Join Simon Calder’s complimentary travel newsletter for professional tips and cost-cutting deals.
Receive Simon Calder’s email newsletter about travel.
On December 22nd, Friday, major airports in the UK are expected to experience the highest amount of traffic during the holiday season. The next day will also see a significant number of people at train stations as they try to get to their Christmas destination before any scheduled maintenance takes place.
New research indicates that London Heathrow airport will experience high levels of activity on the last Friday before Christmas, known as “Flyaway Friday”, similar to a summer peak day. Additionally, data obtained by The Independent suggests that other airports such as Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Liverpool will also face significant demand on 22 December.
Passengers who do not frequently travel by air and are unfamiliar with security procedures may encounter extended wait times in queues. Additionally, airport visitors may be dressed in winter attire and may have items of interest in their carry-on luggage.
According to a representative from Liverpool John Lennon airport, it is recommended not to wrap gifts in hand luggage to prevent any disappointment in case they need to be inspected during the baggage screening process. It is advised to bring the wrapping paper separately and wrap the gifts upon arrival.
Saturday 23 December is predicted to be the busiest day for East Midlands, London Stansted, and Manchester airports. It is also when rail connections will experience the highest demand. On Christmas Eve, two of the busiest train stations in the UK, Paddington and King’s Cross in London, will be closed for maintenance, in preparation for the nationwide closure on 25 December.
The 10.03am GWR train from London Paddington to Penzance on Saturday, December 23 is thought to be the most popular intercity train on the railway.
Network Rail will start engineering work on December 23rd, which may cause longer travel times between Leeds and York according to TransPennine Express.
On December 23, National Express coaches are experiencing the highest number of reservations, while Flixbus and Megabus have reported similar levels of demand on December 22 and 23.
The last Friday and Saturday before Christmas are the busiest days for P&O’s ferry routes from Dover to Calais and Cairnryan to Larne.
Rod Dennis, spokesperson for RAC Breakdown, predicts that there will be several periods of increased traffic on the roads. He explains, “We anticipate a surge in holiday travel leading up to Christmas, as schools have staggered winter break schedules.”
“However, it is the trips taken closer to the main event that may result in increased traffic congestion. It is likely that many drivers will attempt to fit in multiple journeys during the weekend of December 23 and 24, so it is wise to avoid these dates for travel. If you are unable to avoid them, it is advisable to plan for extra time and anticipate potential delays.”
On Christmas Day, travel within the UK and internationally is usually minimal. However, on December 25, 2023, there will be an increase in flights to and from British airports as well as a high number of intercity coach trips within the UK.
Here are the important statistics and recommendations for people who are traveling during the Christmas holiday.
On Friday, December 22nd, Heathrow airport is expected to accommodate about 250,000 travelers. Approximately 800 flights will be departing from the busiest airport in the UK on Christmas Day. The top destinations are New York JFK and Dubai.
Birmingham airport has Dubai as one of its top five travel destinations, along with Dublin, Tenerife, Geneva, and Amsterdam.
During the Christmas season, Glasgow airport is expected to accommodate over 10,000 travelers departing on three specific days: December 22nd, 28th, and 29th.
On Christmas Day, Edinburgh airport is expected to accommodate over 7,000 passengers, which is approximately one-sixth of its usual volume. Following December 22nd, the busiest day at the airport will be December 29th.
On its busiest day of 22 December, Liverpool John Lennon airport is expected to accommodate over 15,000 travelers. On Christmas Day, approximately 30% of the daily average number of passengers will pass through, and on 1 January, the numbers are expected to be similar to those of a typical Monday.
Newcastle airport is an exception to the trend of the busiest day being before Christmas. Instead, it will experience the highest number of arrivals and departures on Friday, December 29th.
Avanti West Coast, a railway service that links London Euston to the West Midlands, northwest England, North Wales, and southern Scotland, reports that bookings are currently limited for all dates except the morning of December 27th. However, they anticipate high demand on December 22nd and 23rd as well.
The most popular dates to travel on the East Coast main line from London King’s Cross to Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland with LNER are currently 23 December and 27 December, followed by 30 December and 2 January.
GWR has stated that Saturday, December 23rd is slightly busier than Friday, December 22nd for travel between London, the West of England, and South Wales. Both dates are busier than the days prior. The most popular routes are from London Paddington to Exeter, Bath, Bristol Parkway, Cardiff, and Plymouth, as well as the route from Bath to Paddington.
According to a spokesperson, trains are more crowded in the morning between 9am and 10am compared to later in the morning and the afternoon/evening.
The Independent has released complete information regarding the Christmas engineering plans.
There are no plans for any additional rail strikes before Christmas.
During the weekend of December 15th-17th, there will be a high volume of university students traveling home on National Express and Megabus. The busiest day before Christmas will be Saturday, December 23rd, followed by Boxing Day and Wednesday, December 27th, when there will be limited train service. According to National Express, passenger bookings have increased by 13% compared to last Christmas.
According to Brittany Ferries, December 22nd is the most heavily trafficked day during the holiday season, but there are still some openings. A representative stated that those who are willing to delay their departure can still find good availability on Christmas Eve for a trip from Portsmouth to Caen at 8am. The cost for a car and two passengers is £190.
According to P&O Ferries, the Hull-Rotterdam route will experience high traffic on December 14-16 and 27-29, with a significant number of incoming bookings on December 15-17, 21/22, and 27/28.
According to The Independent, there are no ferries operating to or from UK ports on Christmas Day.
Transport for London
The London Underground will operate on a daily basis, except for December 25th.
There will be no Elizabeth Line trains running between Ealing Broadway and Paddington on Sunday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 27th, 2023. This is due to construction on HS2.
The Congestion Charge in central London will not be in effect from December 25th to January 1st.
There will be no Eurostar trains traveling to or from London St Pancras International on Christmas Day. However, there is expected to be a high demand for travel between Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam once services resume on Boxing Day. The Channel Tunnel rail company will be operating 13 trains in each direction between Paris and London on December 26th.
The Independent website
I’m unable to reword this text as it is the name of a specific website.
