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More than two million holidaymakers will head overseas this weekend as the great summer getaway begins today, amid warnings of traffic jams and delays at ports.
Most schools in England and Wales are breaking up for the summer this afternoon, which will spark a surge in holidays between today and Monday. Tomorrow is expected to be the busiest day of the weekend, according to travel association Abta.
Airports will see hundreds of thousands of passengers, the Port of Dover is warning it could take up to two and a half hours to pass through border checks, traffic is likely to be disrupted by downpours, and train strikes are due to take place tomorrow.
Heathrow and Gatwick airports will have hundreds of thousands of passengers pass through this weekend, with Stansted expecting 199,000 and Luton 116,000.
About 200,000 people will depart from Manchester Airport, 71,000 from Bristol, and although the Scottish schools are well into their summer holidays, many will still be leaving from Scottish airports this weekend, with more than 100,000 from Glasgow.
Meanwhile traffic jams are likely on major roads, and the Met Office has warned of disruption as downpours begin tomorrow, and a risk of thunderstorms on Sunday.
The RAC estimated that 12.6million car journeys will be made for a day trip or holiday between today and Monday, causing ‘bumper-to-bumper traffic’.
BRISTOL: Passengers at Bristol Airport queue at check-in desks and security this morning
SUSSEX: Passengers queue to check-in their bags at London Gatwick Airport this morning
LONDON: Traffic queues on the A102M Blackwall Tunnel approach in Greenwich this morning
MANCHESTER: Holidaymakers queue for check-in at Manchester Airport at 6am this morning
Transport analysis company Inrix said traffic hotspots will include the M5 south from near Bristol (junction 15) to Bridgwater (junction 23), which is a popular route for holidaymakers travelling to the South West.
Another motorway stretch likely to experience hold-ups is the M25 clockwise between junction 10 for the A3 to Kingston and junction 6 for the A22 to East Grinstead.
And rail passengers will be disrupted by strikes on Saturday as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), including station staff and train managers, strike again in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
At the Port of Dover, more than 6,000 cars are expected to arrive on Friday, followed by a further 7,500 on Saturday.
The Port said border control processing will generally take around one and a half hours on peak days, but this could rise to two and a half hours between 6am and 1pm during the next two weekends due to the number of passengers.
Passengers travelling between today and Sunday are being asked to arrive up to three hours before sailings and to carry plenty of food and drinks.
Enhanced post-Brexit passport checks by French border officials Police Aux Frontieres have significantly increased processing times at the Kent port.
Yesterday morning the average border processing time for tourists was 50 minutes, the Port of Dover tweeted, but it had reduced to 10 minutes by 10am.
By 4.40pm yesterday, the port said that 17,783 people had crossed the border to France and there was no wait time ahead of border controls.
SUSSEX: Passengers queue to check-in their bags at London Gatwick Airport this morning
MANCHESTER: Holidaymakers make their getaway from Manchester Airport at 7.15am today
Additional sailings out of Dover will be added by shipping company DFDS to its schedule this weekend.
Karen Baurdoux, customer performance manager for DFDS, said: ‘Our goal is to get our passengers on their way so they can enjoy their summer getaway, so if you are delayed on your journey to the port or at border control, rest assured that we will get you on the next available sailing when you then arrive at check-in.
‘With extra sailings in place over the busy weekend we have ensured that there is plenty of space available for our customers so they can be on their way as quickly and as comfortably as possible.
‘As it is one of the busiest weekends of the year, we would like to echo Port of Dover’s message that passengers should not arrive more than three hours before their scheduled sailing time.
‘This is to help reduce the congestion on the roads approaching and through Dover, which will in turn make your journey to the port and through border control faster and smoother.
‘Given the extreme heat on the continent and the high temperatures in the UK, we would also strongly advise all passengers to bring plenty of water and refreshments for their journey to the port.’
Spain remains the top destination for families, in particular the Costa del Sol, the Balearic and Canary Islands, but Abta members are also reporting strong demand for Bulgaria, Portugal, Turkey, Morocco and Greece, the travel association added.
