Driving home for Christmas? The Extra Mile by Sawday’s lists hundreds of lovely roadside UK eateries


Driving home for Christmas but dreading the meal options on offer from Britain’s network of often miserable, crowded service stations? 

Worry not, because a portion of help has arrived in the form of book The Extra Mile, by accommodation guide Sawday’s. It’s filled with delightful places to take a pit stop, from a railway carriage cafe to a vineyard restaurant, that are all near major roads and motorways.  

Here we present 15 of our favourite spots from the tome. 

Drift, off the A1, Canty Bay, North Berwick. Junction – West Barns. Driving time from the junction –  13 minutes

Drift café is set inside a converted clifftop shipping container and serves up sweeping views of the coastline near North Berwick

Drift is a 13-minute drive from the West Barns junction of the A1 and serves breakfast, lunch and a range of cakes including scones

Drift is a 13-minute drive from the West Barns junction of the A1 and serves breakfast, lunch and a range of cakes including scones

Quirky Drift café is set inside a converted clifftop shipping container and serves up sweeping views of the coastline near North Berwick. 

The menu includes what The Extra Mile’s authors refer to as ‘finger-licking cakes, tasty breakfasts and wholesome lunches’. It’s open daily, year-round. Top tip – try the scones. ‘They have a following of their own,’ says co-owning farmer Jo.

Loch Arthur Camphill Community Farm Shop, Beeswing, Dumfries, off the A75. Junction –  Cargenbridge. Driving time from junction –  8 minutes 

Eight minutes from the A75, the Loch Arthur Farm Shop grows and serves organic food and vegetables

Eight minutes from the A75, the Loch Arthur Farm Shop grows and serves organic food and vegetables

Loch Arthur's café menu includes a range of homemade soups, pies, open sandwiches and a selection of freshly baked cakes and biscuits

Loch Arthur’s café menu includes a range of homemade soups, pies, open sandwiches and a selection of freshly baked cakes and biscuits

The Loch Arthur Farm Shop, near Dumfries, grows and serves organic food and vegetables.

Alongside the artisan cheeses and organic meats on sale in the shop, you’ll find crafts that have been produced by the community of people with learning difficulties who live and work at the site. 

The café menu, meanwhile, showcases a range of homemade soups, pies, open sandwiches and a selection of freshly baked cakes and biscuits. It has ‘everything you could want for your onward journey’, says The Extra Mile.

Tea with Alice, West Park, Darlington, off the A1. Junction – 58. Driving time from junction – 2 minutes

The often tiered cakes (pictured) at Tea with Alice are homemade on-site and the menu changes regularly

The often tiered cakes (pictured) at Tea with Alice are homemade on-site and the menu changes regularly

Brunch is served between 10am and 3.30pm at Tea with Alice and the menu features everything from breakfast burgers to French toast

Brunch is served between 10am and 3.30pm at Tea with Alice and the menu features everything from breakfast burgers to French toast

This vintage-style Darlington café is named after the daughter of the owners, Mark and Mary, who opened it shortly after she was born.

The menu at Tea with Alice features breakfast, from 8am to 3.30pm, brunches, from 10am to 3.30pm, as well as burgers, pancakes, sandwiches and homemade cakes. Plus, there’s a children’s menu with dishes that range from peanut butter and jam sandwiches to homemade fish fingers. 

There are also children’s toys to play with as well as bowls of water and biscuits for dogs. It’s a ‘haven for travellers’, exclaims The Extra Mile.

Low Sizergh Barn, Kendal, off the M6. Junction – 36. Driving time from the junction – 7 minutes

There are craft and gift areas in the shop at Low Sizergh Barn where visitors can buy items such as locally made ceramics

There are craft and gift areas in the shop at Low Sizergh Barn where visitors can buy items such as locally made ceramics

The milking parlour at Low Sizergh Barn, where visitors can watch the cows being milked on a daily basis. The barn's milkshakes are said to be a big hit with children

The milking parlour at Low Sizergh Barn, where visitors can watch the cows being milked on a daily basis. The barn’s milkshakes are said to be a big hit with children

Low Sizergh Barn is a café, farm shop and gift gallery that’s housed inside a 17th-century barn and surrounded by woodland, open fields and a fairy trail. 

