbers”, with 175,000 due to leave from Stansted , 105,000 from Luton , 160,000 from Manchester , 79,000 from Birmingham, and 89,000 from Edinburgh between Friday and Monday.
02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Barred from Europe: 2.4m Brits caught in post-Brexit passport chaos
00:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Millions of Britons are barred from entering the EU by post-Brexit passport rules that are set to cause chaos over the Easter holidays.
With the getaway starting in earnest on Thursday, an estimated 2.4 million travellers have documents that can’t be used for trips to the EU because of the change in expiry requirements .
Since Brexit, British passports must have an issue date less than 10 years old on the day of departure to the EU, and must have at least three months left before their expiry date on the intended day of return. But millions of passports issued prior to September 2018 have longer validity periods.
Thursday 28 March 2024 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Easter warning to drivers over bank holiday weekend after snow falls in Devon and Wales
Thursday 28 March 2024 21:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Drivers in some parts of the country have been warned to take “extreme care” after snow fell overnight ahead of the Easter bank holiday weekend.
Snow settled in areas of Devon and Wales overnight as the weather over the next few days is set to be chilly and drizzly.
According to the RAC, 14 million people are due to travel on the roads this weekend with some popular routes taking double the amount of time they usually would.
Easter warning to drivers over bank holiday after snow falls in Devon and Wales
Thursday 28 March 2024 19:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Thursday 28 March 2024 18:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
UK Border Force staff to strike at Heathrow airport
Thursday 28 March 2024 18:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
More than 600 Border Force officers deployed at Heathrow airport will walk out for four days from 11 April – potentially causing chaos as families return from Easter holidays.
The strike by members of the PCS union has been timed to hit the busiest days for arrival at the UK’s biggest airport.
In a ballot that closed last week, PCS members who carry out immigration controls and passport checks at Heathrow airport voted by nine to one to walk out over a new roster and imposed changes to shift patterns.
The union says the changes could see as many as 250 staff losing their jobs.
The PCS general secretary, Fran Heathcote, said: “Ministers have 14 days to withdraw these unfair and unnecessary proposals or our members at Heathrow will take strike action.
“Consultation with staff has been a farce, with our members having little or no choice about the new arrangements.
“Ripping up flexible working arrangements is no way to treat staff especially, as the government says, their work is critical to our nation’s security.
“Some members are heart-broken that the Border Force has become ‘unprofessional and inhumane’.
“If the government is serious about border security, it should look at Border Force officers’ job security, look after its staff, scrap the changes and work with us to protect jobs and working conditions.”
The Independent has asked the Home Office for a response
Airport packed for Easter getaway hopefuls as planes struggle to land
Thursday 28 March 2024 17:08 , Athena Stavrou
Airports are packed with eager holidaymakers today as planes face difficulty landing amid extreme winds and heavy rain.
Drivers, rail passengers and now jet-setters are facing travel chaos as many attempt to get their Easter weekend started.
Two million holidaymakers are set to take flight over the weekend, with one airport bracing for “record-breaking” passenger numbers.
Manchester Airport managing director Chris Woodroofe said: ‘It’s exciting that record numbers of people will be taking off from here this Easter: 320,000 people will travel (through the airport) over the bank holiday weekend - that’s up 7 per cent on April 2023.’
It comes as dramatic footage showed an easyJet flight from Faro abort a landing at Gatwick Airport in heavy rain and strong winds at around 12:30pm.
The Airbus A320 wobbles from side to side before pulling up again to avoid disaster. It landed ten minutes later successfully.
Not very Great Western Railway
Thursday 28 March 2024 17:03 , Simon Calder
Rail passengers hoping to travel between London Paddington, the West of England and South Wales face an Easter full of problems.
The main line from Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads is blocked because of flooding.
Passengers are being told by GWR: “Network Rail advise that due to flooding at Christian Malford, only one line is currently available between Swindon and Chippenham, meaning trains will have to ‘take it in turns’ to use the one available track.
“This will cause delays on the route between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads via Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa.”
On Sunday, the main line west of the capital will be disrupted in the morning due to emergency engineering works to sets of points.
Passengers are warned: “Emergency engineering works will affect services between London Paddington and Reading this Sunday. Customers are advised not to travel until midday.
“Repairs need to be undertaken to sets of points over Saturday night and Sunday morning to prevent further disruption affecting more passengers after the weekend.
“Trains will continue to operate between Reading and Bristol, South Wales, and Devon and Cornwall. However, there may be short-notice changes and cancellations, and customers are advised to check journeys beforehand.
“We’re very sorry for any inconvenience caused. Ticket acceptance will be in place with South Western Railway between Waterloo and Reading, and Chiltern Railways between Marylebone and Oxford.”
Attractions forced to shut amid extreme weather
Thursday 28 March 2024 17:01 , Athena Stavrou
People looking for a fun day out in some areas of the UK had their plans ruined today as the extreme weather forced some attractions to close.
Kew Gardens in London closed early at 3pm due to the wet and window conditions along with areas of Bushy Park and Kensington Gardens.
Dartmoor Zoo in Devon - which saw snow fall over night - also shut due to the wind alongside some National Trust sites including Needles Old Battery and Mottisfont Gardens in Hampshire
Nearly three inches of snow was recorded this morning at Sennybridge in Powys, Wales, while two inches fell overnight just north of Dartmoor.
Ferries cancelled as Storm Nelson brings extreme winds
Thursday 28 March 2024 16:56 , Athena Stavrou
Ferries have been cancelled and delayed today due to strong winds as Briton’s Easter getaway plans are left in tatters.
DFDS was forced to cancel some ferries from Dover to Calais and Dieppe to Newhaven on Thursday as sea conditions grew dangerous.
There is a yellow weather warning for wind currently in place in the south of England which predicts the possibility of road, rail, air and ferry disruption.
The Port of Dover also warned passengers that the English channel was “rough with a strong south-easterly breeze, force six”.
The Met Office has warned of wind gusts of up to 70mph in coastal areas today as Spanish-named Storm Nelson begins to wreak havoc on the country.
![](http://doctruyen.online/777/templates/cheerup/res/banner1.gif)
Plane forced to abort landing amid extreme winds
Thursday 28 March 2024 16:47 , Athena Stavrou
A plane was forced to abort a landing at Gatwick Aiport today as Easter getaway hopes are dashed for Britons across the UK.
Dramatic footage showed an easyJet flight from Daro attempt to land in heavy rain and strong winds at around 12:30pm.
It comes as Spanish meteorologists named Storm Nelson as it makes its way over to the UK. It is expected to bring gusts of up to 50mph in most places with warnings that winds could reach up to 60 to 70mph in exposed coastal areas.
