The festive getaway in, around and away from the UK is expected to be the busiest of the decade, with pressure points across air, rail, road, coach and ferry networks.
Analysis by The Independent, based on data from transport operators and industry bodies, shows clear peak days when delays and crowding are most likely.
Airports are forecasting their busiest Christmas on record, with Fridays and Sundays the main pinch points. The heaviest travel days include Friday 19 December, Sunday 28 December, Friday 2 January and Sunday 4 January. Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester are among airports bracing for unprecedented volumes, while popular destinations include Alicante, Amsterdam, Dubai, Dublin, Geneva and Tenerife.
On the railways, Saturday 20 and Monday 22 December are expected to be the busiest days before Christmas. Trainline data shows the peak travel hour is 10–11am on the Saturday before Christmas, with the most crowded routes running to and from London Euston. Passengers will find quieter journeys on 24 and 31 December and New Year’s Day, although services finish early on Christmas Eve and no trains run on Christmas Day.
Major engineering works will disrupt travel after Christmas, including prolonged closures on the West Coast Main Line and the shutdown of London Waterloo until 28 December.
Road users face heavy congestion, particularly on Christmas Eve. The RAC says: “The single busiest day for getaways over the period is Christmas Eve, when volumes of traffic could be at their highest since Covid.” Around 4.2 million journeys are expected, with hotspots on the M25, M4, M5, M6 and M60. Christmas Day is forecast to be the quietest day to drive.
Coach operators are adding services, including on Christmas Day, while most local buses will not run. Ferry traffic at Dover will also be heavy.
Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, says: “The weekend before Christmas is expected to be particularly busy, with peak traffic anticipated between 6am and 1pm from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 December.”
