Christmas chaos is about to begin. There are few ways to get around the stress of present-buying, turkey-cooking and constant work-party hangovers, but we can help you with one thing: travel.
Just before Christmas, a huge rush of people dash across the country, whether that be back to childhood homes, to spend time with new grandchildren, or meet up with in-laws, but if you plan ahead you can beat the crowds (or trail behind them).
There are four critical days in the lead-up to the holiday that tend to be very busy for travel. Here’s exactly when not to travel by rail, road, and sky if you want to avoid crawling up the M6 at a snail’s pace when you should be enjoying a glass of mulled wine.
The busiest travel days for Christmas 2025
Train
The railways are going to be a bit tricky to navigate this winter. Planned engineering works are going to disrupt a lot of trips, with major stations like Waterloo and Liverpool Street in London shutting in the interim between Christmas and New Year. Have a look at all the major disruptions to London transport this year here.
Luckily, most of the work is scheduled for after Christmas, so you’ll still be able to get home for the holidays.
According to research from the Independent, Saturday December 20 and Monday December 22 are due to be the busiest days on the rails as people wrap up work and head back to their families.
December 27 will also be a popular day to travel, and with work taking place across the country, it could be a pretty chaotic one. Anticipate packed carriages and delays.
December 24 and January 1 will be the least busy days to travel by train, with crowds returning on January 3.
Car
The AA usually does a big annual survey to find out when people are planning to drive home for the holidays, but that info won’t be available for a couple of weeks yet. Here’s what we know now.
Historically, the last Friday before Christmas has been the busiest day on the roads in December. This year, that will be Friday 19 December. Saturday Dec 20 and Sunday Dec 21 will also likely be pretty busy, and Monday Dec 23 is another one to avoid. Last year saw a record number of motorists travelling on these days.
Certain roads are always worse than others. Last year, the AA noted these are particular points of congestion:
- The M4/M5 interchange near Bristol
- The M25 near Heathrow airport, west London
- The M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham
- The M60 near the Trafford Centre, Manchester
- The M1 near Meadowhall, Sheffield
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day are all usually quiet, as are New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Plus, with more and more of us working from home, it is possible that traffic patterns will shift this year as people head home a few days early, but don’t count on that to keep you out of a gridlock on December 20.
Plane
Based on ticket sales for the three most popular domestic routes in the UK – London-Edinburgh, London-Glasgow, and London-Belfast – it looks like December 19 and December 20 will be the busiest for those flying across the UK for Christmas.
If you’re looking for a cheap flight, avoid these days and opt for December 17 and Boxing Day, when far fewer people appear to be travelling.
Airports will likely remain busy throughout the festive period as lucky holidaymakers escape to the sun, so they will be less affected by the peaks and troughs of the season than railways or roads.
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