London Euston station ‘extremely busy’ as travellers seek to beat line closure
Thursday 28 March 2024 16:26 , Athena Stavrou
London Euston, one of the UK’s busiest stations, is extremely busy as travellers seek to reach their destinations ahead of the line closure.
The terminus will be closed to all regional and long-distance trains throughout the Easter weekend.
From Good Friday to Easter Monday, Network Rail is closing the West Coast main line between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central.
New track will be laid near Kensal Green tunnel and a busy junction just south of Milton Keynes will be replaced.
The best diversion line for the West Midlands is the Chiltern route from London Marylebone to Birmingham, while London St Pancras is expected to be extremely busy with passengers heading for Sheffield and onwards to Manchester and elsewhere in northwest England.
Caledonian Sleeper trains will run to and from London King’s Cross – where the East Coast main line is expected to be running normally.
Thursday 28 March 2024 15:30 , Athena Stavrou
Devon County Council issued a warning to motorists, adding: “Our gangs have been working all night to keep the roads passable but drive with extreme care, avoid high roads and stick to main roads where possible.”
Read the full story here:
Thursday 28 March 2024 15:00 , Athena Stavrou
Two million holidaymakers are set to jet off over the Easter weekend, with one airport bracing for “record-breaking” passenger numbers.
Bristol, which predicts 30,000 holiday trips on Easter Sunday alone, warned people flying with chocolate: “If travelling with Easter eggs, passengers are advised to keep any chocolate treats in your cabin baggage and to make sure they’re easily accessible as they may need to be opened for a quick check.”
What are the busiest routes this weekend?
Thursday 28 March 2024 14:19 , Athena Stavrou
The RAC has warned that 14 million drivers could be facing long delays as they set off on their Easter getaways this bank holiday weekend.
The busiest routes are expected to be:
The M25 between the M23 for Gatwick and the M1 in Hertfordshire
M5 southbound between Bristol and Taunton
M3 between the M25 and the south coast
Full list of Avanti West Coast disruptions
Thursday 28 March 2024 13:30 , Athena Stavrou
Here is a helpful list of all the affected Avanti West Coast services and stations impacted by engineering works this bank holiday weekend.
No trains will be running from London Euston as the busy station will be closed for all but Overground services.
Planning a trip over Easter? Our services will be severely impacted by engineering work from 29 Mar to 1 Apr. Journeys will take longer and some will involve bus replacement. We strongly recommend you travel either side of the Easter weekend. Check your journey 👉… pic.twitter.com/n1th99sfhD — Avanti West Coast (@AvantiWestCoast) February 15, 2024
Rail passengers warned not to travel as London Euston shuts over bank holiday weekend
Thursday 28 March 2024 12:45 , Athena Stavrou
Rail passengers have been warned to “travel either side of the Easter weekend” as London Euston is set to shut for the entire weekend.
Major improvements to track mean the busy station will be closing for all but Overground services from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
Network Rail has advised travellers to avoid the West Coast main line during the bank holiday, adding that engineering works between London and Milton Keynes. will also impact southern routes to and from London.
Replacement bus services will be in effect on various routes, and passengers have been urged to check their journeys in advance as they might face longer travel times.
Further train cancellations and delays
Thursday 28 March 2024 12:18 , Athena Stavrou
Extreme flooding is wreaking havoc in the South West today as several lines are forced to close on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Great Western Railway said all lines are closed between Westbury and Swindon until at least 2pm.
“Due to flooding across the railway network this morning, we need to reutilise the Melksham line for other purposes,” it said.
“As a result trains between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham are suspended until further notice.”
There have also been delays and cancellations between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, Westbury and Weymouth, Reading and Taunton and Sindon and Chippenham.
Severe delays on the M1
Thursday 28 March 2024 11:21 , Athena Stavrou
There are reports of severe delays on the M1 northbound between junctions J25 and J27.
According to AA, motorists are facing delays of 44 minutes with an average speed of five mph.
It is expected to clear later this morning.
Chaos on Great Western Railway
Thursday 28 March 2024 10:39 , Simon Calder
On one of the busiest days of the year for rail travel, flooding is causing chaos on the Great Western Railway between London Paddington, southwest England, Bristol and South Wales.
The line between Reading and Taunton is partially blocked with disruption expected until the rest of the day. GWR said: “We are sorry for the delay to your journey today. Flooding on the railway between Reading and Taunton has resulted in some signal failures along this route. Network Rail are working to rectify the faults. This means that our high speed services between Reading and Taunton have to run at reduced speeds through the affected areas. The line towards Taunton is now blocked due to further flooding.
“Our high speed services from London Paddington towards Devon and Cornwall will be diverted between Reading and Taunton which will add delay to your journey.”
Unfortunately the main diversion route is also experiencing problems. High-speed trains heading west from Swindon in Wiltshire to Bristol and Cardiff are having to reduce their speed from 125mph to just 5mph as a result of flooding on the line.
“Trains may be delayed by up to 30 minutes, cancelled or diverted as a result,” says National Rail.
Easter travel chaos: how bad will it be?
Thursday 28 March 2024 10:09 , Athena Stavrou
The great Easter getaway could see travellers caught up in delays by road , ferry, rail and air.
In a normal year there would be a gap between most schools breaking up and the long weekend. But with Easter falling so early the two are combined.
My colleague Simon Calder has explained the Easter travel situation and how bad it might be:
Windy weather in Cornwall as millions head off on getaways
Thursday 28 March 2024 10:07 , Athena Stavrou
Around 14 million Britons are due to hit the road today as many head off on their Easter getaways.
Many will be heading for staycations in popular UK holiday spots such as Devon and Cornwall. However, pictures from Cornwall this morning show some windy and gloomy conditions.
The Met Office has issued a weather warning for wind today in some parts of the south of England and showers are expected throughout the weekend.
Welcome to our liveblog
Thursday 28 March 2024 09:41 , Athena Stavrou
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s liveblog on the Easter bank holiday traffic.
Huge delays are expected on the roads this afternoon as many head off on their weekend getaways.
Rail passengers have also been affected by cancellations and engineering works.
We’ll be bringing you the latest news as it happens.
14 million to hit the road this Easter bank holiday weekend
Thursday 28 March 2024 09:25 , Athena Stavrou
Drivers have been warned of huge traffic delays as millions of people are set to hit the road this bank holiday weekend.
The RAC warned journeys on the road could take up to twice as long as usual as 14 million people are expected to set off.
“With Easter falling earlier than usual at the start of the school holidays, it could be carmageddon for holidaymakers,” an RAC breakdown spokesperson said.
