Don’t let Christmas traffic jams turn you into the Grinch

Christmas cheer may be in the air, but millions of drivers could face a decidedly Grinch-worthy journey as the RAC predicts the busiest festive getaway since it began tracking travel plans in 2013. A massive 37.5 million leisure trips are expected in the week leading up to 25 December. That’s eight million more than last year.

With Christmas falling mid-week in 2025, motorists appear keen to head off early to dodge what’s shaping up to be a frantic pre-Christmas weekend. Around 6.5 million journeys are planned for Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 December alone.

But the real trouble is expected to start on Friday 19 December, when an estimated 3.6 million trips are forecast to kick off the main migration home. That is predicted to build into what the RAC calls “Snarl-up Saturday”, 20 December, with around 4.1 million journeys anticipated. This will make it the busiest Saturday getaway the RAC has ever recorded.

A further 3.5 million drivers are expected to hit the road on Sunday 21 December, with millions more planning to travel at some point over the weekend but are still unsure exactly when.

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Christmas Eve could be the busiest since Covid

After a brief lull at the start of Christmas week, traffic is predicted to build again and is forecast to peak on Christmas Eve, with an estimated 4.2 million getaways. This will be the highest Christmas Eve traffic volume since before the pandemic, according to the RAC.

Transport analytics firm INRIX forecasts that drivers should brace for severe delays on “Frantic Friday”, as festive travellers clash with commuters. Half-hour queues are likely to develop on major routes including the M25, M60 and the M4 heading towards the Prince of Wales Bridge.

Across the Saturday and Christmas Eve, drivers are expected to face the heaviest congestion between 11am and 7pm. We’d recommend that you avoid travelling during these peak hours where possible.

Rail engineering works are also set to push even more travellers onto the roads, with no trains running from London Waterloo or London Liverpool Street on 27 December. Disruptions in Cambridge, Stansted, Bury St Edmunds and parts of Scotland are also expected to increase pressure on motorways and A-roads.

Be prepared for delays

RAC mobile services team leader Nick Mullender warned that without planning, drivers’ festive trips could turn “Grinch-worthy”.

“This is set to be the busiest Christmas getaway we’ve ever recorded,” he said. “Snarl-up Saturday will be huge, but Christmas Eve takes the top spot as many save annual leave and travel at the last moment.”

Remember to carry out essential checks – oil, coolant, tyres, and screenwash – before setting off, and to travel early in the day or later in the evening where possible.

Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said the port is preparing for nearly 30,000 cars heading to Europe, with the weekend before Christmas expected to be “particularly busy”.

Meanwhile, National Highways said it will have 530 gritters on standby and more than 250,000 tonnes of salt ready to keep roads moving. “The last thing anyone wants is a breakdown getting in the way of festive plans,” said the organisation’s road safety lead Colin Stevenson.

The festive travel surge doesn’t end on Christmas Eve: millions more are expected on the roads over the bank holiday period, including 4.7m journeys on Christmas Day itself, 4.6m on Boxing Day and 4.1m on 27 December.

It may be the season to be jolly, but it’s also shaping up to be the season to sit in traffic. So, prepare for the festive frenzy, and keep those inner Grinch tendencies firmly in check.

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