Families have been urged to cancel their holidays after Eurostar trains were cancelled and flights scrapped, while drivers are being warned to prepare for a “weekend of doom” on the roads.
One in four Eurostar journeys were cancelled yesterday after a targeted arson attack on the French rail network ahead of the Paris Olympics. Disruption is expected to continue throughout the weekend.
Meanwhile, in the US, hundreds of holidaymakers at Heathrow and Stansted have also been forced to pack up after mass flight cancellations.
The RAC predicts the three days will be the second busiest summer getaway weekend since 2015, with some 3.6 million trips made on Frantic Friday alone.
With the total number of journeys expected to reach almost 14 million by the end of Sunday, Alice Simpson, spokesperson for Breakthrough, warned: “Anyone going on holiday on Saturday or Sunday should expect a ‘wretched weekend’ on the roads, with journeys much longer than usual.”
One in four Eurostar services cancelled this weekend
Queues grow longer again at Dover
Queues have already started to form in Dover as millions of families hit the road to start their summer holidays.
The RAC estimates that 13.8 million motorists in the UK will embark on leisure journeys between Friday and Sunday.
This would make it the second most popular summer destination weekend since 2015, behind 2022 when 18.8 million people took to the road in the middle of a heatwave and after two years of coronavirus lockdowns.
These were the scenes that unfolded in Dover yesterday, and more like it are expected during the day.
Holidaymakers at Manchester Airport also face long waits
Busy morning at Heathrow as families head off on summer holidays
Flights cancelled at Heathrow
Some flights have been cancelled from Heathrow today.
Here is the list of flights that appeared as cancelled on airport departure boards.
British Airways BA394 11:50 to Brussels
American Airlines AA091 2:25pm to Chicago
American Airlines AA105 3:15 p.m. to New York
Virgin Atlantic VS041 5:15 p.m. to San Francisco
One in four Eurostar services cancelled this weekend
One in four Eurostar trains were cancelled on Friday and over the weekend after the French rail network was “paralysed” by a series of coordinated arson attacks,
Nearly a million people heading to the Olympics were affected just hours before the opening ceremony.
The rail operator, which runs international services from London St Pancras station, confirmed that 25% of its trains would no longer run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Four trains from London to Paris were cancelled on Saturday, with disruption expected to last until Monday.
Travellers have been advised to postpone their travel if possible.
Which roads will be most affected by this “unfortunate weekend”?
Transport experts at analytics firm Inrix are warning drivers to avoid travelling between 12pm and 5pm on Friday and Saturday, and between 11am and 1pm on Sunday, when the longest delays are expected.
The best times to travel are generally after 6pm on Friday and Saturday, or 3pm on Sunday.
The worst queues, of more than two hours, are expected on Saturday lunchtime on the M5 southbound between junction 15 for the M4 interchange near Bristol and junction 23 for Bridgwater, as holidaymakers flock to Devon and Cornwall.
Delays are also expected at the M1/M25 junction at Chiswell and on the A303 eastbound between Ilminster and Andover.
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