Journeys on the M25 between the M23 for Gatwick and the M1 in Hertfordshire are expected to take more than two hours, while the M5 southbound between Bristol and Taunton is also likely to be congested.
Thursday 28 March 2024 22:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Recommended Stories
Tennessee makes tony vitello highest-paid coach in college baseball after winning national championship.
Following Tennessee's first-ever national championship in baseball, the school rewarded coach Tony Vitello with a new contract that makes him the highest-paid coach in college baseball.
Walmart's early Labor Day sale has dropped: Score rare deals on HP, Beats, Dyson and more
Snag an HP laptop for under $200, fan-favorite Beats headphones for nearly $200 off and a cute-but-tough chainsaw for just $43.
Trevor Lawrence throws a couple of TDs as Jaguars end the preseason on high note
Trevor Lawrence's night included a tremendous touchdown pass.
How Kamala Harris's historic firsts are inspiring Americans across the country
Americans share how Kamala Harris's historic nominations and other firsts have inspired their lives and how she serves as a reflection of their own aspirations.
The best exercise mat for 2024, tested and approved by a personal trainer
Use this exercise mat from Lululemon for every HIIT, strength training or stretching session — it provides the perfect balance of slip-resistance and support.
Investors price in 4 rate cuts from Fed after Powell signals 'ample room' to move
Investors are betting that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by 50 basis points at at least one of their three remaining meetings in 2024.
Fed's Bostic accelerates rate cut call, saying September or November 'definitely in play'
Atlanta Fed president Raphael Bostic is accelerating his estimate of when rate cuts could begin, telling Yahoo Finance that September or November is "definitely in play."
Hiroyuki Sanada says 'Shōgun' was 'kind of a gamble.' Now he's looking to chart a new course for Season 2
The Emmy-nominated actor is looking to honor Japanese culture in upcoming seasons.
Will RFK Jr. help Trump by dropping out and endorsing him? Here's what the polls say.
Kennedy's exit probably won’t affect the race in a dramatic way. But small margins in key swing states have decided both of Trump’s previous presidential elections.
No more 'Mrs. Affleck.' Jennifer Lopez moves to drop Ben's name in divorce filing.
J.Lo took Affleck's name when they married in 2022. Now she wants her maiden name back.
RFK Jr. suspends 2024 presidential campaign and endorses Trump. Here's a timeline of his run for president.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he was "suspending" his presidential campaign.
Joey Votto retires, Mariners fire Scott Servais, Aaron Judge is on a whole other level | Baseball Bar-B-Cast
Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman talk about Joey Votto deciding to retire, the Mariners firing Scott Servais after nine years, the Angels extending Perry Minasian and give their picks for The Good, The Bad and The Uggla for this week.
What are tariffs, and how do they affect you?
A tariff is a tax on imported goods. Find out how tariffs affect jobs and inflation and who pays the cost.
M&A can open up the playing field for the competition
No two businesses are the same, and that's good news: As we saw again this week, it opens up space for companies to try opposite approaches, join forces or challenge leaders. Focus or not: In one of India's recent largest tech M&As, food delivery heavyweight Zomato disbursed $244.1 million to acquire the entertainment ticketing business of Paytm, which has been refocusing on its fintech core. In contrast, Zomato is diversifying in an effort to become a one-stop destination for dining and entertainment options.
Bears DB Douglas Coleman III released from hospital after leaving game vs. Chiefs on stretcher
Head coach Matt Eberflus said Coleman was walking on his own.
These cars have the shortest driving range after a low fuel warning
MarketWatch's recent research showed that while some vehicles offer a decent amount of driving range with a low fuel light on, others could leave you stranded.
'This is your holy grail': Shoppers are aglow over this $11 microneedling tool
With hundreds of tiny needles, this roller promises to renew and rejuvenate dull-looking skin with just a few strokes.
Labor Day sales are starting early: Everything we know and the best deals we've found so far from Amazon, Wayfair, Walmart and more
Labor Day weekend begins Saturday, August 31 and runs through to Monday, September 2 — but the savings have already started.
Fed's Powell says 'time has come' for interest rate cuts
Fed Chair Jerome Powell offered a blunt outline on Friday of the path forward for Fed policy and the need to begin cutting interest rates.
The 9 best travel purses to take anywhere in 2024
From anti-theft crossbody bags to spacious totes and cute shoulder bags, these are the best travel purses according to frequent fliers.
- Part exchange
- Archived cars
- Archived listings
- Report a purchase
- Communication preferences
- Browse in-stock new & used cars
- Browse leasing deals
- Sell your car
- New car reviews
- Car reviews
- Audi electric cars
- Audi hybrid cars
- BMW electric cars
- BMW hybrid cars
- Citroen electric cars
- Citroen hybrid cars
- Citroen SUVs
- Fiat electric cars
- Ford hybrid cars
- Genesis electric cars
- Honda hybrid cars
- Hyundai electric cars
- Hyundai hybrid cars
- Hyundai SUVs
- Jaguar hybrid cars
- Jaguar SUVs
- Kia electric cars
- Kia hybrid cars
- Lamborghini
- Land Rover hybrid cars
- Lexus electric cars
- Lexus hybrid cars
- Maserati SUVs
- Mazda hybrid cars
- Mercedes-Benz
- Mercedes-Benz electric cars
- Mercedes-Benz hybrid cars
- Mercedes-Benz SUVs
- MG electric cars
- MINI electric cars
- Nissan electric cars
- Peugeot electric cars
- Peugeot hybrid cars
- Peugeot SUVs
- Porsche electric cars
- Porsche SUVs
- Renault electric cars
- Renault hybrid cars
- Renault SUVs
- Rolls-Royce
- Skoda electric cars
- Smart electric cars
- Suzuki hybrid cars
- Suzuki SUVs
- Toyota hybrid cars
- Toyota SUVs
