People heading on an Easter getaway this weekend are facing travel chaos, as multiple train lines close and millions hit the road.
Traffic queues are expected to form along major roads, as people try to get ahead of the estimated 19 million people expected to drive on Good Friday.
Heavy rain forecast by the Met Office could also disrupt journeys, the RAC has warned, as a yellow rain warning has been put in place across the south west of England.
Train passengers are also being warned over disruption as Network Rail prepares to begin its Easter engineering work - closing a number of railway lines.
The most significant impact will be at London Euston – which will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Easter Sunday, and a reduced timetable on Good Friday and Monday.
Those planning on flying to their Bank Holiday destinations will also face “major disruption”, as Gatwick airport workers are set to strike over pensions.
Key Points
- Where will the worst traffic be over Easter? Simon Calder's predictions
- RAC warns of busiest weekend on roads since Covid lockdown lifting in 2022
- Entire train lines to shut over Easter weekend
- Airport workers strike to cause 'major disruption'
ICYMI: Where will the worst traffic be over Easter? These are the predictions from The Independent
11:30 , Simon CalderThe AA and RAC agree the busiest day over the Easter spell will be Thursday, with 19.8 million motorists in their vehicles at some stage of the day.
Good Friday looks almost as busy. Easter Sunday will see the lightest traffic.
For holiday journeys within the UK, The Independent has used data from previous years to predict the heaviest traffic on four key arteries:
- M6 north of Birmingham, especially Preston and beyond as holidaymakers head for Blackpool and the Lake District.
- M5 southwest from Birmingham to Bristol and Exeter
- A303 southwest through Wiltshire
- M25 particularly between the M23 and M40 junctions to the southwest, and the Dartford Crossing to the east.
Delays of almost an hour expected on the M1
11:01 , Rebecca WhittakerA collision on the M1 near Luton is expected to cause delays of up to 50 minutes.
National Highways has said the M1 northbound between junctions J8 and J9 are closed.
Traffic is expected to return to normal between 12.30 and 12.45 am.
Ferries cancelled in western Scotland
11:00 , Simon CalderIn the Western Isles of Scotland, ferry passenger using Caledonian MacBrayne face a range of problems.
On Friday, the link to South Uist from Oban is cancelled because of forecast adverse weather, with risk of disruption on Saturday.
Other ferries serving the Hebrides may stay in port as a result of strong northeasterly winds.
On the Oban-Coll-Tiree route, the ferry firm warns: “Due to forecast of adverse weather, this service is liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice.”
Until Tuesday 22 April, the link from Mallaig to Armadale on Skye has cancellations due to staff shortage.
Arran ferries are currently sailing from Troon, not Ardrossan, to Brodick.
Train travel disruptions
10:30 , Rebecca WhittakerMajor engineering work is set to cause disruptions to train travel this Easter.
Work will be taking place in the following locations:
- London Euston: lines to and from London Euston will be closed from Saturday 19 to Monday 21 April. Alternative ways of getting to and from central London will be available from the north west, Birmingham, and Milton Keynes
- London Victoria: from Friday 18 to Monday 21 April there will be no Southeastern services will call at London Victoria. Southern and Gatwick Express will have a reduced service to and from London Victoria
- Carlisle / Glasgow / Edinburgh: from Saturday 19 to Monday 21 April. Buses will replace trains between Carlisle and Glasgow via Lockerbie; between Carlisle and Dumfries; and between Carlisle and Edinburgh
- Significant work will also be taking place at London Paddington (Friday to Monday), at Manchester / Stockport (Saturday to Monday), at Cambridge (Friday to Monday), at Southampton (Friday to Sunday), and in the Leeds / Huddersfield area (Saturday to Monday)
Gatwick airport Easter strikes may cause 'major disruption'
10:00 , Rebecca WhittakerMore than a hundred workers at Gatwick airport are striking over pay and pensions this Easter weekend.
Members of the Unite union working for ground handling firm Red Handing have rejected a last-minute deal to call off the strikes.
That means some baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers will strike from Friday until Tuesday morning.
The industrial action could affect about 50 flights a day.
Unite said there would be “major disruption” for passengers flying with Norwegian, TAP and Air Peace airlines.
