This end of May bank holiday is set to be a disruptive one for motorists, rail and air passengers.
The RAC is predicting the busiest end of May bank holiday on the roads for six years. It's also set to be the busiest day for UK aviation ever.
Meanwhile, key London stations are running amended services over the weekend.
There is also an ongoing security staff strike at Luton Airport.
Around 22 million car journeys will take place this weekend, 8 million more than last year and the highest number in six years.
According to data from the RAC, major UK roads will "bear the brunt of the traffic" this weekend.
An estimated 6.6 million trips are planned for tomorrow, the busiest day on the roads all weekend, followed by bank holiday Monday, which will see 5.6 million journeys – up from 2.9 million last year.
Today will see 5.3 million journeys, up from 4.5 million last year, and drivers today will likely experience "lengthy jams" thanks to the addition of regular weekday traffic.
If you're flying out of Luton airport this weekend, leave extra time.
Security staff at Luton airport walked out on Thursday 23 May and will remain on strike until 8.59pm on Monday 3 June.
The strike concerns the security guards responsible for searches, baggage checks and general security.
The union Unite claims strikes staged earlier in May caused “significant delays” at Britain’s fifth busiest airport.
Union members are striking over “heavy-handed” changes to shift patterns that mean around 120 guards will end up working 15 extra days a year and will only get nine weekends off annually.
Luton airport claims disruption to passengers will be minimal despite industrial action, and says there are contingency plans in place.
Today is predicted to be the busiest-ever day for UK aviation, as reported by The Independent's Simon Calder.
Friday 24 May is forecast to be the busiest-ever day for Britain’s airspace.
NATS, the air-traffic provider, told The Independent the present record of 8,854 movements a day – set on the corresponding day in 2018 – is likely to be broken. It represents a rate of one new aircraft every 10 seconds.
Wendy Howard-Allen, head of service performance for NATS, said: “From Friday through the half-term is going to be very busy. We’ve done a lot of work to optimise airspace.”
Many schools are breaking up for the half-term holidays today, adding to the usual demand on what is traditionally the busiest day of the week.
Simon Calder reports on a busy day for European aviation, with travellers warned of long delays today.
Eurocontrol in Brussels, which coordinates air-traffic control providers, is reporting: “Very busy Friday expected today across the network due to school holidays and high demand mainly in SW and SE Axis.”
That forecast includes a high level of traffic from the UK to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
The Eurocontrol warning continues: “Weather is impacting mainly Spain and France, expanding for the afternoon to north of Italy and Eastern Europe.”
There are several major engineering projects on UK railways this weekend.
There is an amended service in the Motherwell area on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May.
Major improvement work will take place at London Euston from Saturday 25 until Monday 27 May, shutting some lines.
There is an amended service between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street / Preston from Saturday 25 until Monday 27 May.
There is an amended service at London St Pancras International from Saturday 25 until Monday 27 May, affecting East Midlands Trains and Thameslink.
For information on specific works, see National Rail.
London's Piccadilly Line will not be operating to or from Heathrow airport from 00.01 tomorrow until Monday.
Customers can use the Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect from Paddington.
Britain's busiest airport has warned travellers to allow extra time.
Despite the industrial action taking place at Luton until 3 June, the London airport says that wait times at security are just three minutes long.
Highways England has said it has removed more than 700 miles of roadworks ahead of the spring bank holiday, which means more than 97 per cent of motorways and major A-roads will be free of roadworks.
Highways England’s customer service director, Melanie Clarke, says: "We’re doing everything we can to make journeys as smooth as possible for those travelling and that’s why we’re keeping around 97 per cent of the road network we manage, free from roadworks."
The RAC has predicted when major roads will be busiest this weekend. During the weekend, there will be 22.5 million car journeys.
Today, Friday 24 May, there will be 5.6 million car journeys taken. Roads will be busiest between 4pm and 7pm.
On Saturday 25 May and Sunday 26 May, roads will be busiest between 10am and 3pm.
Monday 27 May, roads will be busiest between 12pm and 4pm.
Drivers should avoid these busy times if possible.
If you're driving to Stansted airport today, be advised that a collision on the northbound lane has stopped traffic in both directions. Drivers should allow extra time for their journey.
There is engineering work happening this spring bank holiday that will affect rail travel.
Travellers should check their journey before setting off, warns National Rail.
Rail passengers travelling on the West Coast main line south of Preston are facing cancellations and long delays due to damage to the overhead electric wires near Leyland.
National Rail says: “Trains are currently unable to run between Bolton or Wigan North Western and Preston.
“We anticipate disruption will continue until 3.30pm.”
Road transport is being arranged for passengers on Northern. Travellers on TransPennine Express can travel on the East Coast main line between York and Scotland, with connections to and from Manchester.
Tickets are being accepted on CrossCountry and LNER from York to Edinburgh and Glasgow Central.
National Rail is advising customers affected by the Preston train cancellations that, if they experience a delay because of the disruption to their journey, they "may be entitled to compensation."
For passengers affected by the cancellations at Preston, National Rail is advising that they can use other operators on "all reasonable routes".
As there is no Piccadilly Line service from London to Heathrow airport this weekend, there will be a non-stop coach from Hammersmith instead.
This weekend there will be closures and amended services on the Piccadilly Line, District Line, London Overground, London Trams and TfL Rail services in East London.
People travelling this weekend in London should check their journey on the Transport for London website.
If you're heading off this weekend in the car, here is some advice from the RAC.
“Our research suggests a lot of drivers are planning on taking to the road over this weekend, with routes leading to the coasts, national parks and highlands like the Lake District likely to see significant volumes of traffic – and some extensive jams," says Manchester-based RAC patrol of the year Ben Aldous.
“No-one wants a breakdown to interrupt their enjoyment of the weekend, and it’s a fact that a little TLC of a vehicle can go a long way towards preventing one. At this time of year, when warmer weather coincides with traffic jams, it’s particularly important that every driver is confident their car can ‘keep its cool’ to avoid a breakdown. So we strongly recommend lifting the bonnet to check the coolant is at the right level, and if it’s not to either top up or visit a good local garage to get it checked out.
“We also continue to see drivers running into a lot of problems caused by under-inflated tyres, and those in poor condition. It’s crucial to check tyre tread and pressure before every long journey – it takes just minutes, and with many people likely to cover considerable distances this weekend it really can make the difference between being safe and being sorry.”
It's been a busy day for European aviation.
Eurocontrol, which monitors Europe's air traffic control, tweeted a map of the flight hotspots earlier today, with the skies over the South of France looking particularly busy.