- Vauxhall electric cars
- Vauxhall hybrid cars
- Vauxhall SUVs
- Volkswagen electric cars
- Volkswagen hybrid cars
- Volkswagen SUVs
- Volvo electric cars
Not sure what you want? Find your perfect car with our Car chooser
- 7-Seater Cars
- Automatic Cars
- Convertible Cars
- Crossover Cars
- Electric Cars
- Estate Cars
- Executive Cars
- Family Cars
- Hot Hatches
- Hybrid Cars
- Luxury Cars
- Medium-sized Cars
- Most Economical Cars
- Motability Cars
- Saloon Cars
- Sports Cars
- Audi A1 Sportback
- BMW 1 Series
- Cupra Formentor
- Ford Fiesta
- Honda Civic
- Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Hyundai Tucson
- Hyundai i10
- Kia Sportage
- Land Rover Defender
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class
- Nissan Juke
- Nissan Qashqai
- Peugeot 2008
- Peugeot 208
- Peugeot 3008
- Range Rover
- Range Rover Evoque
- Skoda Karoq
- Skoda Kodiaq
- Tesla Model 3
- Tesla Model Y
- Toyota Aygo X
- Toyota Yaris Hybrid
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Vauxhall Mokka
- Volkswagen Golf
- Volkswagen Polo
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Nearly new cars
- Car chooser
- Compare cars side-by-side
- New car delivery times
- Fuel chooser
- PCP calculator
- How we test cars
- Used Abarth cars
- Used Alfa Romeo cars
- Used Alpine cars
- Used Audi cars
- Used Bentley cars
- Used BMW cars
- Used BYD cars
- Used Citroen cars
- Used Cupra cars
- Used Dacia cars
- Used DS cars
- Used Ferrari cars
- Used Fiat cars
- Used Ford cars
- Used Genesis cars
- Used GWM Ora cars
- Used Honda cars
- Used Hyundai cars
- Used Infiniti cars
- Used Jaguar cars
- Used Jeep cars
- Used KGM Motors cars
- Used Kia cars
- Used Lamborghini cars
- Used Land Rover cars
- Used Lexus cars
- Used Lotus cars
- Used Mazda cars
- Used Mercedes-Benz cars
- Used MG cars
- Used MINI cars
- Used Mitsubishi cars
- Used Nissan cars
- Used Peugeot cars
- Used Polestar cars
- Used Porsche cars
- Used Renault cars
- Used Rolls-Royce cars
- Used SEAT cars
- Used Skoda cars
- Used Smart cars
- Used SsangYong cars
- Used Subaru cars
- Used Suzuki cars
- Used Tesla cars
- Used Toyota cars
- Used Vauxhall cars
- Used Volkswagen cars
- Used Volvo cars
- Used Kia Picanto
- Used Peugeot 108
- Used Volkswagen Polo
- Used Ford Fiesta
- Used Renault Clio
- Used MINI 3-Door Hatch
- Used SEAT Arona
- Used Ford Fiesta Active
- Used MINI Paceman
- Used Vauxhall Mokka
- Used Fiat 124 Spider
- Used Honda Jazz
- Used Toyota Yaris Hybrid
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Skoda Karoq
- Used Volkswagen Golf
- Used BMW 2 Series (2014-2021)
- Used Nissan Qashqai
- Used Range Rover Evoque
- Used Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon
- Used Lexus UX
- Used Mercedes-Benz GLA
- Used Discovery Sport
- Used BMW X1
- Used Mercedes-Benz A-Class
- Used Audi A4 Avant
- Used Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
- Used Volkswagen Tiguan
- Used Audi Q5
- Used Jaguar F-PACE
- Used Volvo XC90
- Used Mercedes-Benz GLC
- Used cars in Aberdeen
- Used cars in Birmingham
- Used cars in Bristol
- Used cars in Cardiff
- Used cars in Doncaster
- Used cars in Dundee
- Used cars in Edinburgh
- Used cars in Glasgow
- Used cars in Leeds
- Used cars in Leicester
- Used cars in Lincoln
- Used cars in Liverpool
- Used cars in London
- Used cars in Manchester
- Used cars in Milton Keynes
- Used cars in Newport
- Used cars in Northampton
- Used cars in Norwich
- Used cars in Nottingham
- Used cars in Plymouth
- Used cars in Sheffield
- Used cars in Southampton
- Used cars in Stoke-on-Trent
- Used cars in Swansea
- Car history checker
- Car leasing
- Business car leasing
- Abarth lease deals
- Alfa Romeo lease deals
- Alpine lease deals
- Audi lease deals
- BMW lease deals
- BYD lease deals
- Citroen lease deals
- Cupra lease deals
- Dacia lease deals
- DS lease deals
- Fiat lease deals
- Ford lease deals
- Genesis lease deals
- GWM Ora lease deals
- Honda lease deals
- Hyundai lease deals
- Jaguar lease deals
- Jeep lease deals
- KGM Motors lease deals
- Kia lease deals
- Land Rover lease deals
- Lexus lease deals
- Lotus lease deals
- Maserati lease deals
- Mazda lease deals
- Mercedes-Benz lease deals
- MG lease deals
- MINI lease deals
- Nissan lease deals
- Peugeot lease deals
- Polestar lease deals
- Porsche lease deals
- Renault lease deals
- SEAT lease deals
- Skoda lease deals
- Smart lease deals
- Subaru lease deals
- Suzuki lease deals
- Tesla lease deals
- Toyota lease deals
- Vauxhall lease deals
- Volkswagen lease deals
- Volvo lease deals
- 7-seater car lease deals
- Convertible car lease deals
- Electric car lease deals
- Estate car lease deals
- Hybrid car lease deals
- Small car lease deals
- Sports car lease deals
- SUV lease deals
- Vauxhall Corsa lease deals
- Volkswagen Polo lease deals
- Ford Fiesta lease deals
- Audi A1 Sportback lease deals
- Nissan Juke lease deals
- Skoda Kamiq lease deals
- Peugeot 2008 lease deals
- Ford Puma lease deals
- Volkswagen Golf lease deals
- Nissan Qashqai lease deals
- Ford Focus lease deals
- Audi A3 Sportback lease deals
- Volkswagen T-Roc lease deals
- Kia Sportage lease deals
- BMW 1 Series lease deals
- Toyota C-HR lease deals
- Hyundai Tucson lease deals
- Ford Kuga lease deals
- BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe lease deals
- Volkswagen Tiguan lease deals
- Volkswagen ID3 lease deals
- Volvo XC40 lease deals
- Volkswagen Golf GTI lease deals
- Tesla Model 3 lease deals
- Range Rover Evoque lease deals
- BMW 3 Series lease deals
- Volkswagen Golf R lease deals
- Jaguar F-PACE lease deals
- Range Rover Velar lease deals
- Discovery lease deals
- Audi Q7 lease deals
- Range Rover Sport lease deals
- New car deals
- Abarth Deals
- Alfa Romeo Deals
- Alpine Deals
- Citroen Deals
- Cupra Deals
- Dacia Deals
- Genesis Deals
- GWM Ora Deals
- Honda Deals
- Hyundai Deals
- INEOS Deals
- Jaguar Deals
- KGM Motors Deals
- Land Rover Deals
- Lexus Deals
- Lotus Deals
- Mazda Deals
- Mercedes-Benz Deals
- Nissan Deals
- OMODA Deals
- Peugeot Deals
- Polestar Deals
- Renault Deals
- Skoda Deals
- Smart Deals
- Subaru Deals
- Suzuki Deals
- Tesla Deals
- Toyota Deals
- Vauxhall Deals
- Volkswagen Deals
- Volvo Deals
