When to travel at Christmas

When to travel at Christmas

10 December 2018

We’ve done some research and created a tool to find out how long it would take Santa to deliver his presents on Christmas Eve using different modes of transport, now it’s your turn! Choose a mode of transport from our options to see how long Santa's journey would take - let’s hope he’s not walking!

Regardless of what your plans are to deliver your presents this Christmas, we all want to avoid traffic congestion and delayed transport when getting from A to B. It’s inevitable that the Christmas rush can cause a few hiccups for everyone at the busiest time of the year, but we’ve found with the best times to travel during the Christmas period.

ON THE ROAD

The week leading up to Christmas is always the busiest as people go to visit family and friends in time for Christmas, with millions of cars likely to be on the roads during this week. Throughout the whole of the Christmas season, the busiest day is usually Boxing Day as everyone journeys towards the Boxing Day sales, so we recommend to avoid travel between the 19th and Boxing Day to dodge the Christmas madness.

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

If you’re travelling on public transport, remember to book your tickets in advance to secure a seat, and always check transport apps to make sure there’s no disruptions or delays to your travel route.

Public transport is limited around the Christmas holidays, with no transport on Christmas Day, and limited transport on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. On these days, transport tends to wind down in the early evening, so make sure you plan your journey ahead so you’re not stuck out in the cold!

WHEN TO AVOID TRAVELLING

It goes without saying that rush hour can be the most hectic time to travel, so avoid your Christmas travels between 8am - 10am and 4pm - 6pm on weekdays. With Saturday being the busiest day of the week for roads and public transport, steer clear of Christmas travel throughout Saturdays in December - there’s nothing worse than being delayed on a cramped train feeling stressed and tired.

Now you’re prepared to travel around at Christmas, it’s time to embrace the Christmas cheer!