Britain is braced for a “weekend of travel woe” with an estimated 13.8 million motorists expected to embark on trips between Friday and Sunday.
With schools breaking up for the summer holidays, the RAC has predicted this will be the second busiest weekend of travel since 2015.
It is expected to be topped by only the equivalent weekend in 2022 when 18.8 million Brits hit the road in sunny weather on the back of two years of lockdowns.
It is set to be similarly hot this time around with July set to go out with warm sunshine and 27C conditions forecast for London.
Congestion could peak on Friday as commuting traffic will compete for road space with at least 3.2 million drivers making leisure journeys such as to airports, for holidays within the UK, or day trips.
A further 3.6 million and 2.9 million trips are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday respectively, with around four million more expected at some point between Friday and Sunday.
Transport analytics company Inrix warned drivers wanting to avoid the worst delays not to travel between 12pm and 5pm on Friday or Saturday, and between 11am and 1pm on Sunday.
Traffic on routes serving popular seaside towns is expected to build from Friday afternoon.
Delays are likely to start on the M55 westbound from Preston to Blackpool at 1.30pm, and on the A23 southbound from Pease Pottage services towards Brighton from 3.30pm.
The worst queues are expected to be more than two hours on Saturday lunchtime on the M5 heading south from Junction 15 near Bristol to Junction 23 for Bridgwater, as holidaymakers flock to Devon and Cornwall.
Holidays got off to a bad start for many last week when thousands of families were subject to flight delays and
RAC spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: "To avoid a weekend of woe on the roads during one of the busiest of the year, we'd advise as many people as possible to leave as early as they can to try and disperse car journeys over a longer period.
"Any holidaymakers - whether they're driving to a UK destination or heading overseas - should plan their journeys carefully and leave plenty of extra time before setting off."
Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: "Drivers should expect long queues on major roads when heading to and from their destinations during this summer getaway.
"Being flexible with your route - whether it's the time you leave or a journey that's longer in miles with fewer delays - could also reduce the stress of being held up and make for a more enjoyable trip."
