Britain Faces Record 37.5m Christmas Road Journeys
Britain’s roads are set for their busiest Christmas travel period on record, with an estimated 37.5 million journeys expected to be made over the festive season, according to new data from the RAC.
The breakdown company conducted a survey of 2,191 adults about their Christmas travel plans and found a significant year-on-year increase of more than eight million trips compared with 29.3 million journeys in 2024.
Christmas Getaways Drive Traffic Surge
The RAC reports that 18% of all journeys will be Christmas getaway trips, equating to around 6.5 million journeys. These are expected to take place mainly between Wednesday, December 17, and Thursday, December 18.
Traffic levels are forecast to peak on “Snarl-up Saturday”, with approximately 4.1 million journeys, making it the busiest Christmas Saturday since records began in 2013. However, Christmas Eve is predicted to be even busier, with 4.2 million trips, making it the single busiest travel day of the entire holiday period.
RAC Warns Drivers to Plan Ahead
Nick Mullender, RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader, warned that drivers face major delays unless they prepare carefully.
“With record numbers predicted to be taking to the roads this Christmas, journeys have the potential to be ‘Grinch-worthy’ without some careful planning,” Mullender said.
“The week before Christmas is one of the few times of year when most of the UK hits the road simultaneously, with 2025 shaping up to be the busiest getaway period since our records began.”
He added that Snarl-up Saturday will be particularly congested due to a combination of homeward travel and last-minute Christmas shopping. However, the busiest day overall is expected to be midweek Christmas Eve, suggesting many motorists are delaying travel to save annual leave and leaving their journeys until the very last moment.