But Nick Williams, head of passenger operations at Gatwick, said only a small number of airlines would be affected.
"It's a very small number of airlines who don't operate a huge number of flights, so we're not talking about big-scale impact," he said.
"We're working really closely with those airlines to try and mitigate that impact and hope that as many of those flights operate as close to schedule as possible.
"We'd advise passengers to check their airline of the weekend."
Severe delays on the M25
09:30 , Rebecca WhittakerDelays are expected on the M25 until midday following a collision.
Lanes on the M25 anticlockwise between junctions J9 and J8 are closed, according to National Highways.
Disruption is expected to last until 12.15.
Road traffic collision on M4
09:00 , Rebecca WhittakerSevere delays expected on the M4 due to a collision just outside Swindon.
National Highways has said the M4 eastbound exit slip at Membury Services has closed.
The area is expected to clear at between 12:30 and 12:45 .
Dover queues build with delays for French border control
08:40 , Simon CalderOn Good Friday morning queues are building up at Dover.
The Port of Dover said at 8.10am: “P&O traffic is causing extended processing times at Border Control.”
Passport checks for France are conducted at the port before travellers board ferries.
Motorists are told to expect a wait of around 40 minutes ahead of the French border post, and the same length of time for P&O Ferries check-in.
The wait for DFDS Ferries check-in is 15 minutes.
DFDS Ferries says: “We are aware of the queues to arrive at check-in. Please be assured that once you arrive at check-in. we will ensure you are checked-in on the first available departure.”
In previous years, Dover has been the scene of severe delays during the Easter holidays, as coaches converge on the UK’s main ferry port.
But the failure of the European Union to introduce the entry-exit scheme as promised in November 2024 means journeys are smoother than they might have been, with no need for vehicle occupants to be fingerprinted or photographed.
Bigger problem are likely to face motorists returning from France to Dover between Saturday 19 and Monday 21 April.
Last weekend queues of 90 minutes built up for the border formalities at Calais, where both French and UK frontier staff check documents before passengers board their ferries.
Thousand miles of road works lifted
08:00 , Rebecca WhittakerThe Government has lifted over a thousand miles of road works this Easter in a bid to make “journey’s smoother”.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X: “No one wants to spend their Easter weekend stuck in traffic.
“So we're lifting more than a thousand miles of roadworks over Easter.
“And to save you money, we've frozen fuel duty and delivered record funding to fix potholes.
“Drivers — I'm on your side.”
Flooding could cause travel distruption
07:53 , Rebecca WhittakerSeven flood alerts are in place across the South of England.
Localised flooding is possible from surface water in parts of South West England on Friday and into Saturday.
Land, roads and some properties may flood and there may be travel disruption.
Amber flood alerts are in the following areas:
- Borehole at River Hill, near Flamstead
-Kimpton and Lilley Bottom
-the Candovers and Old Alresford
-Great Shefford, Henley and Assendon
-West Ilsley, East Ilsley, Compton, Chilton and West Hagbourne
-River Mimram in Hertfordshire
It comes after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for the southwest of England on Friday, covering tourist hotspots including Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
The wet weather is likely to cause difficult driving conditions and disruptions to travel over the weekend.
Train lines blocked in the West Midlands
07:40 , Rebecca WhittakerLines are blocked between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street, due to a trespass incident.
Trains running between these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised, National Rail said.
Disruption is expected until 08:15 am.
UK holiday hotspot hit by heavy rain weather warning for Easter weekend
07:24 , Rebecca WhittakerBritons hoping to escape to some of the UK’s top staycation spots for an Easter break have been told to expect disruptive heavy rain.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the southwest of England on Friday, covering tourist hotspots including Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
The forecasters warned that a prolonged spell of rain, some of it heavy, will likely cause difficult driving conditions and some disruption to travel as millions hit the road over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Read more here:
UK holiday hotspot hit by heavy rain weather warning for Easter weekend
Good Friday could see worst traffic
06:03 , Barney DavisLunchtime on Good Friday is expected to have the worst traffic of the Easter weekend.
The A303 westbound to Stonehenge and the M5 southbound J15 at the RAC tower north of Bristol are expected to be the worst affected.