- Dacia Sandero Deals
- Dacia Duster Deals
- Vauxhall Corsa Deals
- Volkswagen Polo Deals
- Ford Puma Deals
- Peugeot 2008 Deals
- Volkswagen Golf Deals
- Nissan Leaf Deals
- Kia Sportage Deals
- Vauxhall Mokka Electric Deals
- MINI Cooper Electric Deals
- Nissan Qashqai Deals
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class Deals
- Hyundai Tucson Deals
- Ford Kuga Deals
- Volkswagen Tiguan Deals
- Peugeot 3008 Deals
- Cupra Formentor Deals
- Volvo XC40 Deals
- Skoda Kodiaq Deals
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 Deals
- Tesla Model 3 Deals
- Range Rover Evoque Deals
- Kia Sorento Deals
- Volkswagen ID4 Deals
- Jaguar F-PACE Deals
- Volvo XC60 Deals
- Volvo XC90 Deals
- BMW M2 Deals
- 0% car finance deals
- No deposit car finance deals
- Cars with cheap insurance deals
- Immediate delivery deals
- Quick delivery EV deals
- Sell my car
- Sell my car Aberdeen
- Sell my car Birmingham
- Sell my car Bradford
- Sell my car Bristol
- Sell my car Cardiff
- Sell my car Derby
- Sell my car Doncaster
- Sell my car Edinburgh
- Sell my car Glasgow
- Sell my car in Coventry
- Sell my car in Newcastle
- Sell my car Leeds
- Sell my car Leicester
- Sell my car Lincoln
- Sell my car Liverpool
- Sell my car London
- Sell my car Manchester
- Sell my car Milton Keynes
- Sell my car Northampton
- Sell my car Norwich
- Sell my car Nottingham
- Sell my car Peterborough
- Sell my car Plymouth
- Sell my car Reading
- Sell my car Sheffield
- Sell my car Southampton
- Sell my car Swansea
- Sell my car Swindon
- Sell my Aston Martin
- Sell my Audi
- Sell my BMW
- Sell my Citroen
- Sell my Ferrari
- Sell my Ford
- Sell my Jaguar
- Sell my Land Rover
- Sell my Mercedes
- Sell my MINI
- Sell my Nissan
- Sell my Porsche
- Sell my Tesla
- Sell my Toyota
- Sell my Vauxhall
- Sell my Volkswagen
- Part exchange my car
- Value my car
- Sell my van
- Electric cars
- Best electric cars
- Cheap electric cars
- Most efficient electric cars
- Longest range electric cars
- Electric family cars
- Electric SUVs
- Fastest electric cars
- Small electric cars
- Used electric cars
- Audi Q4 e-tron
- Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Hyundai Kona Electric
- Lotus Eletre
- Nissan Ariya
- Nissan Leaf
- Peugeot e-2008
- Peugeot e-208
- Renault Megane E-Tech Electric
- Skoda Enyaq
- Carwow electric
- Compare electric car costs
- EV charging stations map
- Electric car statistics
- Tesla charging stations map
- Automotive news
- carwow newsroom
- Going electric
- Choosing a car
- Buying a car
- Financing a car
- Owning & running a car
- Selling a car
- Grants & discounts
- Driving rules and laws
- Automotive glossary
- YouTube and videos
- Miscellaneous automotive topics
- Congestion charge checker
- Fuel price checker
- MOT history checker
- ULEZ checker
- Vehicle Tax checker
- Clean air zone checker
- Aberdeen clean air zone checker
- Bath clean air zone checker
- Birmingham clean air zone checker
- Bristol clean air zone checker
- Dundee clean air zone checker
- Edinburgh clean air zone checker
- Glasgow clean air zone checker
- Newcastle clean air zone checker
- Portsmouth clean air zone checker
- Sheffield clean air zone checker
Easter getaway: best and worst roads and times to travel
March 25, 2024 by John Rawlings
![easter travel traffic ' class=](https://carwow-uk-wp-3.imgix.net/iStock-1433398138-1-e1711362136858.jpg?auto=format&cs=tinysrgb&fit=clip&ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=10&w=460)
- Peak traffic expected on Thursday 28th March and Good Friday
- Thursday 28th March: traffic predicted to be busiest from 2pm to 7pm
- Thursday 28th March: busiest route expected to be M25 between M23 to M1
- Good Friday: traffic holdups most likely between 11am and 3pm
- Good Friday: busiest roads – M5 from Bristol to Taunton; M3 from M25 to south coast
To make your Easter road trip as ‘eggscellent’ as possible, these tips on when the most popular roads will be at their busiest could save adding extra hours to your journey.
As the first Bank Holiday of 2024, Easter will be a popular time to getaway, but data from a study of motorists by the RAC and INRIX estimates that traffic will peak on Good Friday between 11am and 3pm when 2.6m cars could be on the UK’s roads. The best time to travel on that day is expected to be after 5pm, if you can, and the roads likely to be the busiest are the M5 southbound between Bristol and Taunton, and the M3 from the M25 to the south coast with journey times taking twice as long as usual.
If you’re thinking of changing your car, you can sell your car online for a great price, and get the best deals on a new one . Tap the button below to get started today.
It won’t be much better the day before either as nearly two million cars are expected to try to beat the Good Friday rush by travelling on Thursday 28 March when the worst times for traffic congestion are expected to be between 2pm and 7pm. If possible, aim to be on the roads before or after those times.
The busiest road on that Thursday before Easter is thought to be the M25 in both directions between the junctions with the M23 in Surrey and the M1 in Hertfordshire with delays predicted to add two hours to anyone travelling on this stretch.
Easter Saturday and Sunday will, of course, also be busy with 2.3m cars likely to be out and about, with peak periods of 10am to 12pm and 11am to 1pm, respectively.
![easter travel traffic](https://carwow-uk-wp-1.imgix.net/BankHolidaycar-scaled-e1650976816406.jpg?auto=format&cs=tinysrgb&fit=crop&h=&ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=60&w=1600)
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Anyone who can delay leaving on Thursday 28 March until much later in the evening or set off as early as possible on Good Friday is likely to have a better journey than those who travel during the peak periods of the day. On every journey there are key pinch points where you can save yourself lots of valuable time if you can get through before everyone else. This will be especially true over the whole Easter holidays as our research shows two-thirds (64%) of drivers will be making a leisure journey on major roads at some point.”