Gallery windows in the cafe, which serves ‘vegetable soups, hunks of quiche and farmer’s salads on chunky crockery’, look into the milking parlour. According to The Extra Mile: ‘Thick milkshakes are a sure-fire hit with children.’

Newfield Dairy Ice Cream Parlour, Hockerton, Southwell, off the A1. Junction – North Muskam. Driving time from junction – 10 minutes

Newfield Dairy Ice Cream Parlour, pictured, serves up views of the Nottinghamshire countryside despite being just a 10-minute drive from the A1

Newfield Dairy Ice Cream Parlour, pictured, serves up views of the Nottinghamshire countryside despite being just a 10-minute drive from the A1

In addition to serving 16 flavours of ice cream, Newfield Dairy Ice Cream Parlour also offers a daily savoury menu and a range of homemade cakes (pictured)

In addition to serving 16 flavours of ice cream, Newfield Dairy Ice Cream Parlour also offers a daily savoury menu and a range of homemade cakes (pictured)

This café serves up views of the Nottinghamshire countryside and 16 flavours of ice cream made from locally-sourced ingredients, such as damson and elderberry. 

The Extra Mile says: ‘The floats and milkshakes at Newfield Dairy Ice Cream Parlour are legendary.’

It’s not just ice cream you can buy here, though. Those without a sweet tooth can order from an ‘excellent’ daily menu of sandwiches, jacket potatoes, quiches, soups and other hot items like homemade burgers. Plus, there’s a wood burner to keep the travelling public warm in the winter.

The Farm, Snitterfield, Warwickshire, off the A46. Junction – Snitterfield. Driving time from the junction – 1 minute

The Farm is near Stratford-upon-Avon and is only a minute's drive from the Snitterfield junction of the A46

The Farm is near Stratford-upon-Avon and is only a minute’s drive from the Snitterfield junction of the A46 

The farm shop at The Farm, where local fruits, oils, preserves and even kimchi - fermented in the farm's micro kitchens - is sold

The farm shop at The Farm, where local fruits, oils, preserves and even kimchi – fermented in the farm’s micro kitchens – is sold

In the farm shop at The Farm you can buy everything from local fruit and oils to kimchi, which is fermented in the farm’s micro kitchens where, The Extra Mile says, ‘peeping is invited’. 

The on-site cafe is called Nourish and it sells ‘wholesome, flavourful’ dishes like fish sharing boards and sourdough pizzas, as well as farmhouse sandwiches and salad bowls. Kids will be in their element in the wonky playhouse, the book adds.

The Garden Barn, Cotesbach, off the M1. Junction – 20. Driving time from the junction – 2 minutes

The Garden Barn has a quirky cafe, shop and gift emporium and is just a two-minute drive from junction 20 on the M1

The Garden Barn has a quirky cafe, shop and gift emporium and is just a two-minute drive from junction 20 on the M1

The cafe at The Garden Barn, where the menu includes luxury milkshakes, homemade cakes and paninis made with artisan bread

The cafe at The Garden Barn, where the menu includes luxury milkshakes, homemade cakes and paninis made with artisan bread

A garden shop, gift emporium and curio-filled, log burner-warmed café make up The Garden Barn. 

The café menu includes luxury milkshakes, homemade cakes and paninis made with artisan bread. 

The Extra Mile says: ‘The paninis are particularly popular, served with thoughtful extras like hummus and crudites or a handful of pistachios.’ 

It adds: ‘It has an unrivalled collection of Victorian chimney pots, should you need one.’ 