Journey times are likely to be nearly an hour longer for both meaning drivers could be stuck in their vehicles for more than half as long as usual.
RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: "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.”
Good Friday set to be busiest day of year for Airports
04:03 , Simon CalderAviation analytics firm Cirium says Good Friday, 18 April, will be the busiest day overall, with 2,949 flights taking off from UK airports – a departure every 30 seconds on average.
Britain's biggest budget airline, easyJet, confirms its busiest day will be Good Friday.
The carrier plans more than 1,100 flights to or from UK airports carrying up to 145,000 passengers.
The top sunshine destinations are Dalaman in Turkey and the Spanish islands of Mallorca and Tenerife.
But with air traffic control centres across Europe still chronically short of staff, holidaymakers face the worst disruption caused by congestion in the skies in a quarter-century.
Ryanair says 36.2 million of its passengers have been impacted by air traffic control restrictions in the last year, with more than 200,000 flights delayed.
Travellers to and from France and Spain are worst affected.
Good weather could make traffic worse, RAC says
02:01There are already an estimated 74 million journeys planned over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend - but even more could be made depending on the weather.
RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said an estimated 6.2 million people are “undecided” on when they will travel for an Easter leisure trip, which means “any sign of sun” could spark “big jams”.
Where will the worst traffic be over Easter? These are the predictions from The Independent
Friday 18 April 2025 00:01 , Simon CalderThe AA and RAC agree the busiest day over the Easter spell will be Thursday, with 19.8 million motorists in their vehicles at some stage of the day.
Good Friday looks almost as busy. Easter Sunday will see the lightest traffic.
For holiday journeys within the UK, The Independent has used data from previous years to predict the heaviest traffic on four key arteries:
- M6 north of Birmingham, especially Preston and beyond as holidaymakers head for Blackpool and the Lake District.
- M5 southwest from Birmingham to Bristol and Exeter
- A303 southwest through Wiltshire
- M25 particularly between the M23 and M40 junctions to the southwest, and the Dartford Crossing to the east.
A fire next to the track in the Stevenage area is blocking all rail lines.
Thursday 17 April 2025 21:38 , Barney DavisTrains running between Stevenage and London Kings Cross may be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes, revised or diverted via Hertford North, National Rail said.
Major disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Transport Secretary backs removal of roadworks over Easter
Thursday 17 April 2025 21:08Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Cutting journey times and saving drivers money every year is all part of our Plan for Change to raise living standards and put more money in people's pockets.
"We are tackling the real problems that drivers face by lifting 1,127 miles of roadworks over Easter and cracking down on disruptive streetworks to make journeys to see loved ones as smooth as possible."
National Highways planning on removing roadworks over Easter weekend
Thursday 17 April 2025 20:06 , Barney DavisNational Highways director of operational services, Andrew Butterfield, said: "We expect the roads to be busy with people looking to make the most of a long Easter weekend.
"That's why we are making journeys easier by removing a huge number of roadworks."
RAC warns of busiest weekend on roads since Covid lockdown lifting in 2022
Thursday 17 April 2025 19:09 , Barney DavisTraffic will be equally severe on Thursday 17, Good Friday 18 and Saturday 19 April with drivers planning around 2.7m trips every day during that period, the RAC said.
The number of trips planned drops slightly on Easter Sunday to 2.5m, before increasing again to a further 2.7m on bank holiday Monday as millions of people return home.
They add a further 6.2m journeys are anticipated at some point over the Easter bank holiday weekend with weather likely to be a big factor for when they travel.
Accident causes 50 minute delays on M27
Thursday 17 April 2025 18:01 , Barney DavisCongestion is increasing on the M27 eastbound between junctions J9 and J12 after an earlier accident.
90 minute delays on M6 during rush hour
Thursday 17 April 2025 17:56 , Barney DavisThere are “long delays” of around 90 minutes on the M6 during the rush hour.
A broken-down vehicle caused delays worsened by “holiday traffic”, according to live updates from Inrix.
Congestion on the M6 northbound between junctions J14 and J15 is expected to last until 7.45pm.
