Motorists brace for bank holiday chaos as millions hit the roads causing serious delays

Millions of drivers are expected to hit the roads today as the bank holiday getaway begins, with motoring groups warning of long delays on major routes across the UK.

The AA has predicted that around 23.4 million car journeys will take place on Friday alone as families make the most of the long weekend and half-term holidays.

Drivers travelling to seaside towns and tourist hotspots have been warned to expect heavy traffic, especially on routes heading towards the coast.

The RAC explained that Friday and Saturday are likely to be the busiest days for leisure travel during the bank holiday break.

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Holiday firms are also reporting strong demand for trips abroad, with Spain, Italy, Portugal and the Balearic Islands among the most popular destinations.

The AA has highlighted several roads where delays are expected to be worst. These include routes towards east coast resorts such as Skegness, the M4 from London into Wales and the M6 heading towards the north-west coast.

Parking app RingGo said seaside locations are expected to be especially busy this weekend. After studying previous bank holiday traffic patterns, the company found that Saturday is usually the busiest day at coastal destinations.

Popular spots, including Bournemouth, Hastings and Torquay, are likely to attract large crowds. RingGo said beach destinations are "consistently outperforming inland locations" during public holiday weekends.

The Port of Dover is also preparing for a busy few days, with around 18,000 passengers expected to travel through the ferry terminal between Friday and Sunday.

Port officials warned travellers that the busiest times each day are expected to be between 6am and 1pm, when queues are most likely to build.

Saturday is expected to be Dover's busiest day of the year so far, with more than 8,000 passengers due to pass through the port. Traffic was already building in Dover on Friday morning as holidaymakers queued for ferries to Europe.

The rush comes as many schools across the country break up for half-term, with families heading overseas for warmer weather.

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Rail passengers are also facing disruption over the bank holiday weekend because of strikes and engineering work. Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association are taking industrial action on Friday and Saturday in a dispute over pay.

The strikes are expected to heavily affect West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services. Train timetables will be reduced across both days. No West Midlands Railway services will run after 7pm on Friday or before 7am on Saturday. Network Rail engineering works will also affect several major routes.

The East Coast Main Line between York and Darlington will be closed from Saturday until Monday. Replacement buses will also run between Newport and Bristol Parkway for two weeks from Saturday.

Meanwhile, Thameslink services through central London will be suspended from Saturday to Monday, affecting journeys to Gatwick and Luton airports.

The Met Office has forecast very warm weather over the weekend, with temperatures expected to rise steadily across many parts of the country.

Forecasters also warned that Monday could be the hottest day, with temperatures reaching as high as 33C in southern England and the Midlands.

The warm weather is expected to encourage even more people to head to beaches and outdoor attractions, adding further pressure to roads and transport networks.

Travel association ABTA said it has seen a rise in families booking holidays during the half-term break.

Short-haul sunshine destinations remain especially popular, including mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, Italy and Portugal. City breaks to Milan, Nice and Barcelona are also seeing strong demand.

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