More than six million drivers to hit the roads as summer holiday getaway begins
The Port of Dover is expecting another busy weekend but has worked to smooth any delays caused by new EU border checks.
Millions of motorists are set for long journeys over the next week as summer getaways continue.
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The AA said around 6.3 million drivers are planning a road trip of more than 100 miles between Friday and Thursday.
Schools have broken up for the summer holidays and the Met Office said areas in England and Wales will see “plenty of sunshine” in the coming days.
Lee Morley, AA expert patrol, said: “The roads may not have the same first-day rush as they did when schools first broke up, but holiday traffic is far from over.
“Families are continuing to head away throughout the summer rather than all leaving on the same weekend, so we expect plenty of busy routes over the coming days.”
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RAC breakdown spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Drivers should be ready for some very busy roads this weekend and expect delays.
“The best advice is to plan journeys and think about setting off earlier or later in the day to avoid traffic jams.”
The Port of Dover is expecting another busy weekend but has worked to smooth any delays caused by new EU border checks.
The Entry Exit System (EES), rolled out fully in April, involves people from third-party countries such as the UK having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU.
For most UK travellers, the process happens at foreign airports, but it is also carried out at the port, as well as Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal and London St Pancras railway station.
The Port of Dover declared a “critical incident” during the May half-term period after waiting times reached four-and-a-half hours on a day with about 8,500 outbound tourist vehicles.
However, after last weekend, it said in a statement that French border police had “performed extremely well” by “maximising their resourcing as required throughout”.
The statement added: “We will be preparing in earnest once again with all of our partners for the upcoming weekend, which will be our busiest of the whole summer.
“Let’s all continue working together to ensure local communities remain clear of disruption, trade continues to flow and everyone can start their holidays well.”
Temperatures could reach 30C in parts of south-east England on Friday while parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland will see patches of cloud, the Met Office said.
Forecaster Craig Snell said outbreaks of rain will move southwards on Saturday, spreading from Scotland and Northern Ireland into northern England and parts of Wales.
By Sunday, temperatures are expected to turn “fresher” across much of the UK, with rain possible in “areas that haven’t seen much” over the past few weeks, he added.