Good weather could make traffic worse, RAC says
Thursday 17 April 2025 17:19 , Athena Stavrou19 million people are estimated to already have planned to hit the road on Good Friday - but even more could be made depending on the weather.
RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said an estimated 6.2 million people are “undecided” on when they will travel over the weekend for an Easter leisure trip, which means “any sign of sun” could spark “big jams”.
Fire alarm causes chaos at Liverpool Central
Thursday 17 April 2025 17:11 , Barney DavisA fire alarm sounding at Liverpool Central station means that all lines running through the city are disrupted.
Trains will be running through this station non stop between Liverpool Lime Street and James Street or revised. Liverpool Central will not be served.
Disruption is expected until 5.45pm.
Severe delays on A1 not expected to clear up until 8pm
Thursday 17 April 2025 17:00The A1 southbound between the A47 and the junction with the A605 has delays of 30 minutes or more.
Entire train lines to shut over Easter weekend
Thursday 17 April 2025 16:59 , Athena StavrouTrain passengers are being warned over disruption as Network Rail prepares to begin its Easter engineering work.
The Government-owned company said it will carry out work on more than 300 projects across Britain between Good Friday and Monday, causing a number of lines to be closed.
The most significant impact will be at London Euston which will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Easter Sunday, and a reduced timetable on Good Friday and Monday.
Dublin leads all other destinations for British travellers heading abroad for Easter
Thursday 17 April 2025 16:37 , Simon CalderDublin is way ahead of cities worldwide as the leading destination for Easter travel from the UK, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
During the Easter weekend, 11,282 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports, with more than two million seats.
Good Friday is projected to be the busiest day of the weekend, with 2,949 departures – an average of one flight taking off from a UK airport every 30 seconds.
More flights will be going to Dublin than anywhere else. Almost 70,000 passengers are heading for the Irish capital between Good Friday and Easter Monday – more than those going to Paris, Madrid and Rome combined.
90 minute delays on the M25 in Kent
Thursday 17 April 2025 16:15 , Barney DavisNational Highways is reporting delays of 90 minutes or more on the M25 in Kent anti-clockwise between J4 (Orpington) and the A282 towards Dartford Crossing due to high volumes of traffic.
The agency explain the delays were caused by a broken down vehicle with a brake issue.
Road users are advised to follow the hollow square diversion symbol on road signs:
- Exit M25 at J4 and take the 1st exit on to M25 link towards London
- At Hewitts Roundabout, take the 4th exit on to A224 towards Orpington
- Continue on A224 and at the roundabout with the A20 'Crittal's Corner' take the 3rd exit on to the A20
- Travel along the A20 and rejoin the M25 at J3
'Drivers may have journeys disrupted by heavy rain', says RAC
Thursday 17 April 2025 16:06 , Athena StavrouRAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson has said that if forecasted heavy rain becomes a reality “many drivers may have their journeys disrupted as they set off for day trips and long weekends”.
She added: “It’s vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion.”
Ms Simpson said an estimated 6.2 million people are “undecided” on when they will travel for an Easter leisure trip, which means “any sign of sun” could spark “big jams”.
Airport workers strike to cause 'major disruption'
Thursday 17 April 2025 15:46 , Athena StavrouSome 11,282 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports between Good Friday and Monday, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.
But those flying from Gatwick could face “major disruption” as members of Unite working for ground handling firm Red Handling plan to strike.
Staff walking out include baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers for airlines including Norwegian, Delta, TAP and Air Peace.
“As the workers handle about 50 flights a day, the strike action will cause major disruption for holidaymakers planning getaways that weekend with expected flight delays, cancellations, long queues at check-in and baggage delays,” Unite said.
Pictured: Traffic jams on major routes as Easter getaway chaos underway
Thursday 17 April 2025 15:19 , Athena StavrouTraffic queues are already forming along major routes including the A2 and M25 for the Dartford Crossing, as people try to get ahead of the 19 million people who are estimated to drive on Good Friday.