With many taking a whole week’s holiday over Easter, traffic is predicted to peak again as people make their return journey on Friday 5 April. The M5 is expected to be a traffic hotspot at about 3pm that day with delays of up to 2.5 hours.
If your Easter trip is the first long distance your car has travelled for a while, to reduce the risk of any issues or breakdowns, check it is in as good condition as possible before you go.
If you’ve decided to stay at home this Easter and are looking for an easy way to change your car then Carwow is the place to go. All through our network of trusted dealers and all from the comfort of your home. Tap the button below to get started today.
Compare cars using Carwow
- Compare cars using Carwow.
- View offers from local and national dealers.
- Buy with confidence on Carwow.
![easter travel traffic ' class=](https://carwow-uk.imgix.net/blog/sign-up-banner-cars-variant.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&bg=white)
Related articles
- Travel Updates
Best and worst times to leave on your Easter road trip
If you’re hoping for a stress-free getaway, make sure you don’t travel on this day. This is when you should considering leaving instead.
Shocking new details on chopper crash
Grim find: Bodies found on yacht identified
Qantas text you never want to open
It’s that time of year again; the one we look forward to and also despair about in almost equal doses.
Because along with the public holidays and much-valued extra time we gain with our families – and the copious amounts of Easter chocolate – comes the inevitable traffic nightmare we have to deal with to travel pretty much anywhere.
But what if you could avoid the worst of the gridlock and spend more time actually relaxing with your loved ones?
It is possible, and the secret is all in the timing.
NSW and Sydney Easter traffic
In Sydney, the pre-Easter peak started on Thursday morning and will be heaviest leaving the city in the afternoon and evening, the state’s transport department predicts. Also, around 10am on Good Friday is another peak time to avoid.
So for those wanting to know a good time to leave, early on Friday morning could be a good chance to avoid congestion.
“Transport for NSW will have traffic management initiatives in place at the major known pinch points, but travellers should still be prepared to experience delays,” the NSW government said.
“There may also be other corridors in regional NSW that could experience higher than normal traffic volumes during the Easter holidays.”
Expected chokepoints in NSW are the major roads heading out of Sydney such as the M1 Pacific Motorway, Great Western Highway, Hume Motorway, Princes Highway, Hume, Princes, Kings, Great Western and Pacific highways in the regions.
Travellers are also warned that maintenance work will take place on the Sydney Harbour Bridge across the long weekend.
Melbourne and Victoria Easter traffic
The congestion begins from 3pm on Thursday in Victoria and remains until around 9pm, when it starts to ease. The following day, it begins to build from around 7am and reaches a peak between 11am and midday.
The traffic continues to hold steady before easing around 7pm on Good Friday, according to the state’s Department of Transport
“With millions of people set to travel on roads around the state over the Easter weekend, we ask that drivers plan ahead, ensure they’re well rested, eliminate distractions and never drive while affected by drugs or alcohol,” the spokesperson said.
The Melbourne roads that are likely to be busy on Thursday and Friday include West Gate Freeway, Princes Freeway, Western Freeway, Maroonday Highway and Monash Freeway.
Queensland and Brisbane Easter traffic
Meanwhile, in Brisbane traffic begins to become busier from midday on Thursday, especially along the Bruce Highway and Pacific Motorway. On Good Friday the gridlock begins from 10am, with the peak continuing until about 2pm.
Driving outside of peak time is best, the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) said. So ideally people should pick times that are not between midmorning or midafternoon. This makes early morning a better idea if possible.
“If you plan on hitting the road for the Easter break, our advice is to allow as much time as possible for delays and aim to drive outside of peak hours if you can,” RACQ Traffic and Engineering Manager Greg Miszkowycz said.
“Traffic can be frustrating, but we must keep a cool head and not let it get the better of us, and the best way to do that is to leave earlier or travel during off-peak times to make sure we’re not stressed about being late.”
He said motorists travelling in Queensland should expect congestion both north and south of Brisbane, on the Gateway and Bruce Highway towards the Sunshine Coast and on the Pacific Motorway towards the Gold Coast.
New details have been revealed about how an air traffic controller missed the helicopter that crashed into a luxury hotel in Cairns.
The five people found dead in the wreck of the Bayesian superyacht have reportedly been identified, but Mike Lynch’s daughter is still missing.
An Australian passenger has opened up about the seemingly innocent text from Qantas that cost him $600.
![GBN Britain's News Channel logo](https://www.gbnews.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8zMzAyMTkwOS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3Njk2OTY2Mn0.Zvn26EqsfixGMQPCZnuayrrW9mG_7kGjNuXRc3mRrBk/image.png?width=284&height=102)
Drivers heading to Port of Dover over Easter warned to expect severe delays after Moscow terror attack
![easter travel traffic Drivers heading to Port of Dover over Easter warned to expect severe delays after Moscow terror attack](https://www.gbnews.com/media-library/watch-m25-queue-along-motorway.jpg?id=51835619&width=1245&height=700&quality=90&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0)
WATCH: M25 queue along motorway
![Hemma Visavadia Hemma Visavadia](https://www.gbnews.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy81MTUwMzQ4OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTc1OTQzODcwNH0.LlfdjEcoAQI4K8wnexhcTNjjydH-FaE0A6mUDgTB6c8/image.jpg?width=210)
By Hemma Visavadia
Published: 26/03/2024
Updated: 26/03/2024
Increased border checks will take place in the near future after the terror attack at Crocus City Hall
Don't miss, ‘i’m a staunch labour voter - and i am ashamed’ britons lash out as energy bills to increase by almost £150, bbc strictly star amy dowden shares 'i wouldn't be here right now' as she details life-saving move, harry and meghan's move to canada was 'overwhelmingly supported', major uk bridge to undergo renovations for first time in 30 years as drivers face huge delays, major car brand confirms it will ditch petrol and diesel vehicles in years as evs take over, tesla unveils major changes for drivers - 'evs are cheaper to run, and it’s not even close', trending on gb news, jermaine jenas sacked by bbc after 'inappropriate behaviour' complaints.
Britons travelling to the Port of Dover in Kent over the coming weeks are being warned that they may face delays due to tightened security checks following the Moscow concert attack.
Due to the attack on March 22 at the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, Russia, on the western edge of Moscow, border force patrols are being more vigilant.
The Port of Dover in Kent issued the alert as French authorities increased border monitoring after more than 135 people were killed in the Russian capital on Friday night after Isis-K claimed responsibility for the atrocity.
