Whether you are travelling by Plane, Train or Automobile, you are sure to face some adversity when traveling at this time of year. Here are some tops tips on how to prepare, and how to keep sane whilst getting from A to B.
Travelling by Car
Historically, the 23rd of December is the worst day for Christmas travel on the UK motorways, so you need to PLAN YOUR JOURNEY well, or choose travel at a potentially less popular time. Before you start your journey, it is well worth having a look at AA travel news to see where there are delays.
Bear in mind that service stations will be running limited services, however, Motorway Service stations are required by their license to provide food, fuel and toilet facilities on Christmas Day, but it may be limited and not include their usual cosiest facilities!
Travelling By Train
Trains do not run on Christmas Day! There may be some busses allocated for airport runs. Typically trains stop earlier than usual on Christmas and New Year’s Eve and start again later than usual after on the 27th and 01st respectively. Limited train services are available on Boxing Day – check before you travel to find out if there is one to suit you.
Be aware that arrangements for Scotland may be different. A handy website for checking train options is Traintimes.org, alternatively see the National Rail website.
Travelling By Plane
The biggest challenge to air travel at this time of year is the road traffic and train disruptions, so please see the previous two sections for information. Weather is the other bane, sometimes causing delayed flights as well as tailbacks on the roads and cancelled train services! Advice is to check the weather regularly in the days up to your journey time, The Met Office is a good source of info, and allow PLENTY of time for your journey.
Delays can be unpredictable at the best of times, so leaving a couple of hours early might still not cut the mustard if you have a long drive to the airport. A popular solution is to book into a nearby hotel the day before the flight, then all you risk missing is a hotel dinner rather than an expensive flight! FlightStats.co.uk is a great resource for flight information and airport weather, alternatively, go online and check with either your airline or the airport you are travelling from.
Travel Insurance
We offer a wide range of policies that cover everything from car hire excess to enjoying winter sports. Get in touch to make sure you have the right insurance for your journey!