British motorists are set to undertake 31m trips by car between December 17 and Christmas Eve, according to the RAC.
The motoring organisation says this is the highest number since records began in 2013, with many expected to get underway well ahead of the big day according to the study of 1,600 UK drivers asking about their travel plans over Christmas.
An estimated 5.6m trips are also planned for December 23 and 24, with many expected to hope for less traffic those days when fewer commuters will be on the roads.
Data by traffic analysis firm Inrix also calculates that the worst traffic hotspots will be on the M1 in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, along with sections of the M25 and the M6 in the West Midlands.
Ben Aldous, RAC patrol of the year, said: “Our figures suggest many more drivers are planning leisure trips by car in the run-up to this Christmas this year, so bumper-to-bumper traffic on some motorways and major A-roads is going to be near-guaranteed.”
Congestion is set to be eased by Highways England, which operates the motorway network and the busiest A-roads, as it has said that more than 800 miles of roadworks across the UK are set to be completed or removed by this Friday. This will last until Thursday January 2.