It is estimated around 20,000 cars are expected to travel through the port between Thursday and Easter Monday, with the busiest days likely to be Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
It is estimated around 20,000 cars are expected to travel through the port between Thursday and Easter Monday
A spokesperson for the Port of Dover said: “France has heightened its border security checks following the attack in Moscow on Friday.
“These measures may increase border processing times at the port.
“Please be mindful of this when travelling to the port and check with your ferry operator for arrival times.”
Drivers across the UK are being warned of long delays as more than 14 million people hit the roads during the Easter period.
The RAC warned that journeys may take twice as long as normal as the bank holiday weekend coincides with the start of the school holidays.
Transport analysis company Inrix predicted that traffic will be the worst on Thursday between 2pm and 7pm with drivers urged to take care and prepare in advance for their journey.
The busiest route is expected to be the western section of the M25 between the M23 for Gatwick and the M1 for Hertfordshire, according to Inrix.
Journeys along this route are expected to take over two hours from the peak time of 4pm, which is more than twice as long as usual.
To combat delays, National Highways said it would halt 850 miles of roadworks by 6am on Thursday until April 2.
Andy Butterfield, customer services director at National Highways, said: “This is the first bank holiday of the year, so we expect the roads to be busy with people looking to make the most of a long weekend.
“We are doing what we can to make journeys easier by removing miles of roadworks, but I would encourage everyone to take some time, plan ahead and ensure your vehicle is prepared for what might be a long journey.”
Drivers are reminded that Operation Brock will remain in place on the M20 heading into the Port of Dover with traffic notices updated frequently.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- DVSA issues warning of major changes launching this week that will affect MOT tests and garages
- Nissan to slash electric vehicle prices by 30 per cent in bid to crack down on Chinese competition
- Easter traffic: Planned roadworks scrapped to help drivers with motorway congestion chaos this week
Operation Brock will remain in place on the M20 heading into the Port of Dover
National Highways has announced plans to suspend 850 miles of roadworks during the bank holiday weekend to ease congestion along major travel routes.
You may like
Listen live
Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
UK Edition Change
- UK Politics
- News Videos
- Paris 2024 Olympics
- Rugby Union
- Sport Videos
- John Rentoul
- Mary Dejevsky
- Andrew Grice
- Sean O’Grady
- Photography
- Theatre & Dance
- Culture Videos
- Fitness & Wellbeing
- Food & Drink
- Health & Families
- Royal Family
- Electric Vehicles
- Car Insurance Deals
- Lifestyle Videos
- UK Hotel Reviews
- News & Advice
- Simon Calder
- Australia & New Zealand
- South America
- C. America & Caribbean
- Middle East
- Politics Explained
- News Analysis
- Today’s Edition
- Home & Garden
- Broadband deals
- Fashion & Beauty
- Travel & Outdoors
- Sports & Fitness
- Climate 100
- Sustainable Living
- Climate Videos
- Solar Panels
- Behind The Headlines
- On The Ground
- Decomplicated
- You Ask The Questions
- Binge Watch
- Travel Smart
- Watch on your TV
- Crosswords & Puzzles
- Most Commented
- Newsletters
- Ask Me Anything
- Virtual Events
- Wine Offers
- Betting Sites
Thank you for registering
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in
Fears for traffic on Cotswold lanes with Jeremy Clarkson pub opening
Oxfordshire county council is considering a 20mph speed reduction on approaches to the a40, article bookmarked.
Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile
![easter travel traffic Locals are concerned about standstill traffic around the Burford pub](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/08/22/12/iStock-871550084.jpg)
Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts
Get simon calder’s travel email, thanks for signing up to the simon calder’s travel email.
The grand opening of Jeremy Clarkson ’s Oxfordshire pub could be overshadowed by potential traffic issues on the busy A40 during the August bank holiday weekend.
The pub in Burford, Oxfordshire – formerly The Windmill, now The Farmer’s Dog under Clarkson’s reign – will open to the public at midday on Friday (23 August).
Oxfordshire County Council has already introduced new traffic measures to cope with the predicted crowds at the British produce-only pub, and is considering lowering the speed limit in the area.
Clarkson paid close to £1 million to purchase the five-acre site and a large marquee has been erected on the grounds ahead of the inaugural pints of Hawkstone lager this weekend.
The Farmer’s Dog Instagram account posted a picture of a fox-red labrador captioned “The Farmer’s Dog opens Friday 23rd August 12pm ..OX18 4HJ ///grinders.fruits.pints #backbritishfarmingdrinkhawkstone ..follow us to get the latest news” yesterday.
Some locals commented with worries that “chaos” could ensue on the roads near the pub.
One wrote: “I do worry about traffic though. I popped by the farm shop at the weekend. It was utter chaos.
“The massive new car park was rammed as well as a new overflow one they have made in a field across the road.
“We didn’t stop as the marshals in hi viz told us the queue was over two hours. I’ve been before on a busy day, but this was insane.”
A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “Several measures have been taken to reduce the likelihood of traffic and parking-related problems, and to support the safe and successful opening of the site.”
“The layby located on the A40 opposite the pub will be temporarily closed as a precautionary safety measure to prevent its use by those visiting the pub who would then need to have crossed the busy A40 on foot.”
They added, “Consideration is being given to a reduction in the speed limit from the existing 60mph to 40mph to improve safety on each of the approaches to the A40 roundabout, including that of the B4047.”
Liam Walker, County Councillor for the Hanborough and Minster Lovell Division on Oxfordshire County Council, warned locals on Facebook last week that “Jeremy Clarkson will be opening his pub next weekend (Bank Holiday weekend) on the Asthall roundabout on the A40 so expect delays in the area…”
Walker said that he is “working on getting mitigations in place to reduce traffic and parking issues” to ensure “lessons have been learnt from the farm shop”.
Clarkson’s Diddly Squat farm shop has been plagued with snaking queues since it opened, and plans for a 70-vehicle car park on the farm plot were originally opposed by Oxfordshire County Council.
Tourists visiting for a behind-the-scenes look at the Amazon series Clarkson’s Farm have caused the car park to hit max capacity by midday on most weekends as they queue for ‘cow juice’, homemade spreads and brioche burgers at the Chadlington hotspot.
The RAC has already predicted heavier bank holiday traffic than at any time since it started recording data in 2015. Delays are expected on roads serving coastal resorts and on routes for the Leeds and Reading music festivals.
Transport analytics specialists Inrix expect delays to last all day on Friday and Saturday, with the worst times to travel between 10am and 6pm on Friday and 10am and 1pm on Saturday.
RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “With the end of the school holidays fast approaching, it seems day trips will be the main cause of traffic this weekend.
“Whether you’re off to a festival, the coast or a theme park, or meeting up with friends and family elsewhere, the usual trusted advice applies: leave as early as you can to avoid the jams or be prepared to sit in some lengthy queues.”
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
New to The Independent?
Or if you would prefer:
Hi {{indy.fullName}}
- My Independent Premium
- Account details
- Help centre
Port of Dover issues Easter getaway warning for thousands
People preparing to embark on Easter getaways from the Port of Dover are being warned they may face long delays.
The Kent port issued an alert as French authorities stepped up border monitoring due to tighter security checks following the Moscow concert attack where more than 130 people were killed.
Juxtaposed border controls mean French officials check passports at the Port of Dover before people board cross-Channel ferries.
Around 20,000 cars are expected to travel through the port between Thursday and Easter Monday, with the busiest days likely to be Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday.
The port said in a statement: “ France has heightened its border security checks following the attack in Moscow on Friday.
“These measures may increase border processing times at the port.
“Please be mindful of this when travelling to the port and check with your ferry operator for arrival times.”
Drivers across the UK are being warned over long delays as more than 14 million Easter getaway trips are expected to take place.
The RAC said journeys on some popular routes could take twice as long as normal as the bank holiday weekend coincides with the start of a two-week holiday for many schools, leading to a surge in traffic.
Transport analysis company Inrix predicted that the worst congestion on Thursday will be between 2pm and 7pm as people on leisure journeys compete for road space with regular commuters.
The busiest route is expected to be the western section of the M25 between the M23 for Gatwick and the M1 for Hertfordshire.
Journeys on this stretch from 4pm are expected to take over two hours, which is more than twice as long as usual.
National Highways announced it will lift more than 850 miles of roadworks by 6am on Thursday and they will not be put back until April 2.
Andy Butterfield, customer services director at the Government-owned company, said: “This is the first bank holiday of the year, so we expect the roads to be busy with people looking to make the most of a long weekend.
“We are doing what we can to make journeys easier by removing miles of roadworks, but I would encourage everyone to take some time, plan ahead and ensure your vehicle is prepared for what might be a long journey.”
Network Rail is urging train passengers to check their journey details before they travel as some major routes will be closed due to engineering work.
The West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Milton Keynes will be shut for four days from Good Friday.
There will also be disruption in the areas around Glasgow and Huddersfield.
Network Rail’s network strategy director Laurence Bowman said: “There’s never a good time to do the work we need to do but the four days of the bank holiday, when fewer people are travelling, give us the opportunity to do major work we couldn’t do on a normal weekend.”
Tourist board VisitEngland said around 11 million people in the UK are planning an overnight Easter trip, generating an estimated £3.2 billion boost to the economy.
The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.
![](http://doctruyen.online/777/templates/cheerup/res/banner1.gif)
IMAGES
COMMENTS
When is the best time to travel and which routes should you avoid this Easter bank holiday?
Traveling On Easter Easter/spring break traffic tends to be spread over a longer period than Christmas or Thanksgiving. Some people will take off the week before Easter, some the week after. During this time, may find more traffic than on an average spring weekend.
Millions hit roads in Easter getaway as strong winds cause disruption to ferries Warning over Easter 'carmageddon' traffic chaos - which day will see the worst traffic?
Britons were today warned to expect Easter travel 'carmageddon' with 14million getaway trips set to cause gridlock on the roads and major rail routes closing.
Warning over Easter 'carmageddon' traffic chaos - which day will see the worst traffic? - Drivers can expect lengthy queues as millions take to the roads over the long weekend
Easter travel warning with '14 million' holiday road journeys, record numbers at airports and major rail works planned
Millions of people travelling for the Easter break have been hit by heavy traffic and poor weather.
Easter getaways: these are the best (and worst) times to travel over Easter weekend Everything you need to know to make your Easter travels as smooth as possible, from airport disruption to ...
The bank holiday travel chaos continues as drivers face up to 20-mile-long queues on major motorways as well as two-hour delays at the Port of Dover.
Travellers are facing traffic jams on some roads and disruption to trains as the Easter weekend gets under way. There was heavy congestion on motorways near London and Kent on Friday, while ...
Airport strikes, air-traffic control walk-outs, road hold-ups and rail engineering works could all impact Easter getaways
Around 20,000 cars are expected to travel through the port between Thursday and Easter Monday, with the busiest days likely to be Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday.
As the first Bank Holiday of 2024, Easter will be a popular time to getaway, but data from a study of motorists by the RAC and INRIX estimates that traffic will peak on Good Friday between 11am and 3pm when 2.6m cars could be on the UK's roads. The best time to travel on that day is expected to be after 5pm, if you can, and the roads likely to be the busiest are the M5 southbound between ...
The RAC has revealed the worst times to travel over the Easter weekend with motorists warned there will be more than twice as much traffic on the roads as usual. As the UK prepares for the four ...
Best and worst times to leave on your Easter road trip
Easter Sunday is usually dead on the road and only those that need to travel - Drs., Nurses, EMTs, cops - or other workers are out there after morning church hours. Its the several days before and after - like Christmas - where the roads and skies are full. Generally, interstate chain amenities should be open although privately owned eateries ...
Around 20,000 cars are expected to travel through the port between Thursday and Easter Monday, with the busiest days likely to be Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday.
Britons travelling to the Port of Dover in Kent over the coming weeks are being warned that they may face delays due to tightened security checks following the Moscow concert attack. Due to the attack on March 22 at the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, Russia, on the western edge of Moscow, border force patrols are being more vigilant.
For the return leg, on Easter Monday, the road with the worst traffic forecast is the A303 from Ilminster to Andover from 4.45pm, when travel times will double to approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.
Radio Schuman. This is Radio Schuman, your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond.
Detectives are appealing for information following a report of arson which occurred at licenced premises at the Ballyclare Road area of Newtownabbey on Wednesday 21st August.
The project will involve a temporary 14 week closure of Cohens Bridge to allow the installation of the new bridge deck. The closure will be confirmed as the project progresses and is being planned for early 2025, following the Christmas and New Year period. The bridge will remain closed during the Easter holiday period.
Transport analytics specialists Inrix expect delays to last all day on Friday and Saturday, with the worst times to travel between 10am and 6pm on Friday and 10am and 1pm on Saturday.
Reedsburg High School has canceled its first two varsity football games of the season, relating to an investigation into a matter in the community, the School District of Reedsburg announced Thursday.
Around 20,000 cars are expected to travel through the port between Thursday and Easter Monday, with the busiest days likely to be Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday.