More than 14.1 million motorists are expected to take to UK roads this weekend as families head off on summer holidays and day trips, making it the busiest weekend for road travel in four years.
With temperatures easing into the mid-20s, millions are travelling to beaches, caravan parks and campsites across the country, fuelling one of the biggest staycation weekends since the pandemic.
The RAC estimates that 14.1 million journeys will be made between Friday and Sunday, with Saturday expected to be the busiest day as around 3.8 million drivers set off. Around 3.4 million journeys are forecast for both Friday and Sunday, while a further 6.8 million trips are expected to be spread across the three days as some motorists remain undecided about their travel plans.
The figure represents the second-highest summer weekend traffic volume since records began in 2016, behind only the 18.8 million journeys recorded in 2022 following the lifting of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
The surge comes as most schools in England and Wales break up for the six-week summer holidays, with schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland already closed.
Popular staycation destinations, particularly in south-west and north-west England, are expected to experience the heaviest traffic.
Transport analytics company Inrix has identified several major congestion hotspots, including the M1 southbound between Northampton and Watford, the M25 clockwise between the M4 and Watford, and the M25 anticlockwise between Maple Cross and the M3.
RAC spokesperson Harriet Hernando urged motorists to prepare before setting off.
“Drivers should plan their journeys, thinking about setting off earlier or later in the day to avoid traffic jams.”
She also warned: “People should prepare for delays and getting stuck in a jam in potentially very hot weather,” advising travellers to “carry plenty of water, as well as sun cream, and an umbrella to provide shade.”
Meanwhile, the Port of Dover processed around 7,500 outbound vehicles on Friday and expected approximately 10,000 more on Saturday as holiday traffic intensified.
In an update, the port said: “Traffic remains steady, with an approximate 32-minute wait time in the buffer zone.”
It added: “All operators currently have queues building at their check-ins, while the port approaches remain clear and traffic is flowing well. Safe travels!”
Ferry passengers have been advised not to arrive more than two hours before departure after waiting times reached around an hour on Friday.
Port of Dover Chief Executive Doug Bannister said the port had done “absolutely everything” to prepare for the summer rush but described it as “very disappointing” that the new £40 million Entry/Exit System (EES) processing facility remains unavailable for car passengers because the required technology has not yet been activated.
The warning follows a difficult May half-term period, when the port declared a critical incident after waiting times exceeded four and a half hours.
The EU’s Entry/Exit System, fully introduced in April, records biometric data including fingerprints and photographs for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area. While most UK passengers complete the process at their destination airports, checks are also carried out at the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal and London St Pancras International.
The new digital border system is designed to strengthen security by recording the entry and exit of travellers from non-EU countries.