Motorists warned to brace for bank holiday chaos as drivers plan 18m getaway trips

20th August 2025

This coming August bank holiday is expected to bring chaos on the roads as drivers in England and Wales enjoy the last long weekend before Christmas.

Almost 18 million leisure journeys are expected to take place by car across the bank holiday, with major routes to coastal regions set to bear the brunt of the traffic, according to the RAC.

Traffic is likely to build from Friday to Saturday with three million getaway trips likely to take place this Friday 22 August, rising to 3.4 million on Saturday 23 August. A further 2.4 million are planned on Sunday and 2.7 million on Monday, while an additional 6.1 million drivers are planning trips at some point between Friday and Monday.

The overall number of getaway journeys is down on the record figure of 19.2m in 2024, but it’s still the second highest since 2020 when 18.4 million drivers said they planned to get away as lockdown restrictions were lifted.

Traffic experts at Inrix believe the M5 between Bristol and Devon will prove a hotspot, with the stretch from J15 north of Bristol to J23 for Bridgwater likely to see some of the worst delays of more than 40 minutes on both Friday and Saturday. The M20 in Kent could also suffer afternoon hold-ups of more than half an hour in both directions on Friday, from J7 near Maidstone to J3 westbound and J1 at Swanley to J5 at Aylesford eastbound.

The busiest times to drive will be between 10am and 7pm on Friday, 9am and 5pm on Saturday and 11am and 6pm on Monday. The best time to travel on Friday is after 7pm, whereas on Saturday it’s before 9am and on Monday before 11am. On Sunday, however, traffic is expected to be mostly free-flowing.

RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader Nick Mullender said: “With this bank holiday being the last opportunity to enjoy a long weekend before Christmas, our study shows a real eagerness to get out and about with nearly 18 million drivers planning getaway trips. More traffic on the roads will inevitably lead to more vehicle breakdowns, especially if the sun makes an appearance and people decide on the day to visit popular destinations.

“We’re expecting major roads to airports and coastal destinations to be extremely busy, especially the South East and South West regions which could end up bearing the brunt of most holiday hold-ups. Anyone planning routes through these areas should set off as early as possible or be prepared to spend longer in traffic.”