Warning to motorists planning weekend getaway

TRAVEL WARNINGS have been issued to motorists ahead of the bank holiday getaway this weekend, with traffic expected to rise by a fifth compared with last year.

Some five million motorists are expected to embark on leisure journeys on Monday, up by nearly one million on the 2016 figure.

The RAC recommended drivers wanting to beat the queues this weekend should avoid this afternoon and evening, and set off early if travelling on Monday.

The proportion of Britons planning an overnight UK trip this weekend has risen by more than a third compared with last year.

Some 6.9 million adults are planning a domestic break over the last long weekend before Christmas, up from 5.1 million in 2016, according to tourism body VisitEngland.

In addition, travel trade organisation Abta estimated 2.1 million British holidaymakers will travel abroad over the weekend with Spain, Turkey and Greece among the most popular destinations.

Heathrow expects 243,000 departing passengers on Friday alone, while an estimated 304,000 will fly from Gatwick over the entire weekend.

Rail firms have also ramped up warnings to passengers travelling over the bank holiday weekend, with major engineering work affecting several lines.

Virgin Trains issued an alert stating that its services will be “very busy” over the long weekend.

High demand is expected for east coast trains between London King’s Cross and Scotland due to passengers seeking alternative routes to and from London because of the closure of London Euston on Saturday and Sunday, as well as Edinburgh’s festivals coming to an end.

A Virgin spokesman said: “We are advising customers to avoid travelling on our west coast route on Saturday or Sunday unless necessary.

“If customers choose to travel, we strongly recommend they book their tickets in advance, make a seat reservation and allow longer to get to their destination.”

London Waterloo services – which have been disrupted for more than a fortnight as part of a major project – have been reduced even further until Tuesday.