The AA has revealed details of likely congestion hotspots over the Christmas break as millions of drivers plan getaways.

Saturday 23 December is expected to be the busiest day for holiday travel with 16.4 million trips planned

Saturday 23 December is expected to be the busiest day for holiday travel with 16.4 million trips planned – likely to cause lengthy jams at traffic hotspots, according to the AA, which has issued an Amber Traffic Warning.

An Amber Traffic Warning has also been issued for Friday 22 December, which looks set to be the second busiest day, with 16.1 million car journeys expected to take place.

The AA is also expecting a spike in evening traffic on Friday 15 December with a majority of schools locking up for the holidays and parents extending the school run home by taking the kids out for an early Christmas treat or a visit to Santa’s Grotto. Heavy traffic is predicted around shopping malls and retail parks where drivers can expect to see a spike in traffic between 16.00 and 19.00.

The survey of 12,197 AA members also shows that Christmas Eve is likely to be the main day for shopping, with three in 10 (30%) planning to use the car and head for the shops.

AA route planner amber traffic warning map – Friday 22 December and Saturday 23 December

For those working throughout the build-up to Christmas, a quarter (25%) plan to drive to and from work on Monday 18 December, but this will tail off to one in five (19%) by Friday 22 December as many of those who can, take advantage of flexible working patterns and work from home. Commuter traffic is then expected to remain low until the New Year when Tuesday 2 January will see traffic levels start to return to normal.

As usual, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day will be the main days for celebrating with friends and family and each of these days are expected to see an average of 14 million car journeys, but these tend to be shorter, localised trips.

Unsurprisingly, Monday 1 January will be one of the quietest days on the road, with many sensibly choosing not to drive the morning after the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Only one in six (16%) said they plan to drive when visiting friends and family on New Year’s Day.

Unsettled weather is forecast for much of the holidays – and is likely to add to journey times on some stretches of the motorway network including the M25, the M5 between Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare and the M6 around Birmingham. In addition, stretches of the M1 ‘smart’ motorway from Luton northwards can often suffer congestion from incidents or breakdowns, as can the M62 and M60 in the North West. Both the M4 and the A34 are also set to suffer from significant delays.

With rail strikes from some unions continuing, travellers are advised to check with their train operators for any unexpected delays or cancellations.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “While Friday 22 December and Saturday 23 December look set to be the busiest travelling days, the unsettled weather forecast could lead to additional delays so drivers should drive to the conditions and slow down where necessary. You can also plan your journey, including breaks, in advance using the AA Route Planner. If you do plan to use the rail network, keep updated by checking train company websites and radio travel alerts.”