UK holiday hotspot hit by heavy rain weather warning for Easter weekend
Thursday 17 April 2025 14:24 , Athena StavrouBritons hoping to escape to some of the UK’s top staycation spots for an Easter break have been told to expect disruptive heavy rain.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the southwest of England on Friday, covering tourist hotspots including Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
The forecasters warned that a prolonged spell of rain, some of it heavy, will likely cause difficult driving conditions and some disruption to travel as millions hit the road over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Read the full story:
UK holiday hotspot hit by heavy rain weather warning for Easter weekend
Drivers face ‘hat-trick of hold-ups’ over Easter weekend
Thursday 17 April 2025 13:28 , Athena StavrouDrivers face a “hat-trick of hold-ups” as the bank holiday weekend coincides with the end of the Easter holidays for many schools, a motoring organisation warned.
RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson urged drivers to expect “extremely high levels of traffic from Thursday onwards”.
She 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.
“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.
“This could lead to a hat-trick of hold-ups on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as drivers visit family and friends.”
Roadworks to be lifted ahead of Easter getaway
Thursday 17 April 2025 13:06 , Athena StavrouMore than 1,000 miles of roadworks in England will be lifted to ease the Easter getaway, the Department for Transport has announced.
National Highways will remove roadworks from 1,127 miles of motorways and major A roads by 6am on Thursday, meaning 97.5 per cent of its network will be free of traffic cones.
They will not be reinstated until after Easter Monday.
Trees fall on Devon roads as flood warning issued
Thursday 17 April 2025 12:48 , Athena StavrouA flood warning has been issued in Devon following a night of heavy rain in the county.
The Environment Agency issued the warning for the lower River Torridge, from Dolton to Bideford, including Taddiport and Weare Giffard.
It said properties in low-lying areas are at risk of flooding after river levels rose to just below 11ft (3.3m).
06:22 16/04/25#Devon There is a tree down partially blocking the A3124 between Beaford and Town Mills. Please approach with caution. AW
— Devon Alert (@DevonAlert) April 16, 2025
@StagecoachSW @BBCDevon pic.twitter.com/DOsIHeyBng
Devon County Council’s highways team said it received reports of trees down on roads including the A396 in Bampton, the A3072 near Crediton, and the A375 in Gittisham.
The RAC warned that if the forecast heavy rain on Good Friday hits the South West of England and South Wales then there could be widespread disruption.
Met Office issues weather warning for tourist hotspots
Thursday 17 April 2025 12:23 , Athena StavrouBritons hoping to escape to some of the UK’s top staycation spots for an Easter break have been told to expect disruptive heavy rain.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the south west of England on Friday, covering tourist hotspots including Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
The forecasters warned that a prolonged spell of rain, some of it heavy, will likely cause difficult driving conditions and some disruption to travel as millions hit the road over the Bank Holiday weekend.
It said flooding of a few homes and businesses, affected bus and train services and some interruption to power supplies were possible.
The warning will come into effect at 6pm on Friday and remain in place until 9am on Saturday.
Airports set for busiest day of the year so far on Good Friday
Thursday 17 April 2025 12:00 , Simon CalderEaster marks the first really busy spell of 2025 for the UK's airports, with some locations including Birmingham expecting record passenger numbers.
The Independent has learnt the busiest days for some key airports are expected to be as follows:
- Bristol 18-21 April
- Edinburgh 20 April
- Gatwick 18 April
- Glasgow 20 April
- Liverpool 18 April
- Luton 18 April
- Manchester 18 April
A14 reopens after collision closes route for eight hours
Thursday 17 April 2025 11:35Earlier this morning, a major collision closed a section of the A14 for several hours.
National Highways said the A14 westbound in Cambridgeshire was closed between J22 (Brampton) Interchange and J20 (Ellington) due to a serious multi-vehicle collision.
The section reopened shortly before 11:30am, after being closed at 3:27am.
The #A14 westbound is closed between J22 (#Brampton) and J20 (#Ellington) due to a serious collision.
— National Highways: East (@HighwaysEAST) April 17, 2025
Emergency services are on scene.
Delays building on approach so please allow extra journey time if in the area. pic.twitter.com/u6tSExHaJU
Disruption at Liverpool Lime Street
Thursday 17 April 2025 11:22 , Athena StavrouA number of trains were cancelled and dozens more delayed at Liverpool Lime Street this morning.
Merseyrail services to and from Chester were disrupted after an earlier points failure at the station.
