UPDATE: |The best and worst times to drive this Easter weekend – and where to avoid News

Millions will hit the road over the next few days

The RAC has fired a warning to drivers about the best and worst times to travel this Easter weekend – and where motorists could face the longest queues.

With an anticipated 19 million journeys over the bank holiday weekend, motorists are being advised to prepare for congested roads and motorways.

Popular tourist destinations such as Blackpool and the Lake District are expected to be crowded, with potential delays for those heading north from Greater Manchester on the M6.

According to the RAC and traffic monitoring service Inrix, the most congested periods over the bank holiday are likely to be between 10am and 5pm on Good Friday (April 18), 11am and 1pm on both Saturday and Easter Sunday, and 11am and 6pm on Monday.

They also say the best times to travel are before 10am on Friday, before 10.30am and after 2pm on Saturday, after 1pm on Sunday, and before 11am on Monday.

Inrix expected yesterday (April 17) to see heavier traffic, with congestion up by 30 per cent more than usual, reports Lancs Live.

The M6 north of Stoke was highlighted as a key traffic hotspot by the company, along with the M25 clockwise towards Godstone in Surrey, and anticlockwise between Gatwick Airport and the M40.

On Good Friday, the longest delays are expected between 11am to 1pm, suggesting that drivers should either set off early in the morning or postpone their journeys until later in the afternoon.

Motorists planning to travel to the West Country could face significant delays, with two major routes – the A303 westbound towards Stonehenge and the M5 southbound from J15 at the RAC tower north of Bristol to J23 for Bridgwater – expected to experience some of the longest traffic jams.

Journey times on these roads are predicted to increase to 43 minutes and one hour 20 minutes respectively, which is more than a 50 per cent increase compared to normal travel times.

RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson 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.”

She added that while overall journey numbers remain high, there’s an expectation for more short-term trips.

She said: “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.”

Ms Simpson also warned that despite the shorter distances, heavy traffic is still anticipated: “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.”

She offered advice to those hitting the road, suggesting timing their departures wisely to avoid congestion, adding: “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.”