Millions of people are set to face disruption to their Easter travel plans this weekend due to major rail engineering works, strike action, heavy traffic and possible flooding.
And now an urgent warning has been issued for those hoping to travel to one of the most popular holiday destinations. The Foreign Office recommends checking your operator’s advice and following the guidelines laid down by authorities if you are heading to Tenerife. Anti-tourism protests are planned and industrial action among hotel and hospitality staff.
Meanwhile more than 300 engineering projects will be carried out by Network Rail across Britain between Good Friday and Easter Monday, prompting warnings for passengers to check their journeys in advance. The worst-affected routes include those serving London Euston, where no trains will run to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Sunday due to work to renew overhead electric lines and improve drainage.
At Gatwick Airport, more than 100 members of the Unite union who work for ground handling firm Red Handling are expected to strike across the weekend in a dispute over pensions and pay. They include baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers for airlines including Norwegian and Delta.
On the roads, the AA estimates nearly 20 million people will travel by car on Good Friday alone, with just under that number expected to make journeys on the remaining days of the weekend. And there are also warnings of potential flooding in the South West with drivers urged to take extra care in affected areas.
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Brits are more likely to head off for short trips this Easter weekend, says an RAC breakdown spokesperson.
Alice Simpson said: “The late bank holiday weekend clashes with the end of the Easter break for many schools – which we think will change the nature of this year’s getaway.”
She added that while overall journey numbers remain high, there’s an expectation for more short-term trips.
“Although journey numbers are still very high, we’re anticipating more day trips and weekend breaks than people heading off on one and two-week stints, reflected by Inrix’s predictions that the worst delays will be along routes from Gatwick to the rest of the country, She said.
“This could lead to a ‘hat-trick of hold-ups’ on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as drivers visit family and friends.”
Ms Simpson also warned that despite the shorter distances, heavy traffic is still anticipated: “But while getaway journeys may be shorter in length, we’re still expecting to see extremely high levels of traffic from Thursday onwards, with the greatest number of Easter getaway trips planned for three years.”
Travel has been affected across the length of the UK with a ferry cancelled today in the Western Isles of Scotland due to bad weather.
Ferry passenger using Caledonian MacBrayne face a range of problems. On Friday, the link to South Uist from Oban is cancelled because of forecast adverse weather and there is a risk of disruption on Saturday.
Other ferries serving the Hebrides may stay in port due to strong northeasterly winds. On the Oban-Coll-Tiree route, the ferry firm states: “Due to forecast of adverse weather, this service is liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice.”
Until next Tuesday, the link from Mallaig to Armadale on Skye has cancellations due to staff shortages. Arran ferries are currently sailing from Troon, not Ardrossan, to Brodick.
Lines to and from London Euston will be closed from Saturday 19 to Monday 21 April causing major disruption in and out of the city.
Renewal of overhead lines, switches and crossings (that allow trains to move from one track to another) and drainage work will be taking place to improve reliability. Alternative ways of getting to and from central London will be available from the north west, Birmingham, and Milton Keynes
Amanda Webster-Uz, Network Rail’s head of Euston station operations, said: “There’s a significant amount of work happening over the Easter bank holiday to improve the reliability of the railway for both passengers and freight.
“Whilst the railway to Euston is closed, we’re also taking the opportunity to improve the station itself, which will include improving our signage and upgrading our toilet facilities for customers.
“We’re encouraging passengers to check their journeys in advance and, where possible, travel before or after the Easter weekend.”
Norwegian Air said it was expecting “minimal disruption” to its flights from London Gatwick on Friday, despite strike action from ground handling staff at the airport.
The airline said its handling teams located at other major European cities including Dublin, Oslo and Copenhagen would be “on the ground” at Gatwick over the weekend to support their operation.
More than 100 members of the Unite union who work for ground handling firm Red Handling, including baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers, were set to strike across the weekend in a dispute over pensions and pay.
The strike is understood to affect six airlines flying from the airport – Air Mauritius, Air Peace, Delta, Ethiopian Airlines, Norwegian and TAP.
A crash on the M1 in Hertfordshire has led to delays of up to an hour and five miles of congestion, National Highways said.
Two of four lanes are closed on the motorway northbound between junction 8 at Hemel Hempstead and junction 9 at Redbourn, with police, the fire service and ambulance service all at the scene.
Traffic monitoring service Inrix has estimated that the worst of the congestion today will be between 11am and 1pm.
RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Drivers shouldn’t expect to escape the queues if they don’t plan the best time to set off.
“It’s always best to travel as early as possible in the morning or later in the day when most of the traffic has eased, especially if headed to popular holiday destinations such as the West Country, Scotland or Wales.”
A couple celebrating their three-year anniversary in Liverpool are getting a six-hour coach back home.
Harvey Overton and Erica Hayman, from Sutton, are travelling on trains to visit the city this weekend and Euston station is shut tomorrow, Sunday and Monday.