National Rail said though the lines have now reopened, disruption is expected until 11:30am.
Easter train journeys to be disrupted by more than 300 engineering projects
Thursday 17 April 2025 11:08 , Athena StavrouTrain passengers are being warned over disruption as Network Rail prepares to begin its Easter engineering work.
The Government-owned company said it will carry out work on more than 300 projects across Britain between Good Friday and Monday, causing a number of lines to be closed.
The most significant impact will be at London Euston which will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Easter Sunday, and a reduced timetable on Good Friday and Monday.
Services on the West Coast Main Line between Saturday and Monday will start and terminate at Carlisle, with replacement buses serving stations to the north.
Platforms 1-8 will be closed at London Victoria, meaning no Southeastern trains will serve the station over the four-day bank holiday period.
Services will be diverted to London Bridge or London Cannon Street.
Engineering work in the Southampton and Brockenhurst areas will close various lines in the region.
How many people are expected to be on the road this weekend?
Thursday 17 April 2025 10:38 , Athena StavrouThe Easter bank holiday weekend is one of the busiest periods of the year for travelling on UK roads.
The AA estimated that 19.1 million people in the UK will drive on Good Friday, with 18.5 million hitting the road on Saturday and 18.2 million on each of Easter Sunday and Monday.
This means a total of 74 million journeys will be made across the weekend.
'Drivers may have journeys disrupted by heavy rain', says RAC
Thursday 17 April 2025 10:14 , Bryony GoochRAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson has said that if forecasted heavy rain becomes a reality “many drivers may have their journeys disrupted as they set off for day trips and long weekends”.
She added: “It’s vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion.”
Ms Simpson said an estimated 6.2 million people are “undecided” on when they will travel for an Easter leisure trip, which means “any sign of sun” could spark “big jams”.
Yellow rain warning hits south west of England on Easter Weekend
Thursday 17 April 2025 10:13 , Bryony GoochA yellow rain warning has been put in place across the south west of England on Good Friday and Saturday and traffic is set to amp up across the country.
The Met Office said the warning involved a “prolonged spell of rain, some of it heavy, will likely cause difficult driving conditions and some disruption to travel.”
Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay are affected by the warning.
Dover departures running smoothly – but delays predicted coming back from Calais over the Easter weekend
Thursday 17 April 2025 10:07 , Simon CalderAt 9am, the Port of Dover posted on X (formerly Twitter): "There is currently an approximate 10-minute processing time for tourists. The approach roads to the Port remain clear."
In previous years, Dover has been the scene of severe delays during the Easter holidays, as coaches converge on the UK’s main ferry port. Passport checks for France are conducted at the port before travellers board ferries.
But the chief executive of Port of Dover, Doug Bannister, told The Independent: “We've got all of our planning in place, we've done all of our traffic predictions, we've provided all that information to partners around the port, including Police aux Frontières, and they have stepped up.”
The failure of the European Union to introduce the entry-exit scheme as promised in November 2024 means journeys should be smoother, with no need for vehicle occupants to be fingerprinted or photographed.
The biggest problem faced by motorists is likely to be returning from France to Dover between Saturday 19 and Monday 21 April.
Last weekend queues of 90 minutes built up for the border formalities at Calais, where both French and UK frontier staff check documents before passengers board their ferries.
Further congestion may be triggered by European visitors to the UK being unaware that they now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) permit to visit. They will be able to apply for one on the spot, but this may increase delays at UK Border Control at Calais.
Good Friday set to busiest at almost all UK airports – with Heathrow-Edinburgh the top domestic route.
Thursday 17 April 2025 10:02 , Simon CalderAll the leading holiday airports except Edinburgh have told The Independent their busiest day will be Friday 18 April; at the Scottish capital’s airport, Sunday will see the most passengers.
Edinburgh is the destination for the most popular domestic route, British Airways from London Heathrow. BA also takes the next three places, with links from Heathrow to Glasgow, Belfast City and Aberdeen.
Four of the top 10 routes serve Belfast (City and International). The Manchester-Heathrow route is expected to be busy from Saturday to Monday because of the closure of the southern end of the West Coast main rail line for engineering work.