Wellington Farm Shop, Heckfield, Berkshire, off the M4. Junction – 11. Driving time from the junction – 8 minutes  

Wellington Farm Shop offers drivers an opportunity to take a break from travelling up the M4 on the leg between Slough and Swindon

Wellington Farm Shop offers drivers an opportunity to take a break from travelling up the M4 on the leg between Slough and Swindon 

Wellington Farm shop sells everything from locally grown vegetables and Wellington estate honey to sauces and preserves

Wellington Farm shop sells everything from locally grown vegetables and Wellington estate honey to sauces and preserves

According to The Extra Mile, Wellington Farm Shop ‘sells all the best produce from the local area, including locally farmed vegetables, honey from the Wellington estate’s hives, and Hereford beef from the fields in season’. 

The cafe, meanwhile, serves both hot and cold dishes that change according to the season.

A special festive menu is served at Christmas time featuring dishes such as traditional Christmas turkey and venison and port pie. The book adds: ‘If you’re in a hurry, the takeaway menu is more than a cut above.’

The Medicine Garden, Cobham, Surrey, off the M25. Junction – 10. Driving time from the junction – 6 minutes 

The Medicine Garden is a restored walled garden in Surrey with garden design areas dedicated to eight individual concepts including stillness and vitality

The Medicine Garden is a restored walled garden in Surrey with garden design areas dedicated to eight individual concepts including stillness and vitality

The menu at The Medicine Garden Cafe includes what The Extra Mile calls 'very good cakes' as well as savoury dishes like jacket potatoes and sandwiches

The menu at The Medicine Garden Cafe includes what The Extra Mile calls ‘very good cakes’ as well as savoury dishes like jacket potatoes and sandwiches

The Medicine Garden is a restored walled garden in Surrey with garden design areas dedicated to eight individual concepts – courage, vitality, wonder, rhythm, inspiration, stillness, nourishment and story. 

There’s a ‘comfortable’ shabby chic café set inside a former potting shed on-site that serves dishes like jacket potatoes, sandwiches and ‘very good cakes’. 

Two Magpies Bakery, Darsham, Suffolk, off the A12. Junction –  Darsham. Driving time from the junction – 0 minutes, it’s on the junction

Pictured is the counter at Two Magpies Bakery, where everything from pastries and flapjacks to chocolate-filled doughnuts and 'cuffins' are sold

Pictured is the counter at Two Magpies Bakery, where everything from pastries and flapjacks to chocolate-filled doughnuts and ‘cuffins’ are sold

This recently opened Darsham bakery and café is one of three Two Magpies sites. 

According to The Extra Mile, ‘the counter at Two Magpies is heaped with irresistible goodies, enough to satisfy even the most ardent car munchies’. 

Options include sausage rolls, cinnamon swirls and seasonal cakes, such as clementine loaf cakes in winter. 

Pip’s Railway Carriage Café, Lopenhead, Somerset, off the A303. Junction – South Petherton. Driving time from the junction – 1 minute 

A refurbished 1880s railway carriage is one of the areas where customers at Pip's Railway Carriage Cafe can eat. Other areas include a double-decker bus and a marquee

A refurbished 1880s railway carriage is one of the areas where customers at Pip’s Railway Carriage Cafe can eat. Other areas include a double-decker bus and a marquee

Pictured is a selection of the food, including olives, salads, toasted sandwiches and fresh cakes, on offer at Pip's, where the menu changes regularly, depending on what's in season

Pictured is a selection of the food, including olives, salads, toasted sandwiches and fresh cakes, on offer at Pip’s, where the menu changes regularly, depending on what’s in season

Pip’s Railway Carriage Café is contained inside an 1880s railway carriage and an old double-decker bus.  

Menus change regularly depending on what’s in season but you can expect dishes like The Carriage Picnic and Pip’s Farm Salad to feature alongside options like cheese toasty Jenga for children.    

The Extra Mile is unequivocal: ‘You won’t find a quirkier place for a bite.’  

The Plume of Feathers, Newquay, off the A30. Junction – Mitchell. Driving time from the junction – 2 minutes 

The Plume of Feathers is a 16th-century inn with a traditional beamed area with open fires and a modern conservatory section

The Plume of Feathers is a 16th-century inn with a traditional beamed area with open fires and a modern conservatory section

The menu at The Plume of Feathers changes regularly but usually includes steaks served with triple-cooked chips and roasted beef

The menu at The Plume of Feathers changes regularly but usually includes steaks served with triple-cooked chips and roasted beef

The Plume of Feathers is a 16th-century inn that, The Extra Mile says, ‘melds old-world charm with a spectacular glass-roofed extension’.  

