South East: Advice for bank holiday travellers

Drivers in the South East are being warned to expect the busiest August bank holiday weekend in nine years, according to the RAC.

The RAC said it expected 19.2 million leisure trips by car to be made between Friday 23 August and Monday 26 August.

National Highways said it had lifted “more than 500 miles of roadworks to ease journeys” for motorists.

The Port of Dover expects to welcome more than 20,000 cars, it said.

The RAC is expecting Friday and Saturday to be the heaviest traffic days.

RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “It is likely to be the busiest August bank holiday on the roads for nine years, so it’s important everyone ensures their vehicle is in good condition to avoid facing an unwanted breakdown.”

She advised drivers to leave as early as they can “to avoid the jams or be prepared to sit in some lengthy queues”.

Saturday is expected to be the busiest day on the roads for leisure journeys, with 3.7 million expected.

Inrix, travel analytics specialists, expect the heaviest traffic to be between 10:00 and 18:00 BST on Friday and between 10:00 and 13:00 on Saturday.

National Highways national network manager Dale Hipkiss said: “Almost 97% of the network will be free from roadworks over the long weekend.

“We anticipate the roads will be busier than usual and are reminding people to check before they travel and leave plenty of extra time.”

National Highways also highlighted that Operation Brock will remain active on the M20.

Operation Brock sees lorries heading to Dover queue on one side of the M20, with the other carriageway operating as a contraflow.

Southeastern railway is “encouraging drivers to ditch their cars and take the train” over the bank holiday.

The railway said most of the network will be operating a full service with additional services to “make it easier” for travellers.

The spokesperson added that direct services between Cannon Street and Ramsgate via Woolwich Arsenal and Dartford will operate over the weekend.

Some of the busiest trains towards London, as well as to the Kent coast and Hastings, will have extra carriages.

Julian Moosai, Southeastern’s head of service delivery, said: “Rail travel is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel – and our extra services makes it easier to leave the car at home and avoid the queues this bank holiday.”

There will be no trains via Denmark Hill over the weekend with services diverted to Cannon Street or via Herne Hill.

On Sunday 25 August, some early morning services between Tonbridge and Sevenoaks will be replaced by buses.

South Western has no planned engineering work but advises people to check services before travel.

For Southern Railway on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, trains that normally run from Crystal Palace to London Bridge via Sydenham and Brockley will not run.

The Port of Dover expects more than 20,000 cars to travel through the port over the August bank holiday weekend.

It estimates peak hours to be between 06:00 and 13:00 from Friday to Sunday.

Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said: “We continue to advise those sailing from the Port of Dover that it is still necessary that they do not arrive any earlier than the two hours requested – just as if they were planning on flying from a UK airport.

“Travellers going through the port this summer may notice the works underway to prepare for the introduction of the EU’s new Entry/Exit system, due to go live in November.

“With capacity in our pre-border processing space reduced, we also appreciate our customers’ support if they experience a longer wait time, but rest assured you will get away on the next available sailing.”

The port also expects to welcome back 9,000 cars of travellers returning to the UK from their summer break throughout the weekend.

London Gatwick reported in July that it was “prepared to welcome passengers” for its busiest season since 2019.

Travellers are advised to plan their journey to the airport in advance and check road works and rail services.

If driving, Gatwick airport advises passengers to book parking in advance.