Beat festive travel chaos
FATHER Christmas is not the only one flying around over the festive season as tens of millions of Britons will be hitting the road, catching the train or taking to the skies.
Christmas and New Year is one of the busiest times of all as people go shopping, visit family members or fly off to escape it all.
If you are driving home for Christmas, or taking any other form of transport, plan now to beat the seasonal rush.
DRIVE TIME
Friday December 21 will be the busiest day for traffic as the Christmas getaway from work and school combines with last-minute shopping.
Almost 19 million drivers will cram onto our main roads and motorways, according to the AA, while Saturday will see festive shoppers out in force. Sunday will be a little quieter so you might want to time journeys for that day instead.
George Flinton, winner of AA Patrol Of The Year, said gear up now to ensure hassle-free journeys: “Check traffic reports before you go and try to travel at quieter times of the day, or plot an alternative route to beat the jams.”
Perform basic motor checks before longer journeys, topping up the windscreen wash and antifreeze, checking your lights and adjusting tyre pressures for a full load where necessary.
In case of bad weather, pack warm and waterproof layers, food, water, fully-charged mobiles and an atlas or sat-nav in case of any unexpected diversions. “If travelling with children, take plenty of things to ‘keep them entertained’.”
Consider downloading mobile travel apps offering traffic updates, accidents and roadworks offered by the AA, RAC, Waze and others.
When shopping, beat the queues by using any local park-and-ride facilities, Flinton said.
TAKING THE TRAIN
The best train ticket deals are released 12 weeks in advance so early birds will have booked their Christmas travel already.
If you have not booked, Steve Dukes, chief executive of the Commuter Club, said it is not too late to save money: “Even if you book just one day before you will probably get a better deal than buying a ticket just before you board.”
Check whether you are eligible for a railcard. “If you qualify for 16-25, 26-30, Senior and Disabled Persons railcards you can get a third off travel costs,” he said.
If you buy an annual season ticket or travelcard in the south of England, you may qualify for an annual Gold Card which offers a third off travel for yourself and up to three adults, plus up to 60 per cent off child fares.
Split ticketing, where you buy separate tickets for connecting parts of your journey, can save money, particularly on longer journeys. “Often you don’t even have to get off the train,” Dukes said.
Pricey train fares mean it could be cheaper to hire a car instead, especially for groups, according to car sharing specialist Veygo, from insurer Admiral. It calculates four return tickets from Edinburgh to Cardiff would cost £730 but hiring a car might cost £330, including fuel.
FLYING
If you want to escape the seasonal excess you will pay a premium price with winter flights up to £800 more expensive, according to travel search engine Kayak.co.uk.
Flying from the UK to Sydney costs on average £732 return in the final week of November, but soars to £1,286 from December 17 as Aussie nationals head home, an increase of £554 or 75 per cent. Flights to US destinations such as Florida and New York show similar increases.
In Lanzarote, Spain, prices increase 440 per cent from £65 to £350 over the course of December.
Managing director John-Lee Saez said: “This year’s best value festive destinations are Paris, Amsterdam and Reykjavik.”
If you have already booked your flights make sure you have all the extras lined up, including airport car parking, and leave early to avoid jams.