Former MasterChef contestant Nat Tallents heads up the kitchen where dishes like Cornish lamb with dauphinois potatoes and locally caught rainbow trout are cooked up. For dessert, there’s rhubarb ice cream, sourced from a neighbouring farm. 

And don’t forget to pick up a jar of honey, made in the pubs own beehives. 

The Extra Mile’s verdict? ‘A belting pit stop.’ 

The Yurt at Nicholsons, North Aston, Oxfordshire, off the M40. Junction – 10. Driving time from the junction – 11 minutes 

As the name suggests, The Yurt at Nicholsons is a cafe inside a (Mongolian-style) yurt. It has a fleece lining that keeps it warm in winter

As the name suggests, The Yurt at Nicholsons is a cafe inside a (Mongolian-style) yurt. It has a fleece lining that keeps it warm in winter

Pictured is a shelf of ingredients and condiments. The hot chocolate at The Yurt at Nicholsons is made with Mexican cocoa

Pictured is a shelf of ingredients and condiments. The hot chocolate at The Yurt at Nicholsons is made with Mexican cocoa

Set inside a Mongolian yurt surrounded by the greenery of a tree nursery, this café is lit by fairy lights in winter and lined with a fleece that keeps it warm in the colder months.

The menu at The Yurt is locally sourced and includes dishes like cheese scones with olive tapenade and butter, and smoked salmon and blood orange salad, as well as drinks like hot chocolate made from Mexican cocoa.    

The Extra Mile says: ‘Try mushrooms served on potato rosti for breakfast, pan-fried spiced mackerel with beetroot salsa for lunch, or confit duck leg with red cabbage puree.’

Three Choirs Vineyard, Newent, Gloucestershire, off the M50. Junction – 3. Driving time from the junction – 10 minutes 

Three Choirs Vineyard where, according to The Extra Mile, the scenery is frequently likened to that of the Napa Valley in California

Three Choirs Vineyard where, according to The Extra Mile, the scenery is frequently likened to that of the Napa Valley in California

Pictured is a range of wines available at Three Choirs Vineyard and a selection of olives, nuts and crisps. Designated drivers will have to stick to the soft stuff

Pictured is a range of wines available at Three Choirs Vineyard and a selection of olives, nuts and crisps. Designated drivers will have to stick to the soft stuff

According to The Extra Mile, the views at Three Choirs Vineyard are ‘frequently likened to the Napa Valley’. 

The on-site restaurant features open fires and soft sofas and highlights of the menu include a Forest of Dean inspired charcuterie board that features locally-sourced wild boar salami. 

The book adds: ‘Take time to walk the footpaths that lace the vineyard before you go, or take a tour and pick up a bottle in the shop to uncork at your destination.’ 

The Woodworks Garden Centre, Mold, Flintshire, off the A55. Junction – 33B. Driving time from the junction – 10 minutes 

The Woodworks Garden Centre began life as a pallet manufacturing centre and timber yard and is now a family-run garden centre with an on-site cafe

The Woodworks Garden Centre began life as a pallet manufacturing centre and timber yard and is now a family-run garden centre with an on-site cafe

Sawday’s: The Extra Mile is on sale now in all good bookshops and online at www.theextramile.guide, priced at £14.99

Sawday’s: The Extra Mile is on sale now in all good bookshops and online at www.theextramile.guide, priced at £14.99

The Woodworks began life as a pallet manufacturing centre and timber yard and is now a family-run garden centre. 

In the on-site café, there’s furniture made of chunky wood and a special traditional festive menu is served alongside the usual offering of soups, sandwiches and afternoon teas at Christmas. 

Visitors who still need to pick up a few gifts before they get home for Christmas can browse both the gift shop and the Garden Emporium.