Top 10 domestic routes 18-21 April (source: Cirium)
Heathrow to Edinburgh: 7,353 seats
Heathrow to Glasgow: 6,616 seats
Heathrow to Belfast City: 4,458 seats
Heathrow to Aberdeen: 4,178 seats
Stansted to Edinburgh: 4,128 seats
Stansted to Belfast International: 3,939 seats
Manchester to Belfast International: 3,867 seats
Manchester to Heathrow: 3,738 seats
Belfast International to Edinburgh: 3,711 seats
Gatwick to Jersey: 3,501 seats
Where will the worst traffic be over Easter? These are the predictions from The Independent
Thursday 17 April 2025 09:56 , Simon CalderThe AA and RAC agree the busiest day over the Easter spell will be Thursday 17 April, with 19.8 million motorists in their vehicles at some stage of the day. Good Friday looks almost as busy. Easter Sunday will see the lightest traffic.
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said the government is “lifting 1,127 miles of roadworks over Easter and cracking down on disruptive street works to make journeys to see loved ones as smooth as possible”.
But the RAC predicts a “hat trick of hold-ups” on Thursday 18, Friday 19 and Saturday 20 April – marking the busiest Easter weekend since busiest since 2022, which was the first full escape after the Covid pandemic.
For holiday journeys within the UK, The Independent has used data from previous years to predict the heaviest traffic on four key arteries:
- M6 north of Birmingham, especially Preston and beyond as holidaymakers head for Blackpool and the Lake District.
- M5 southwest from Birmingham to Bristol and Exeter
- A303 southwest through Wiltshire
- M25 particularly between the M23 and M40 junctions to the southwest, and the Dartford Crossing to the east.
Dublin leads all other destinations for British travellers heading abroad for Easter
Thursday 17 April 2025 09:53 , Simon CalderDublin is way ahead of cities worldwide as the leading destination for Easter travel from the UK, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
During the Easter weekend, 11,282 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports, with more than two million seats.
Good Friday is projected to be the busiest day of the weekend, with 2,949 departures – an average of one flight taking off from a UK airport every 30 seconds.
More flights will be going to Dublin than anywhere else. Almost 70,000 passengers are heading for the Irish capital between Good Friday and Easter Monday – more than those going to Paris, Madrid and Rome combined.
In the top 30 compiled exclusively for The Independent, Amsterdam takes second place. The Irish and Dutch capitals are followed by the three most popular Spanish airports – Alicante, Malaga and Palma – and, in sixth place, Dubai.
Faro, the gateway to the Portuguese Algarve, appears at seventh. Tenerife and Barcelona are eighth and ninth respectively, with Paris CDG taking 10th place.
Spain is by far the most popular destination, taking five of the top 10 spots,The remainder of the top 30 provides some intriguing revelations. Turkey is well represented, with Antalya at 11 and Istanbul at 16. The second Turkish Riviera airport, Dalaman, takes 25th spot.
The top long-haul destination, Dubai, has almost 50 per cent more capacity than New York – the only US city to appear, in 12th place. But British travellers take Manhattan well ahead of Berlin; the German capital has barely half as many departing seats and appears at 26th.
Dublin, Amsterdam and Spain dominate top Easter holiday destinations
Met Office warn of 'disruptive' rain on Good Friday as travellers plan their journeys
Thursday 17 April 2025 09:43 , Bryony GoochSteven Skeates, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, has said there will be “changeable weather for many” during the bank holiday weekend.
An area of low pressure could bring “heavy and possibly even disruptive rain” on Good Friday for parts of south-west England, Northern Ireland and South Wales, he added.
Warning issued over Easter travel disruption as millions plan getaways
Thursday 17 April 2025 09:22 , Athena StavrouDrivers have been warned to expect to face delays to their journeys this weekend as millions are expected to hit the road for an Easter getaway.
People planning on travelling on major routes such as the M6 at Birmingham and around the Blackpool area, the south and western section of the M25, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire have been advised to prepare for congestion.
The AA estimated that 19.1 million people in the UK will drive on Good Friday, with 18.5 million hitting the road on Saturday and 18.2 million on each of Easter Sunday and Monday.
