user
Create a My Moto account
This is a danger alert—check it out!
Your fullname
Your email address for registration.
Your password for registration.
Confirm your password for registration.
Register Close
Skip to content
Find a services Search site My Moto Menu
google social login facebook social login windows social login
Sign in

Not yet registered? Sign up now | Forgot password

Overlay menu Close Close menu
  • Home
  • Services
  • Journey planner
  • My Moto
  • Brands
  • At Moto
  • Help and support
  • About us
  • Motorway services near you
  • Map of motorway services
  • View all motorway services
  • Business
  • Coach
  • HGV
  • Leisure
  • BP
  • Burger King
  • Chow
  • Costa
  • Greggs
  • KFC
  • Krispy Kreme
  • M&S Food
  • Pret
  • Tesla Superchargers
  • West Cornwall Pasty
  • WHSmith
  • Accommodation
  • Covid-19
  • EV
  • Changing places
  • Fuel
  • Gaming
  • Parking
  • Wifi
  • FAQs
  • Contact us
  • Feedback
  • About Moto
  • ESG
  • Careers
  • News
  • Moto Foundation
  • Home
  • Services
    • Motorway services near you
    • Map of motorway services
    • View all motorway services
  • Journey planner
  • My Moto
    • Business
    • Coach
    • HGV
    • Leisure
  • Brands
    • BP
    • Burger King
    • Chow
    • Costa
    • Greggs
    • KFC
    • Krispy Kreme
    • M&S Food
    • Pret
    • Tesla Superchargers
    • West Cornwall Pasty
    • WHSmith
  • At Moto
    • Accommodation
    • Covid-19
    • EV
    • Changing places
    • Fuel
    • Gaming
    • Parking
    • Wifi
  • Help and support
    • FAQs
    • Contact us
    • Feedback
  • About us
    • About Moto
    • ESG
    • Careers
    • News
    • Moto Foundation

Everywhere you go, take a smile with you moto smile

moto waves
HomeNews when is the best time to travel on the motorway this christmas?
wave

when is the best time to travel on the motorway this christmas?

If you’re planning some fabulous festive journeys to see loved ones, do some Christmas shopping or make the most of the festivities a little further from home, do it without tailbacks, congestion and stress by choosing the best time to travel. 

Here’s our bumper festive guide to driving on the motorway this Christmas, including the best times to travel.

 

Which days of the week are quieter on the motorway? 

Statistics show that motorway traffic tends to be lighter on certain days of the week, and this is no different during December! 

As a general rule of thumb, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday tend to be quieter on the motorway, particularly overnight between 8pm and 6am. 

The busiest day of the week to travel on the motorway is usually a Friday, and this typically makes them more dangerous too, with 20% more accidents than any other day of the week! 

If you need to travel over a weekend, the best time to travel on a motorway to avoid weekend congestion is early morning Saturday or Sunday, ideally before 11am. 

For more information on what time to travel on the motorway, check out this article. 

Driving home for Christmas? Here’s when to do it! 

This year, Christmas falls across a weekend, meaning the busiest weekend to travel this Christmas is likely to actually be a whole week before the big day! 

Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th of December are set to be busy days on the motorway as shoppers up and down the country head here, there and everywhere to pick up presents, supplies and treats! For a lot of families, this will also be the first weekend of the Christmas break, making it a perfect time to visit family and friends a little further afield. 

Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th of December are likely to be busy times to travel too, as we all head home for Christmas! 

And don’t forget, with Christmas Day and Boxing Day falling over a weekend, Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th of December are bank holidays this year, so with more people off work than usual, this will impact travel too. We recommend using a journey planner ahead of time to plan your routes, including those all important rest stops. 

The same is true for New Years Day, which this year falls on a Sunday, making Monday 2nd of January a bank holiday. Normal service is likely to resume bright and early for rush hour (between 7am and 10am on the motorway) on Tuesday 2nd January. 

But most importantly, wherever, and whenever you’re travelling this Christmas – take a smile with you! 

wave

Share this story

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • linekdin
Use of your location

Can we use your location to list services near to you?

moto waves
Moto logo

Our purpose is to brighten people's journeys through life

Motorway services
  • Motorway services near you
  • Map of motorway services
  • View all motorway services
Journey planner
  • Plan your journey
Help and support
  • FAQs
  • Contact us
  • Feedback and chat service
Brands
  • BP
  • Burger King
  • Chow
  • Costa
  • Greggs
  • KFC
  • Krispy Kreme
  • M&S Food
  • Pret
  • Tesla Superchargers
  • West Cornwall Pasty
  • WHSmith
At Moto
  • Accommodation
  • Changing places
  • EV
  • Fuel
  • Gaming
  • Parking
  • Wifi
  • BookAPod
My Moto
  • Business
  • Coach
  • HGV
  • Leisure
About Moto
  • ESG
  • News
  • Careers
  • Moto Foundation

Copyright 2022 © Moto Hospitality Ltd

  • Legal - Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Modern Slavery Statement
  • Gender Pay Gap
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • facebook
moto logo

Our purpose is to brighten people’s journeys through life

moto waves
  • Motorway services
    • Motorway services near you
    • Map of motorway services
    • View all motorway services
  • Journey planner
    • Plan your journey
  • Help and support
    • FAQs
    • Contact us
    • Feedback and chat service
  • Brands
    • BP
    • Burger King
    • Chow
    • Costa
    • Greggs
    • KFC
    • Krispy Kreme
    • M&S Food
    • Pret
    • Tesla Superchargers
    • West Cornwall Pasty
    • WHSmith
  • At Moto
    • Accommodation
    • Changing places
    • EV
    • Fuel
    • Gaming
    • Parking
    • Wifi
    • BookAPod
  • My Moto
    • Business
    • Coach
    • HGV
    • Leisure
  • About Moto
    • ESG
    • News
    • Careers
    • Moto Foundation

Copyright 2022 © Moto Hospitality Ltd

  • Legal - Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Modern Slavery Statement
  • Gender Pay Gap
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • facebook

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Privacy overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly necessary cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie are enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

These essential cookies do things like:

  • remember the notifications you've seen so we do not show them to you again
  • remember your progress through a form

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

Insight and analytic cookies

This website uses insight and analytics cookies, such as Google Analytics, to collect anonymous information about site usage.

Keeping these cookies enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Marketing cookies

We use marketing cookies to help us improve the relevancy of communication and marketing campaigns you receive.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Cookie policy

More information about our cookie policy

How was your visit?