Harvey said they still would have travelled today but on the way back they are instead getting the National Express. Asked how the couple felt about the six-hour journey, pub manager Erica, 25, said optimistically: “Got books to read.”
Bar manager Harvey, also 25, added: “Sure we’ll find a way to pass the time.” Erica quipped: “Lots of eye-spy.”
She added: “I’m sure it’ll be fine, we always have fun together.” Speaking outside Euston this morning, Erica said of their plans in Liverpool: “We’re sort of flat sitting… We’re gonna go do a tour of Anfield.”
The RAC has fired a warning to drivers about the best and worst times to travel this Easter weekend – and where motorists could face the longest queues.
With an anticipated 19 million journeys over the bank holiday weekend, motorists are being advised to prepare for congested roads and motorways.
According to the RAC and traffic monitoring service Inrix, the most congested periods over the bank holiday are likely to be between 10am and 5pm on Good Friday (April 18), 11am and 1pm on both Saturday and Easter Sunday, and 11am and 6pm on Monday.
They also say the best times to travel are before 10am on Friday, before 10.30am and after 2pm on Saturday, after 1pm on Sunday, and before 11am on Monday.
The M6 north of Stoke was highlighted as a key traffic hotspot by Inrix, along with the M25 clockwise towards Godstone in Surrey, and anticlockwise between Gatwick Airport and the M40.
Hairdresser Geraldine Peel got to Euston early for her train this morning.
Sitting outside the station with an oat latte and almond croissant, she told how she had feared her train to Liverpool would be cancelled.
The 69-year-old, from Woking, in Surrey would have travelled tomorrow but the station is closed. She is visiting friends on a farm in the Wirral.
Geraldine said: “I would have travelled tomorrow [but] because it’s closed I have to travel today.”
Asked how she felt about it, she said: “It’s fine, it just needs rearranging, that’s all. But I was dead scared my train today might be cancelled.
“I got here early. My train’s not due for another hour.” She added: “It’s supposed to be on time and doing ok.”
An estimated 74 million journeys are planned by Brits this weekend but there could be many more if the sun comes out.
RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said around 6.2 million people are “undecided” on when to travel this Easter, which means “any sign of sun” could spark “big jams”.
The busiest roads traditionally over Easter have been the M6 north of Birmingham as holidaymakers head for Blackpool and the Lake District.
Then another area often hit by congestion is the M5 southwest from Birmingham to Bristol and Exeter. While the A303 southwest through Wiltshire also sees plenty of traffic as does the M25 particularly between the M23 and M40 junctions to the southwest, and the Dartford Crossing to the east.
More Brits are set to jet off this Easter than last year and this also coincides with the holidays coming later.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium says Good Friday will be the busiest day overall, with 2,949 flights taking off from airports around the country – a departure every 30 seconds on average.
Britain’s biggest budget airline, easyJet, has also confirmed its busiest day will be Good Friday. The carrier plans more than 1,100 flights to or from UK airports carrying up to 145,000 passengers.
Cirium expects total departures to be up 6% compared to Easter 2024, with fellow aviation data firm OAG forecasting a 7% increase – some 210,000 seats. But Cirium notes the figure is still 4% down compared to Easter 2019.
An urgent warning has been issued for those hoping to travel to Tenerife during the Easter break.
The Foreign Office has issued an alert for industrial action planned across the hospitality sector in Tenerife over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
Warning travellers about the action, the Foreign Office recommends checking your operator’s advice and following the guidelines laid down by authorities if you are heading to Tenerife.
Across the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, hospitality workers have begun protesting outside hotels as part of a planned two-day strike that started on Thursday and coinciding with the peak of Easter holiday season.
The Foreign Office warning states: “Industrial action is planned in the hospitality sector in Tenerife over the Easter bank holiday weekend. If you’re due to travel to Tenerife this weekend, check your operator’s advice and follow the advice of authorities.”
The industrial action affects around 80,000 hotel industry employees in Tenerife, El Hierro, La Gomera, and La Palma. The strike was actioned after the latest proposal from the employers’ associations was turned down, despite mediation efforts led by Fernando Clavijo, the President of the Canary Islands.
A yellow warning for rain is set to come into force on Good Friday, marking a damp start to the Easter bank holiday weekend.
The Met Office alert for a “prolonged spell of rain” will come into effect at 6pm in south-west England, meaning difficult driving conditions with some disruption to travel likely.
The warning, affecting Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, is in place through to Saturday at 9am during which up to 75mm of rain could fall.
Residents have been advised by the forecaster that flooding of some homes and businesses is possible, along with longer journey times for travellers.
The downpours may also be accompanied by “windy” conditions, the Met Office added.
An accident has caused severe delays on the M4 due to a collision just outside Swindon and a collision has also caused heavy congestion on the M25.
National Highways has said the M4 eastbound exit slip at Membury Services has been closed to the accident and the area is not expected to clea until between 12.30 and 12.45.
There are also delays on the M25 which are expected to continue until after midday following a collision.
