The upcoming August Bank Holiday marks one of the busiest travel periods of the year, with over 14.4 million cars expected to take to the roads throughout the weekend. Traffic is anticipated to be especially heavy in popular tourist destinations, where navigating touring caravans and congested roads can create chaos.
To help escape the bank holiday traffic this weekend, Mike Thompson, Chief Operating Officer at Leasing Options, has shared his advice on avoiding the traffic at Britain’s biggest traffic hotspots.
A30, Cornwall
Brits planning a Bank Holiday trip to Cornwall have been warned of the A30 traffic from Exeter to Land’s End.
Mr Thompson says: “To avoid the A30 traffic, consider taking the A38 via Dobwalls as an alternative; the A390 and A39 are also good for bypassing some of the busier sections of the A30.”
A381, Devon
If you want to beat the traffic, try to avoid passing through any of the town centres like Newton Abbot and Totnes to reduce travel times, the expert explains. “Make sure to check out any of the public transport options like the bus and trains, which save you having to navigate the roads yourself.”
A591, Lake District
Tourists travelling through the region will find that the A591, which runs through key tourist towns such as Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere, and Thirlmere, develops traffic build-ups easily. “Ambleside and Windermere town centres can also develop traffic easily, especially during peak season,” Mr Thompson warns.
“For travellers looking to avoid Lake District traffic, the A590 is a great alternative to the A591 as it doesn’t pass through any specific tourist towns, but it still has views of the striking Lake District scenery.”
A55, Snowdonia
Despite being a holiday staple location, North Wales only has one dual carriageway into Snowdonia. “The A55 runs from Chester to Holyhead and experiences particular bottlenecks in Bangor and Conwy.”
“To avoid this type of congestion, the A494 is a scenic alternative which runs through the picturesque towns of Bala and Ruthin; this route bypasses the popular coastal areas which can become congested with caravans and other holidaymakers.”
A1, Northumberland
“The county is a major north-south travel route, which is key to connecting London to Edinburgh,” the expert says.
“The A696 and A68 for north-south travel is the easiest way to avoid any congested areas of the A1, particularly during peak tourist season.”
