The arrival of the October half term in England and Wales could see congestion on UK roads, starting from tomorrow (22 October).

Saturday will be the most popular day on the roads with drivers planning an estimated 5.6 million ‘getaway’ journeys,

Drivers are planning an estimated 19.4 million separate leisure trips between Friday and Sunday, according to research by RAC Breakdown.

The survey of 1,400 drivers suggests that Saturday will be the most popular day on the roads, with drivers planning an estimated 5.6 million ‘getaway’ journeys, followed by Sunday (4.6 million) and Friday (4.3m) with an additional 4.9 million trips planned across one of the three days.

Covid is not impacting plans for leisure trips as much as it did earlier in the year. Just 6% of respondents list the pandemic as the reason for not going away this half term, compared to 10% who said this in advance of the August bank holiday weekend and 18% for the May Day bank holiday.

Separate RAC research suggests that of those planning a trip this late October, most (72%) will go no more than 200 miles from home, but around a fifth (22%) expect to go further than they typically would for the time of year.

Devon and Yorkshire are the most popular locations (8% each), followed by Norfolk or Suffolk (7%), Dorset (6%), Blackpool and the Lancashire coast (6%) and Cornwall (5%). But nearly one in 10 drivers (9%) who are planning a getaway haven’t yet decided where they’ll go.

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “It’s clear the pandemic is becoming much less of a factor in whether people decide whether or not to get away for a leisure trip.

“It might also be the case that the rise in UK ‘staycations’ brought about by Covid has encouraged some drivers to venture further afield than they would normally at this time of year.”

Separate data from rental firm Sixt also reveals that more people have the confidence to embark on a staycation at the moment.

Analysis of its latest customer statistics reveals a 37% increase in tourist bookings during October half term.

The team noted that the current trend for rental bookings incorporates shorter mini breaks, weekends away and mid-week getaways.

Compared to previous last-minute booking figures, Sixt also identified a 10% increase in lead times, indicating that people are feeling more confident now about making advance bookings and being able to honour them.

In addition, Sixt found that airport bookings are on the up, with the team predicting that international travel will gather momentum over the coming months and into 2022.