So when should you make your Easter getaway? Best times to travel this weekend to avoid traffic hell

After a winter of discontent marred by massive strikes, delays and passenger cancellations, travel experts have offered their top tips for a smooth Easter break.

Motorists are being warned to expect long traffic jams on the roads – with up to 17 million recreational car journeys expected over the Easter holiday weekend.

Britain’s airports are also predicted to be busier than ever, with union action at Heathrow Airport adding pressure on airlines.

Justin Penny, head of aviation at Flight Center said: ‘With the Easter holidays now upon us and around 6,260 scheduled departures during the 10-day strike at Heathrow Airport, there is naturally some nervousness about long delays and horrific queues.

“The long weekend away is expected to be busier than ever, especially Thursday. Mid-morning is also when airports are busiest, meaning if you travel early in the morning (before 9am) you have the best chance of a smooth experience.

Motorists are warned of serious congestion on the roads – with up to 17 million recreational car journeys expected over the Easter holiday weekend

‘I would suggest not getting to the airport too early – the airport’s advice is to arrive three hours early for international flights and two hours early for domestic flights, which is plenty.

“We hear queues are building up as travelers panic and arrive early, causing blockages well in advance of their flight.”

Flight Centre’s youth travel brand, StudentUniverse – the world’s largest marketplace for student and youth travel – encourages travelers on a budget to choose “flexible” options when booking flights.

StudentUniverse’s Sam Willan said, ‘It’s important to be flexible where you can – the more flexible you can be with your dates, the more likely you are to save when booking.

When searching for flights, make sure you check the “flexible” box and select the widest possible parameters. Also, consider booking two one-way flights instead of one return – a little extra legwork when searching can sometimes save you quite a bit of money!’

According to Expedia’s 2023 Air Travel Hack reports, travelers who book domestic flights on Sundays instead of Fridays save an average of about 20% on domestic flights and 10% on international flights.

For motorists wishing to avoid congestion, locations such as the M1 near Sheffield, the M3 in Surrey and a major emergency gate repair site on the M25 near London Heathrow have been identified as routes to avoid.

Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, says: ‘If you know you’ve got a long journey ahead of you, it’s tempting to let traffic ease during the day and leave later in the evening instead.

“But motorists should be aware that if they follow this strategy, they risk running into the dreaded nighttime roadworks planned by National Highways, which usually start around 9pm and last into the early morning.

Over Easter there are road works that have the potential to close all lanes of major highways, necessitating an often nightmarish – and wholly unexpected – detour.

“Be sensible about the risk, especially if you’re traveling with young children and pets, and check the Traffic England list of planned roadworks well before you go.”

Major roads in South West England and some in the Home Counties are also likely to experience the worst traffic congestion on Good Friday, according to the RAC and transport analysis company Inrix.

The A303 westbound at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, the M5 southbound between Bristol and Bridgwater and the anticlockwise M25 between Hertfordshire and Surrey are forecast to be more than double the normal volume of traffic.

Queues are likely to increase due to engineering work on the railways, including the closure of London Euston station.

A survey of 2,400 British drivers commissioned by the RAC found that 2.7 million car journeys are planned for Good Friday and Easter Sunday by drivers on day trips or overnight trips.

Saturday and Easter Monday are expected to be slightly less busy, with 2.3 million separate outings per day.

Many people may be waiting to see what the weather has in store, as there is the potential for another seven million trips that could be spread out over the long weekend.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “With many people looking to make the most of the double bank holiday this Easter weekend, we expect the usual traffic jams on parts of the road network to make this Good Friday a bad Friday for drivers, especially those from plan to cover longer distances.

Traffic congestion may be even higher if the sun chooses to make a welcome appearance.

‘The south and west are the areas to watch as there are some vital roads responsible for transporting large numbers of people to the holiday destinations of the West Country.

“Our advice to anyone heading that way is to get on the road as early as possible on Good Friday, or travel on a different day altogether.”

Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: “We expect a big jump in holiday travel, with most congestion on major roads around urban areas and popular destinations.

‘We expect travel times during the holiday weekend to increase by approximately 25% compared to normal.

“Knowing when and where congestion occurs can help drivers avoid the stress of being stuck in traffic.”

Mr Dennis urged motorists to give their vehicles ‘a little TLC before they leave’, such as making sure tires are properly inflated and checking oil, coolant and windshield washer fluid levels.

National Highways is temporarily removing more than 2,400 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways and major A roads from 6am on Thursday to Tuesday, April 11.

This means that more than 98% of the road network will be free of road works.

Network Rail is running over 600 engineering projects across Britain’s railways over the Easter weekend.

There are no trains to or from London Euston between Good Friday and Easter Monday as the West Coast Main Line to Milton Keynes Central is closed.

This will disrupt Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway services, and Caledonian Sleeper trains will use London King’s Cross.

Track and signal upgrading work on some lines to London Victoria means Southern and Gatwick Express services will not call at the station over the bank holiday weekend.

Some trains are diverted to London Bridge.

Network Rail said it often schedules major engineering works for public holidays to minimize disruption to passengers as fewer people travel during those periods.