Summer holiday travel chaos looms for drivers, air, rail and ferry passengers as schools break up

‘Extreme’ demand for travel set to cause road congestion and delays at Dover, while industrial action to bring pain for rail and air passengers

The RAC has warned of significant congestion (Getty Images)

Travel chaos is brewing on multiple for families seeking summer getaways this week as the majority of schools in England and Wales break up for summer.

Drivers are being warned over severe road congestion, with the RAC forecasting that nearly 13 million people embarking on day trips or holidays by care between Friday and Monday will cause “bumper-to-bumper traffic”.

Those travelling instead by rail, sea or air could also face disruption, with bosses at the Port of Dover warning holidaymakers to expect two-and-a-half hour delays this weekend.

Waiting times have greatly improved at the ferry port since some coach passengers were subjected to 18-hour delays at Easter, thanks in part to enhanced post-Brexit passport checks by French border officials – with a new processing booth expected to be completed before Friday.

Nevertheless, the port’s chief executive Doug Bannister warned that processing times could stretch up to two-and-a-half hours during the peak hours of 6am to 1pm during the first couple of Saturdays and Sundays of the summer holidays, “due to the extreme popularity of these days”.

Those travelling from London Gatwick airport have also been warned of “severe delays, disruption and cancellations” as nearly 1,000 members of Unite – comprising check in, baggage handling and aircraft dispatch staff working for ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services Ltd – walk out over the next two weekends.

A Gatwick spokesperson said although the airport did not employ the staff directly, it would work with the ground handles to ensure “as many flights as possible operate as scheduled”.

Industrial action is also set to hit those travelling by rail, with huge strikes by the RMT union on Thursday, Saturday and the following weekend set to cause thousands of cancellations.

Going places? Warning notice to passengers about industrial action at the UK’s busiest railway station, London Waterloo (Simon Calder)

This is likely to be compounded by an Aslef train drivers’ overtime ban, which began on Monday and will last until Saturday. This “action short of strike” will be repeated again from six days starting from 31 July, the union announced on Monday.

Friday, the day most schools begin their summer break, is set to be the worst day for drivers as holidaymakers compete for road space with commuters, the RAC said.

Traffic hotspots will include the M5 south near Bristol, which is a popular route for holidaymakers travelling to England’s South West, transport analysis company Inrix predicted.

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, the firm said.

Drivers wanting to avoid long queues are advised not to travel on major roads between late morning and early evening from Thursday to Sunday.

“There’s no doubting the UK remains an ever-popular holiday destination with millions of drivers expected to take to the roads at the end of this week as schools in England and Wales close for summer,” said RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis.

“With the West Country leading the pack when it comes to the most popular part of the country to visit, it means routes heading south and west are likely to encounter some of the longest queues. Anyone using the M5 southbound from Bristol should anticipate bumper-to-bumper traffic, with those travelling outside peak periods most likely to have a better journey.

“We’re seeing an enormous increase in breakdowns this year as drivers dependent on their vehicles for leisure and work contend with cripplingly high prices, leading to some scrimping on car maintenance as a result.

“It’s for this reason we’re urging drivers to take action to avoid a summer surge of breakdowns.

“No driver should set off before a long journey without carrying out a few basic checks to ensure their cars have got the right levels of oil and coolant, as well as making sure all tyres have plenty of tread and are properly inflated.”