Drivers planning a million more leisure trips by car this May Day bank holiday

The May Day weekend ‘may’ spell lengthy delays for drivers planning over 17m getaway trips by car – a million more than last year, a new survey by the RAC indicates.*

Friday 2nd May is expected to see the largest volume of leisure travellers on major roads with the study suggesting as many as 3m journeys could be made – just slightly more than the 2.9m and 2.8m planned on Saturday 3rd and bank holiday Monday 5th respectively. Sunday 4th could be the best day to travel with just 2.4m trips scheduled, although drivers are planning an additional 6m journeys at some point between Friday and Monday.

Despite the four-day Easter weekend only being two weeks ago, the research shows millions still plan to make the most of the first May bank holiday, with trip numbers up by nearly 1m on 2024 (16m). The most popular reason for getting away this weekend – cited by a third of drivers (34%) – is to see family and friends, followed by shopping and running errands (17%) and going on a short break (10%).**

Data from transport analytics specialists INRIX, suggests Friday will see the most congestion, with journeys across the UK predicted to be delayed by nearly a third (28%) more than normal.

The worst of the jams are likely later in the afternoon and into Friday evening. Around London, the M25 clockwise from the South Mimms interchange to Essex could be hit by delays of 40 minutes from 4pm as commuter traffic combines with holiday trips. Elsewhere, the M5 southbound is expected to see delays of a similar duration from 7pm between the J15 Almondsbury interchange at Bristol and J23 for Bridgwater.

Together with the RAC, INRIX is advising drivers to travel before 10am on Friday if they can, or before 11am or after 3pm if travelling on Saturday, Sunday or the Monday bank holiday.

Interactive embeddable version of this map available here

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Although the Easter break was just two weeks ago, our figures suggest this weekend will still be hectic on the roads as millions take advantage of another bank holiday. This week’s very warm weather may not last right into the weekend, but with lots of daylight hours there’s still plenty of opportunity to get out and about. For drivers that have a choice, it’s best to avoid Friday evening as that’s when leisure traffic will clash with commuter journeys.

“Careful preparation is crucial to reduce the chance of a breakdown. It takes just minutes to check that a vehicle’s oil, coolant and screenwash are all at the right levels before your trip, and it’s equally important to ensure all tyres are damage-free, have plenty of tread and are inflated properly. Anyone towing a caravan or trailer should check over these tyres as well.

“If you face a flat battery or a problem with your brakes on your staycation, there’s no need to waste precious minutes of your holiday looking for a local garage. An RAC Mobile Mechanic can be booked to repair your vehicle on the driveway of your accommodation, completing any fixes you might need and any diagnostic checks.”

While Thursday looks set to be the warmest day of the week, the Met Office expects conditions to cool down from Friday when millions hit the road.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “There are some showers about on Friday thanks to a weather front moving in. There are still some uncertainties about its position at present, so do keep up to date with Met Office forecasts for the very latest. ​

“It’s likely the high pressure we are enjoying this week will drift further northwest this weekend, allowing cooler air to drift southwards slowly. It will therefore be a different feel across the weekend, with a bit more cloud around and cooler temperatures than of late, back towards average for the time of year, with one or two showers possible across the weekend.”

Drivers that face any vehicle problems on their staycation can use the RAC’s website to locate a Mobile Mechanic in their local area.

Ends

Notes to Editors

*Research conducted for the RAC by FindOutNow among 3,041 UK adults w/c 22 April 2025. A nationally representative survey. Figures extrapolated to 33.9m licensed cars

**Research conducted for the RAC by FindOutNow among 791 UK adults w/c 22 April 2025. A nationally representative survey. Figures extrapolated to 33.9m licensed cars ​