Millions of Britons face travel disruption over the August bank holiday weekend, with nearly 18 million car journeys expected and widespread rail engineering works. The RAC has urged drivers to set off early to avoid heavy traffic, particularly on routes to airports and coastal areas.
Heavy congestion is forecast on the M5 between Bristol and Devon, with delays of over 40 minutes on Friday and Saturday between junctions 15 and 23. Drivers heading to Dover or Folkestone via the M20 in Kent may face hold-ups exceeding 30 minutes on Friday.
The best times to travel are after 7pm on Friday, before 9am on Saturday, and before 11am on Monday, with Sunday expected to be quieter. The RAC's Nick Mullender warned that more traffic increases the risk of breakdowns, especially if sunny weather prompts last-minute trips.
Rail passengers face closures on key routes. Services between London King's Cross and Peterborough are suspended on Sunday, affecting LNER and Lumo. Avanti West Coast runs a reduced service from London Euston from Saturday to Monday, with diversions adding time to journeys.
Network Rail is carrying out 261 projects over the weekend. Chief network operator Helen Hamlin advised passengers to check their journeys in advance, as works on some parts of the network are unavoidable to improve reliability.
