Christmas 2024: Your complete travel guide to getting around the UK this festive season

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. By “messy Monday,” 23 December, additional congestion is expected on: M1 from Luton to Northampton M5 from Bristol to Taunton A303 around Stonehenge M42 between the M40 and M6 interchanges A64 around York From Christmas Eve onwards, multiple closures of rail lines for engineering work will mean more road traffic that there would otherwise be. Monday 23 December Avanti West Coast train managers’ strike continues. Last direct trains on key intercity routes on 24 December are as follows: London King’s Cross-Edinburgh: 5.30pm/Edinburgh-London King’s Cross: 4.13pm London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly: 5.55pm/Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston: 6.13pm London Paddington-Cardiff Central: 7.48pm/Cardiff Central-London Paddington: 8.18pm London Victoria-Gatwick Airport: 8.45pm/Gatwick Airport-London Victoria: 7.32pm Bristol Temple Meads-Leeds: 4.35pm/Leeds-Bristol Temple Meads: 4.11pm Glasgow Queen Street-Aberdeen: 6.41pm/Aberdeen-Glasgow Queen Street: 6.36pm Christmas Day No passenger trains will run on any UK rail line. 31 December On London’s Elizabeth Line, RMT members working in the control room will stage a 24-hour strike on the main east-west route through the capital, beginning at 9pm on New Year’s Eve.