The gift shop sells children’s toys, purses, infusers, scarves and jewellery.

The Garden Emporium, meanwhile, sells items from fire pits to plant pots and seeds. 

The new edition of Sawday’s: The Extra Mile is on sale now, available in all good bookshops and online at www.theextramile.guide, priced at £14.99. 

For further ideas on great places to take a break for a bite to eat take a look at The AA Restaurant Guide 2020. Alternatively, for a Christmas treat, take a look between the covers of The Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland 2020. It contains more than 2,200 restaurant recommendations. 

Driving home for Christmas? Busiest roads over the festive week revealed where heavy traffic is likely to cause HUGE delays 

Motorists driving home for Christmas will want to know which roads to avoid this week and next. 

Fortunately, we have teamed up with the AA to identify which routes will be worst hit on the busiest days from Thursday 19 December to a week later on Boxing Day.

With both Sunday 22 December and Christmas Day on Wednesday predicted to not be too busy, we have an exclusive rundown of the Christmas congested routes over the festive week.

Most jammed roads: These are the five roads that the AA said will suffer the worst jams during the week around Christmas. See which routes will have worst tailbacks each day below

Most jammed roads: These are the five roads that the AA said will suffer the worst jams during the week around Christmas. See which routes will have worst tailbacks each day below

Thursday and Friday are expected to be the two worst days over the holiday season, with a combination of Christmas-bound motorists and usual-day commuters sharing roads those days.

More than half of AA members who responded to a survey said they planned to drive on main roads and motorways on both days. 

The motoring group estimates that this will see 17million vehicles hitting the roads on each of these days, potentially causing traffic chaos.

In total, it calculates there could be as many as 143million car journeys in total between Thursday 19 and Saturday 28 December, meaning chaos on major routes. 

Predictions have been made by the AA after reviewing its route planner traffic searches, historical travel data and breakdown assistance records from previous years.  

With Christmas Day falling mid-week, it means people will have fairly staggered holiday dates as savvy workers take advantage of favourable bank holidays to enjoy an extended period of time off.

That should mean that travel periods will be extended and could see fewer jams on major routes. 

However, the AA says traffic will likely peak from 4pm on Friday, with delays to journey times on some stretches of motorway 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.

But what about the other days over the course of the week? 

See the table below to find out which routes the AA says could be jam packed on each day over the course of the week and at what times. 

We’ve included the five worst-hit roads for each day and only those with maximum tailbacks of 25 minutes or more:

Busiest roads over the Christmas holidays (AA) 

– Thursday 19 December

M25 Junction 16-7 (anti-clockwise): 45 minute delays at 16:00

M5 Junction 15/16-29: 30 minute delays at 16:00

M4 Junction 4-10: 35 minute delays at 16:30

M6 Junction 20-21A: 25 minute delays at 16:30 

A303, A30 Yarcombe – A338 Cholderton: 45 minute delays at 16:45

– Friday 20 December 

M25 Junction 13-24 (anti-clockwise): 1 hour delays at 15:00

M1 Junction 11-22: 45 minute delays at 15:30

M4 Junction 23-18: 40 minute delays at 15:30

M60 Junction 18-12: 40 minute delays at 15:30

M20 Junction 1-6: 35 minute delays at 15:45  

– Saturday 21 December

M60 Junction 9-10 (Manchester Trafford Centre): 30 minute delays between 09:00-10:00 and 15:00-18:00

B225/A256 and A2 (Bluewater shopping centre): 45 minute delays between 09:00-10:00 and 15:00-18:00

A4540 (Birmingham Bullring shopping centre): 40 minute delays between 09:00-10:00 and 15:00-18:00

A562/A5053 (Liverpool ONE shopping centre): 25 minute delays between 09:00-10:00 and 15:00-18:00 

