Easter Travel Warning 2025: Expect Delays and Long Queues Across the UK

Charlie Travel 11 April 2025 | Updated On April 14, 2025 | 0

If you plan to travel in the UK over the Easter bank holiday, be prepared for major delays on roads, railways, and airports.

Good Friday is expected to be the busiest day on the roads, with over 19 million car journeys predicted, according to the Automobile Association (AA).

That’s a 15% increase from last year, likely due to the later date and better weather.

Rail services will also face major disruptions due to engineering works.

Train passengers across the UK should expect disruption over the Easter weekend, as major engineering work by Network Rail will shut down key rail lines. Because of this, 17 April 2025 is expected to be especially busy, with many travellers trying to get ahead of the closures.

In Scotland, buses will replace trains between Carlisle and Edinburgh/Glasgow due to track upgrades.

Strikes to Hit Gatwick Airport

Holidaymakers flying out of Gatwick Airport this Easter should brace for major delays and cancellations as over 100 workers plan to strike over pay and pension issues. Affected workers include check-in agents, baggage handlers, and dispatchers for Norwegian, Delta, TAP, and Air Peace.

The strike action will begin on Good Friday, 18 April 2025, and run through the long Easter weekend until the early hours of Tuesday, 22 April 2025.

With Gatwick expecting its busiest holiday weekend so far this year, the impact on travel could be severe. This could disrupt plans at the UK's second-busiest airport, especially with over 11,000 flights scheduled to take off from UK airports between Good Friday and Easter Monday, according to Cirium.

Other airports like Heathrow and Stansted are expected to be even busier as a result.

To avoid delays and long queues this Easter, travellers should arrive at the airport at least three hours before departure, check in online where possible, and travel with hand luggage to skip baggage drop-off. Keep an eye on updates from your airline and Gatwick Airport, and consider booking fast-track security to save time during peak hours.

Where do you plan to spend your Easter? Talk to us in the comment section below. Or if you need more advice on the above, contact us for further travel & immigration advice.

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