Easter bank holiday weekend set to be busiest on roads in four years

This Easter weekend is set to be the busiest on the roads since 2022 with almost 21 million trips planned, despite fears over rising fuel prices.

Traffic levels are expected to be "consistently high" over the long weekend, according to research by the RAC and traffic information supplier Inrix, with over a million more trips planned than last year.

The increase in car journeys is likely to be due to the number of people choosing to stay in the UK rather than head abroad this year, experts at the AA suggested.

Some 12.5 million Brits are planning an overnight trip within the UK this Easter, which is more than the 7.4 million who are set to travel abroad, according to VisitEngland.

Lee Morley, AA expert patrol, told the BBC: "Some people may have changed their plans from travelling overseas and therefore travelling closer to home."

He added that there had also been a steady rise in the number of journeys each year since the relaxation of Covid restrictions.

This year, 1.9 million more Brits have planned an overnight trip in the UK for Easter weekend than last year, VisitEngland said. However, 5.1 million people told the tourist board that they were undecided, with the top reasons being the weather and finances.

Traffic is set to be at its busiest on Good Friday, according to the RAC, although levels are expected to be consistently high from Thursday, when many schools break up.

Drivers have been advised to set off early in the morning, as congestion is likely to be at its worst from 10:00 BST each day between Thursday and Saturday, and on Easter Monday.

Concerns about rising fuel costs have been raised over recent weeks, with almost a third of drivers increasingly worried about the cost of petrol as the war in the Middle East continues, according to a study by the RAC.

However, this has had little impact of the amount of people taking trips this Easter.

Sean Kimberlin, RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader, said: "While a significant number of drivers are concerned about rising fuel prices, a much smaller contingent are actually changing their plans this Easter as a result."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has addressed concerns of petrol rationing, telling motorists that there was "no need to do anything other than what is normal". He added that petrol stations are "well-stocked nationally and any suggestion otherwise is incorrect".

Rail travel will be relatively quiet over Easter weekend, according to Network Rail. The majority of routes will be open, but there is some work planned which is set to impact services.

Jake Kelly, Network Rail regional director for North West and Central, said bank holidays were "among the least busy times on the railway".

Ferries, meanwhile, are expected to be busy this weekend. The Port of Dover is preparing for an increase of traffic, and is set to welcome some 37,000 cars through the port between Thursday and Sunday.

The port's chief executive Doug Bannister urged passengers not to arrive any earlier than two hours before their scheduled departure time to ensure a "smooth" process.

Easter is a popular time for foreign travel, according to Abta, the trade association for travel agents in the UK.

"Of all those who said they were planning on taking a holiday in the next 12 months, 12% said they planned on going on holiday abroad over the Easter school holiday period," its director of communications Graeme Buck told the BBC.

As the crisis in the Middle East continues, many travellers are choosing to move their trips to alternative destinations like Spain, Italy and France.

EES is a digital system designed to keep track of when non-EU citizens - including those from the UK - enter and leave the Schengen Area, which is made up of 29 European countries.

Luke Petherbridge, Abta's director of public affairs, said: "The Easter break will be the biggest test of the new Entry/Exit System.

"Some people's experience has been smooth, but others have had to wait a long time to go through the checks, which can cause various knock-on effects for travel."