Worst time to travel this bank holiday weekend as 19MILLION to hit roads on busiest Easter in 3 years – check your route
THE worst time to travel over the Easter bank holiday has been revealed – as a whopping 19 million drivers are expected to hit the roads.
It is set to be the busiest Easter for road users since 2022 – the first full getaway after the Covid lockdowns – according to the RAC.
Research suggests that holiday seekers will face severe traffic on Thursday, Friday and Sunday around this upcoming break.
Drivers are estimated to plan around 2.7 million trips every day during this busy period.
The number of trips will slightly drop on Easter Sunday to 2.5 million, before jumping up again to a further 2.7 million on bank holiday Monday when millions are set to return home.
The bank holiday Monday will come just before many schools open up again to signal the new term.
On top of that, a further 6.2 million journeys are expected over the bank holiday weekend – but drivers for these trips are unsure when they will travel.
They are likely to be bearing the unpredictable weather in mind before they lock down a schedule.
The RAC revealed the best and worst times to set off this Easter in order to avoid lengthy delays.
On Thursday April 17, the best time to set offwould be before 12pm, while the worst time to leave would be between 2pm and 7pm.
On Good Friday, motorists have been told to leave home before 10am, and the heaviest traffic is expected between then and 5pm.
The best time to leave the following day, Saturday April 19, will be before 10:30am or after 2pm, while the worst time to travel is expected to be between 11am and 1pm.
Alice Simpson, RAC Breakdown spokesperson said: “The late bank holiday weekend clashes with the end of the Easter break for many schools – which we think will change the nature of this year’s getaway.
“Although journey numbers are still very high, we’re anticipating more day trips and weekend breaks than people heading off on one and two-week stints, reflected by INRIX’s predictions that the worst delays will be along routes from Gatwick to the rest of the country.
“This could lead to a ‘hat-trick of hold-ups’ on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as drivers visit family and friends.”
For those travelling on Easter Sunday, setting off after 1pm wil be ideal as the worst time on the roads is predicted to be between 11am and 1pm.
Motorists returning home on Easter Monday should set off before 11am – as experts stressed that road users should avoid journeys between 11am and 6pm.
Simpson added: “But while getaway journeys may be shorter in length, we’re still expecting to see extremely high levels of traffic from Thursday onwards, with the greatest number of Easter getaway trips planned for three years.
“Drivers shouldn’t expect to escape the queues if they don’t plan the best time to set off.
“It’s always best to travel as early as possible in the morning or later in the day when most of the traffic has eased, especially if headed to popular holiday destinations such as the West Country, Scotland or Wales.”