Map reveals Britain’s worst roads for Christmas getaway next week
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Drivers have been warned of Christmas traffic mayhem as one of the busiest seasons on Britain’s roads is around the corner. Many are busy making festive travel arrangements, including how to best dodge traffic hotspots and rail disruption. Motorists have been urged to avoid travelling during the peak festive getaway – unless they want to take on the possible monster queues as millions of trips are expected on major motorways like the M25, M3 and M53.
![[Traffic on the M1 near Watford on the motorway.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233451618-668d.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The UK road network will be teeming with a record 29 million trips before Christmas Day, followed by another wave of return journeys. Here is a roundup of the best and worst times to travel, and where Christmas congestion is likely to be the worst. Next weekend will be the busiest time for travel when around 14.3 million journeys are expected during a single weekend, according to estimates by the motoring experts RAC and Inrix.
![[Metro graphics showing busiest roads in the UK at Christmas getaway.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233451576-eeec.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
With the UK having a mid-week Christmas this year, figures suggest a longer period of ‘pre-Christmas panic’ on the roads, with 5.7 million drivers hitting the road on Wednesday and Thursday already. Traffic hotspots include major motorways such as the M3, M25, roads leading to Gatwick Airport and the M53 between Chester and Liverpool, the M4/M5 Interchange near Bristol, and the M60 near Manchester among others.
![[Passengers at London Liverpool Street station.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_232960074-66e3.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The RAC said ‘Frantic Friday’ will see around 3 million journeys, followed by ‘Snarl-up Saturday’ on December 21 with 3.7 million trips. But that is just a warm-up for the busiest day – Christmas Eve – when a whopping 3.8 million drivers have said they will travel.
