Four million people embarking on foreign festive trips

An estimated four million people in the UK are preparing to spend the Christmas and new year period overseas, according to a travel trade organisation.

Abta said Sunday will be the busiest day for departures between Friday and January 2, with Christmas Day the quietest.

It identified the most popular destinations for winter sun holidays as the Canary Islands, southern Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Dubai.

Ski post

The ski resorts of France, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia lead the way for holidaymakers seeking snow, while the most popular city break destinations include Amsterdam, Budapest, Dublin, Paris, Prague and Vienna.

Heathrow airport expects this will be its busiest December on record for passenger numbers, exceeding the previous high of 6.7 million in 2023.

Around half a million departing passengers are expected at both Manchester and Stansted airports over the Christmas and new year period, with 400,000 at Luton, 200,000 at Birmingham and 175,000 at Bristol.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “Christmas and new year are one of the busiest times of year for overseas travel with millions heading off to spend quality time with family and friends.

“Holidaymakers are either looking for some winter sun or guaranteed snow, as well as the opportunity for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves with someone else doing the hard work of cooking and clearing up after the festivities.

“We’re encouraging people to plan ahead when making their journeys. Public transport and the roads will be very busy, so always leave plenty of time to arrive at your departure port to avoid any difficulties.”

EasyJet said it is expecting its busiest-ever Christmas and new year period, with up to 4.1 million passengers boarding departures from airports across Europe.

Friday is expected to be the UK’s busiest day on the roads for festive travel.

The AA said an estimated 23.7 million journeys are planned for the day.

That is more than the busiest Christmas getaway day of any year since the organisation began recording data in 2010.

Congestion hotspots

It has identified several likely congestion hotspots, including:

– The M4/M5 interchange near Bristol

– The M25 near Heathrow airport, west London

– The M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham

– The M4 around Cardiff and Newport

– The M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow

The AA said Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday may help spread festive journeys this year, but could also mean more days of long delays as getaway journeys on Friday are followed by last-minute shopping trips and visits to friends and family.

Rail engineering work will lead to more pressure on the roads with several lines closed, affecting services to and from stations such as London Liverpool Street, London Paddington, Crewe, Cambridge and Harpenden.

Storm damage means the Port of Holyhead in North Wales is closed to ferries until January 15, forcing many people who planned to travel to and from Ireland by boat to find an alternative route.