Drivers be warned: this Easter weekend is set to be the busiest on the roads in eight years, with more than 20 million trips expected. Here’s our top tips on when to travel and which routes to avoid so you can have a cracking Easter! 🐣 (Sorry…)

Easter travel

Traditionally, the Easter weekend has always been a busy period for travel, but 2022’s holiday is set to be particularly crowded on roads across the UK.

With the last two years spent in COVID lockdowns amid a range of tough restrictions, Brits are grabbing every opportunity to visit friends and family, or just get away from it all.

It’s been hard and now we want to celebrate our freedom - that’s why traffic analysis indicates the four-day weekend will see people taking in excess of 21 million leisure journeys, the busiest Easter since 2014.

The anticipated high figures of this year’s road traffic are due partly to the problems faced by the UK’s air transport. With many airlines struggling to find staff post-COVID, numerous flights are being cancelled, leading to holiday makers choosing a staycation over travelling abroad. Ferries, too, are facing difficulties. It’s all set for a perfect storm on the roads.

Busiest days and times on the road at Easter

Breaking down data from RAC and INRIX shows exactly when drivers should and shouldn’t hit the road.

Good Friday is the busiest day on the UK’s roads each Easter, and this year looks no different. Monday, April 18 is expected to be the second-busiest day, while Saturday and Sunday will be quieter.

Let’s break things down:

Worst and best days to travel, according to the number of trips expected:

• Friday, 15th April: 4.62 million trips
• Monday, 18th April: 3.96 million trips
• Saturday, 16th April: 3.63 million trips
• Sunday, 17th April: 3.63 million trips

Worst time of day to travel:

• Friday, 15th April: 9.30am - 7:00pm
• Saturday, 16th April: 10:00am - 2:00pm
• Sunday, 17th April: 10:00am - 2:00pm
• Monday, 18th April: 12:00pm - 2.30pm

Quieter time of day to travel:

• Friday, 15th April: before 9:00am or after 7:30pm
• Saturday, 16th April: after 3:00pm
• Sunday, 17th April: after 3:00pm
• Monday, 18th April: before 10.30am and after 6.30pm

Busy roads over Easter weekend

It’ll come as no surprise that motorways up and down the country will be taking the brunt of the Easter traffic. However, some roads look like they’ll be worse hit than others.

Roads to avoid:

• M6 north between Liverpool and the Lake District
• M6 south towards Stoke-on-Trent
• M25 between Surrey and the M40 exit
• A303 near Stonehenge
• M3 north to Basingstoke

Andy Tomlinson, COO at Cuvva says: “If you’ve planned a trip this upcoming long weekend and are travelling by car, set off early in the morning to enjoy a relaxing journey, while the roads are quieter.

“It’s now as easy to get insured on someone else’s car as it is your own, which means you can share the long drive with passengers with instant policies, starting from one hour.”

Busy roads over Easter weekend

It’ll come as no surprise that motorways up and down the country will be taking the brunt of the Easter traffic. However, some roads look like they’ll be worse hit than others.

Roads to avoid:

• M6 north between Liverpool and the Lake District
• M6 south towards Stoke-on-Trent
• M25 between Surrey and the M40 exit
• A303 near Stonehenge
• M3 north to Basingstoke

[Top tip: it can be hard to keep calm when stuck in a never ending line of vehicles, especially if the kids are getting fractious, and studies have found that listening to music can calm anxiety and lower blood pressure. On that note, here’s a list of our top driving songs!]

Top tips for Easter travel

If you’ve been enjoying working from home recently, you may have managed to avoid taking the car out, so it pays to check both you and your vehicle are safe to hit the road.

There have been several important changes to the Highway Code this year, and it’s wise to ensure you read up on these.

Vehicle checks

There are several simple, yet critical, vehicle checks you should do if you’re planning an Easter getaway:

• Fuel - make sure you have plenty of fuel, and remember that motorway services can charge around 30p more per litre than a non-motorway petrol station
• Oil - check your oil levels
• Coolant - check you are topped up
• Screenwash - ditto
• Tyres - ensure they are inflated to the correct pressure and that the tread is at least 3mm deep. Don’t forget to check the spare
• Lights - check your lights all work correctly
• Wiper blades - check they clear your windscreen properly

Passenger checks

To help your break go as smoothly as possible, here are some tips from our experts to ensure an easy ride:

• Mobile phone - make sure your phone is fully charged before you set off, and that you have the appropriate hands-free equipment
• Sat nav - with petrol stations, destination and other stop offs programmed in
• Insurance and breakdown cover details - keep them in a handy place
• Face covering and hand sanitiser - be safe
• Water or juice - it’s important to remain hydrated, especially travelling long distance
• Snacks - who doesn’t love a treat?
• First aid kit - this is essential
• Entertainment - if you have children with you, don’t forget to pack something to keep them happy; the “are we there yet?” can rapidly increase your stress levels!

Get insured

Snacks and fuel are important but there is one golden rule you need to abide before hitting the road this Easter: you must be insured.

Cuvva has you sorted there, with flexible policies from just one hour. Whatever you’re after, you can get a quick quote in just minutes here.

Whether you decide to have a quiet one at home, or head off on an adventure - all of us at Cuvva wish you a very happy and healthy Easter! 🐰🍫🥚