MANCHESTER: Holidaymakers queue for check-in at Manchester Airport at 6am this morning
SUSSEX: Passengers walk through London Gatwick Airport with their bags this morning
MANCHESTER: Holidaymakers make their getaway from Manchester Airport at 7.15am today
BRISTOL: Passengers at Bristol Airport queue at check-in desks and security this morning
LONDON: Traffic queues on the A102M Blackwall Tunnel approach in Greenwich this morning
MANCHESTER: Holidaymakers make their getaway from Manchester Airport at 7.15am today
And while the UK is forecast rain and thunderstorms into next week, much of Europe will continue to see temperatures in the high 30Cs and low 40Cs.
Mark Tanzer, Abta chief executive, said: ‘Thousands of families will be jetting off this weekend as the majority of schools in the UK start their summer break.
‘Many of these will be taking their first overseas summer holiday since the pandemic, returning to much-loved destinations and will have a fantastic experience in store.
‘We’re encouraging people to have a fun and safe holiday, by taking sensible precautions if you’re heading to an area with exceptionally high temperatures and taking particular care when in the water and on balconies.’
And the Met Office has warned there could be travel disruption tomorrow as persistent rain is forecast followed by a risk of thunderstorms on Sunday.
Drivers wanting to avoid long queues over the coming days are advised not to travel on major roads between late morning and early evening.
The AA advised motorists to carry out checks such as oil and coolant levels, and tyre pressure, to reduce the likelihood of their car breaking down while being used for a summer holiday.
Nick Powell, AA patrol of the year, said: ‘The low mileages that city cars tend to do, particularly in London, make it more difficult for their owners to pick up on things that may be going wrong with their vehicles.
‘Go on a journey of hundreds of miles, with the summer holiday challenges of heat and traffic jams, and hidden faults such as tyre and coolant problems can easily spring up and ruin a holiday.’
MANCHESTER: Holidaymakers queue for check-in at Manchester Airport at 6am this morning
SUSSEX: Passengers sit on the floor in the departures area of London Gatwick Airport today
MANCHESTER: Holidaymakers make their getaway from Manchester Airport at 7.15am today
BRISTOL: Passengers at Bristol Airport queue at check-in desks and security this morning
MANCHESTER: Holidaymakers queue for check-in at Manchester Airport at 6am this morning
MANCHESTER: Holidaymakers make their getaway from Manchester Airport at 7.15am today
Yesterday, ‘severe’ traffic delays were reported by National Highways in more than a dozen areas due to congestion.
Some of the roads included the M42 northbound between junctions 3A south of Birmingham and junction five for Solihull, the M23 westbound between junctions nine and 9A near Gatwick and the M6 northbound between junctions 19 at Tabley, near Knutsford in Cheshire and 20 at Lymm in Cheshire.
Some travel disruption could be seen tomorrow as the downpours begin and there is a risk of thunderstorms on Sunday, the Met Office said.
Next week will also start off unsettled with showers and potentially thunderstorms, and temperatures will reach the low 20Cs across the South and East of England.
Ellie Wilson, meteorologist for the Met Office, said: ‘Friday will see a dry and bright start for much of the UK, with cloud and showers bubbling up into the afternoon – these heaviest across northern parts of England.
‘It will be turning increasingly showery across Northern Ireland with outbreaks of rain through the afternoon.
‘Saturday will be very wet and we could see some travel disruption, there’s going to be quite a lot of rain around, it’s something we’re keeping an eye on.
‘Sunday will be turning more showery and a risk of thunderstorms in places but more brightness compared to Saturday and feeling a bit warmer.
‘The start of next week will see the same continuation of showers and a risk of thunderstorms, reaching the low 20Cs in the South and East.’
The hot weather across Europe is expected to dip slightly over the weekend before it is due to reach the same highs next week, in the late 30Cs and early 40Cs, the forecaster added.
The highest temperatures will be seen in southern Europe before shifting further east.
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