Christmas Getaway Is Go

THINKING of making a break for it this Christmas? You’re in good company, as millions of people are expected to be on the move in the biggest day of the Christmas getaway, with festive travellers crowding on to trains, boats and planes.

And if you’re planning to escape the lacklustre weather you’re not alone either, as a sizeable chunk of the four million heading abroad for the holiday period are flying from UK airports, with the Canary Islands one of the top destinations.

There is some good news if you’re going to spend the festive season on the UK’s roads, however. The Highways Agency has either completed or suspended roadworks at a number of sites on England's motorways and major A-roads. Some works on busy routes, such as sections of the M25 and the M1, are still in place, and motoring organisations say those locations are likely to be extremely busy.

In the UK, an estimated £2 billion is being spent on travel to friends and families this Christmas, and the RAC is predicting that 13 million people will take to the roads from December 24 to 26.

Traffic information company Inrix warned that journey times could triple at the busiest festive time, with shopping areas being particularly busy at the weekend and again on Friday 27.

By Press Association reporters