Lanes on the M25 anticlockwise between junctions J9 and J8 are closed, according to National Highways. Disruption is expected to last until 12.15.
At Gatwick Airport, more than 100 members of the Unite union who work for ground handling firm Red Handling are expected to strike across the weekend in a dispute over pensions and pay.
They include baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers for airlines including Norwegian and Delta.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Workers have had enough of Red Handling playing fast and loose with their retirement plans and waiting weeks for pay they are rightfully owed for their hard work.
“The union will not stand back and watch members be treated in such an appalling way and they have the full support of Unite in this dispute.”
A London Gatwick spokesperson said: “We are aware of the recent ballot results and the planned industrial action by Red Handling UK which will impact thousands of passengers during one of our busiest times of year.
“We are supporting the airlines impacted, who hold the contracts directly with Red Handling, with their contingency plans. Passengers are advised to contact their airlines directly for latest information.”
Queues have been seen forming at the Port of Dover as many people seek to get away for the long Easter weekend.
In a post on X, the port warned of “extended processing times” at Border Control with around a 40-minute wait both before the border and at the P&O Ferries check-in.
It comes as the AA previously estimated nearly 20 million people would travel by car on Good Friday alone.
Meanwhile, travel trade organisation Abta said approximately 2.2 million Britons will head overseas during the long weekend, with Good Friday being the busiest day for travel.
Some 11,282 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports between Good Friday and Monday, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.
And tourism authority VisitEngland estimates that around 10.6 million British adults are planning to take a holiday in the UK over the bank holiday period.
More than 300 engineering projects will be carried out by Network Rail across Britain between Good Friday and Easter Monday, prompting warnings for passengers to check their journeys in advance.
Helen Hamlin, Network Rail’s director of system operations, said: “The vast majority of the rail network will be open as usual for people wanting to travel over the Easter bank holiday, but there will be changes to services in some areas so we’re asking passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel.”
She added that Easter presented a key opportunity to carry out works because passenger numbers are lower and the double bank holiday allows more time for upgrades.
The company said £86 million will be invested in the rail network over the weekend.
The Met Office is forecasting “changeable weather for many”, with deputy chief meteorologist Steven Skeates warning of “heavy and possibly even disruptive rain” on Good Friday in parts of south-west England, South Wales and Northern Ireland.
There are also warnings of potential flooding in the South West into Saturday, with drivers urged to take extra care in affected areas.
RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said if the heavy rain becomes a reality “many drivers may have their journeys disrupted as they set off for day trips and long weekends”.
She added: “It’s vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion.”
Ms Simpson said an estimated 6.2 million people are “undecided” on when they will travel for an Easter leisure trip, which means “any sign of sun” could spark “big jams”.
On the roads, the AA estimates nearly 20 million people will travel by car on Good Friday alone, with just under that number expected to make journeys on the remaining days of the weekend.
National Highways has lifted roadworks from more than 1,100 miles of motorway and major A roads, with 97.5% of its network now free of traffic cones.
Traffic hotspots are expected on the M6 in Birmingham and near Blackpool, the south and western M25, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire.
RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson warned of the potential for “big jams”, particularly if there is a break in the weather.
She said: “It’s vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion.”
Gatwick Airport, the second busiest in the UK after Heathrow, is set to face strike action during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
Baggage handlers and flight dispatchers will walk out in protest over pension disputes and payment delays – meaning flight delays, short-notice cancellations, and long queues at check-in are likely.
The strike action will start on Good Friday and last until Tuesday. Passengers worried about their flight are advised to check with their airline.
A total of 11,282 flights are scheduled to leave UK airports over the four-day period, with popular destinations including Dublin, Amsterdam, Malaga, Alicante and Mallorca, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.
A large build up of traffic can already be seen this morning at the port of Dover for people going abroad over Easter.
It’ll also be a busy bank holiday on the roads, and drivers are being advised to prepare for congestion around town and city centres, retail parks and major routes.
According to the AA, an estimated 19.1 million people in the UK will drive on Good Friday alone, with 18.5 million hitting the road on Saturday and 18.2 million on each of Easter Sunday and Monday.
Heavy traffic is expected on the M6 at Birmingham and around the Blackpool area, the south and western section of the M25 between the M23 and M40, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire.
Some of the biggest impacts will be felt at London Euston, the 10th busiest railway station in the UK, which will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Easter Sunday. It will also reduced timetable on Good Friday and Monday to allow engineering work to take place, including renewals of overhead electric lines and drainage improvements.
Services on the West Coast Main Line between Saturday and Monday will meanwhile start and terminate at Carlisle, with replacement buses serving stations to the north. Platforms 1-8 will be closed at London Victoria, meaning no Southeastern trains will serve the station over the four-day bank holiday period.
Services will be diverted to London Bridge or London Cannon Street. Engineering work in the Southampton and Brockenhurst areas will close various lines in the region, meaning trains running through the popular New Forest area will be affected.
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