Easter bank holiday expected to be UK’s busiest on roads in four years

Drivers planning nearly 21m leisure journeys from Thursday to Monday despite soaring fuel prices, say experts The four-day bank holiday weekend is expected to be the busiest Easter on the roads in four years, despite a surge in fuel prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East. Drivers are planning nearly 21m leisure journeys between Thursday and Easter Monday, according to a study by the RAC and the traffic analytics specialists Inrix. With more than 1m additional trips planned compared with last year, this Easter is set to be the busiest on the roads since 2022, which was the first full getaway after the Covid lockdowns ended. And signs that the weather could warm up in time for the weekend mean the number of ad hoc journeys could rise, the RAC said. The AA predicted that traffic during the Easter period would peak on Thursday, when many schools break up. Just over half of people expect to travel short distances of under 50 miles. About one in five plan to visit friends and family, one in 10 want to head outdoors for walking or cycling, and 5% expect to visit DIY stores or garden centres. Lee Morley, an AA expert patrol, said: “After what feels like a very long, wet winter,