Get ready for Easter getaway: Warning nearly 20 million drivers will hit the roads over bank holiday weekend - heres how to avoid the worst of the traffic gridlock and rail chaos

Britons face long queues during the Easter getaway with nearly 20million drivers set to hit the roads each day over the long weekend amid major rail disruption.

The AA warned Easter weekend being three weeks later than in 2024 will see holiday traffic levels spike by 15 per cent as many people hope for warmer weather this year.

But after weeks of settled and warm conditions with 24C (75F) highs on the way today, forecasters fear a return to unsettled conditions next week with some rain.

Motorists were urged to prepare for congestion around town and city centres, retail parks and major routes, with 19.8million people driving on Maundy Thursday alone.

The AA anticipates 19.1million people will then drive on Good Friday, 18.5million on Easter Saturday and 18.2million on each of Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

Hotspots could include the M6 around Birmingham and Blackpool, the M25 south-western section from the M23 to M40, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire.

Thousands of Easter train journeys will also be disrupted as Network Rail is carrying out engineering work, with the most significant impact set to be at London Euston.

The UKs 10th busiest railway station will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on the Saturday and Sunday, with a reduced timetable on the Friday and Monday.

Disruption is also expected in the areas around London Victoria, Paddington, Carlisle, Manchester, Stockport, Southampton, Cambridge, Leeds and Huddersfield.

In London, the Elizabeth line will have a reduced service in the western section with some stations not served, while the DLR and Piccadilly line will be partially closed.

AA patrol of the year Shaun Jones advised drivers to carry out simple checks such as ensuring tyres are properly inflated, and levels of oil and coolant are correct.

He said: With so many people planning to travel this Easter, it is crucial to ensure your vehicle is in top condition.

The organisations figures on expected drivers were based on responses to a survey of 11,233 AA members.

It added that as around half of those venturing out will be travelling less than 50 miles, with only 10 per cent or less driving further afield each day. 

Previously, the RAC estimated more than 21million leisure journeys would be made last weekend as most schools in England finished for the Easter holidays, according to its own survey of getaway plans.

National Highways has deployed traffic management system Operation Brock in Kent ahead of the Easter getaway period.

The scheme involves narrow lanes and a reduced 50mph speed limit.

It is designed to manage traffic flows on the M20 motorway in the event of delays at Channel ports, which are seeing high demand from holidaymakers.

Operation Brock is in place on a 13-mile stretch of the motorway between Junction 8 for Maidstone and Junction 9 for Ashford.

Lorries heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel are being directed to follow signs to join a specific lane at Junction 8.

All other traffic for the coast crosses over to enter the contraflow on the London-bound carriageway.

Meanwhile thousands of Easter train journeys will be disrupted as Network Rail is carrying out engineering work.

The disruption at Euston is because of work including renewals of overhead electric lines, switches and crossings as well as drainage improvements.

Services on the West Coast Main Line will start and terminate at Carlisle. Bus replacements will run between Carlisle, Glasgow, Dumfries and Edinburgh.

Caledonian Sleeper services will start and terminate at London Kings Cross.

Elsewhere, track renewals, re-signalling, maintenance and structures work at Battersea mean services to and from London Victoria will also be disrupted.

No Southeastern services will run to or from the station between the Friday and Monday, instead diverted via London Bridge or London Cannon Street.

Lorries moving through Operation Brock on the M20 motorway near Ashford in Kent on April 4 as the traffic management system is deployed ahead of the Easter getaway 

Passengers queue for ferries at the Port of Dover in Kent on April 5 after the schools broke up

Gatwick Express services will run on a reduced timetable and there will also be reduced Southern services to Brighton.

Passengers in Hampshire will also face disruption due to structures work, earthworks and station improvements between St Denys and Fareham.

This means trains to Southampton will be diverted via Fareham into Portsmouth between Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 20 - and no South Western Railway services will run between Portsmouth and Southampton.

Great Western Railway services towards Cardiff will divert via Eastleigh and bus replacements will operate between Southampton and Fareham.

There will also be disruptive work taking place at London Paddington from Good Friday to Easter Monday; at Manchester and Stockport from the Saturday to Monday; at Cambridge from the Friday to Monday; and in the Leeds and Huddersfield area from the Saturday to Monday.

Network Rail said it was delivering an £86million investment programme consisting of more than 300 upgrade projects across the UK over the Easter weekend.

Helen Hamlin, Network Rails director of system operations, said: The vast majority of the rail network will be open as usual for people wanting to travel over the Easter Bank Holiday.

London Euston railway station will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on Easter Saturday and Sunday. Euston is pictured during the Christmas getaway on December 21, 2024

London Heathrow will have the largest number of Easter weekend departures of any airport at 2,680 flights. The hub is pictured on March 22 after a fire which led to its temporary closure

But there will be changes to services in some areas, so were asking passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel.

We carry out a large amount of our work over the Easter period as passenger numbers are lower than they typically would be, disrupting fewer journeys, and the two bank holidays either side of the weekend give us a unique opportunity to get more work done whilst keeping disruption to a minimum.

Transport for London said the Elizabeth line will have a reduced service from the Friday to Monday between West Drayton and Maidenhead and at Heathrow Terminal 4.

Trains will also not call at Acton Main Line, Hanwell and West Ealing stations in West London.

In addition, the Piccadilly line will have no service between the Friday and Monday between Acton Town and Uxbridge.

And the Docklands Light Railway will not run between the Friday and Monday in three sections - Tower Gateway to Shadwell; Stratford to West India Quay and Westferry to Canning Town.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said more than 50,000 flights will be jetting off during the school holiday period.

Some 11,282 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports between Good Friday and Easter Monday.

That is 6 per cent more than last years Easter, but remains 4 per cent down from Easter 2019.

The most common international destinations for UK departures this Easter are Dublin, Amsterdam, Malaga, Alicante and Mallorca.

London Heathrow is the busiest airport departure point, with 12,093 outbound flights across the holidays as a whole, followed by Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted.

Heathrow will see the largest number of Easter weekend departures at 2,680.

EasyJet is expected to be the busiest airline throughout the holidays, with 10,276 departures from the UK, followed by British Airways and Ryanair.

Good Friday will be the busiest day overall for UK departures during the weekend, with nearly 3,000 flights.