– Sunday 22 December

Predicted steady traffic

– Monday 23 December

M40 Junction 9 – A34 Abingdon: 30 minute delays at 14:45

M1 Junction 19-12: 30 minute delays at 15:00

M6 Junction 12-23: 30 minute delays at 15:30

M4 Junction 15-19: 40 minute delays at 17:00

M3 Junction 1-4: 35 minute delays at 18:15

– Tuesday 24 December

M27, M3 Junction 14 – M275 Junction 12: 40 minute delays at 13:00 

M1 Junction 29-43: 45 minute delays at 13:30

M25 (all): 30 minute to 1.5 hour delays at 14:00

M5 Junction 14-25: 35 minute delays at 15:00 

M4 Junction 2-12: 45 minute delays at 16:00

– Wednesday 25 December 

Predicted steady traffic 

– Thursday 26 December

M6 Junction 1-10a: 30 minute delays at 12:00

M1 Junction 17-25: 35 minute delays at 12:30

M60 Junction 18-24: 25 minute delays at 13:30 

The M6 is one of the routes drivers are being warned will be heavily congested over the Christmas break

The M6 is one of the routes drivers are being warned will be heavily congested over the Christmas break 

More than two fifths of drivers will be making journeys on Saturday 21 December as last-minute shopping traffic combines with visits to friends and family.

Later in the week on Christmas Eve, nearly half of drivers will be making festive journeys. 

Reduced commuter traffic will to some extent be offset by increased leisure traffic, with more than one in five visiting family and friends.

How many motorists will be on the road at Christmas? 

Thursday 19 December: 17 million

Friday 20 December: 17 million

Saturday 21 December: 15 million

Sunday 22 December: 12.7 million

Monday 23 December: 16 million

Tuesday 24 December: 15.4 million

Wednesday 25 December: 11 million

Thursday 26 December: 12.7 million

Friday 27 December: 13.7 million

Saturday 28 December: 12.4 million

Total: 142.9 million journeys 

Source: AA 

Christmas Day is typically one of the quietest of the year for both traffic and breakdowns and the AA says traffic should be fairly free-flowing as 11million cars hit the streets, with most people enjoy the festivities at home.

That said, last year the AA responded to around 2,700 breakdown calls on Christmas Day in 2018.

While that might seem high, it’s almost a quarter of the daily average call outs.  

Ben Sheridan, AA’s patrol man of the year, said drivers should check traffic reports before setting off on journeys and travel at times when roads are quieter – using the data provided above.

‘Getting stuck in traffic isn’t part of anyone’s Christmas plans and we hope our hotspot list will help drivers avoid a Christmas getaway nightmare,’ he told This is Money.

‘If you can’t avoid travelling on busy routes then try to avoid peak journey times and, if all else fails, make sure you are well prepared for the journey. 

‘The last thing you want in a traffic jam is to be worrying about whether you are going to run out of fuel or trying to placate hungry passengers.

‘The pressure of being late can be particularly stressful at this time of years and, with some delays estimated at up to 90 minutes, drivers should make sure they build extra time into their journey.’

This year, a third of drivers say they will be making a journey on Christmas Day – equating to nearly 11 million

This year, a third of drivers say they will be making a journey on Christmas Day – equating to nearly 11 million

REASONS DRIVERS SAY THEY’LL BE ON THE ROAD OVER THE FESTIVE BREAK
Date Net Visiting family/ friends Shopping/ other day trip Travel to/ from work Going/ returning from holiday
Thursday 19 December 53% 8% 16% 32% 1%
Friday 20 December 52% 9% 17% 30% 1%
Saturday 21 December 45% 15% 24% 9% 1%
Sunday 22 December 38% 17% 16% 7% 1%
Monday 23 December 48% 12% 19% 20% 1%
Tuesday 24 December 46% 21% 13% 15% 1%
Wednesday 25 December 33% 29% 2% 3%
Thursday 26 December 38% 27% 6% 5% 2%
Friday 27 December 41% 15% 13% 12% 3%
Saturday 28 December 37% 14% 15% 7% 2%
Sunday 29 December 29% 13% 9% 6% 2%
Monday 30 December 35% 9% 11% 15% 2%
Tuesday 31 December 37% 14% 10% 14% 1%
Wednesday 1 January 24% 14% 5% 5% 1%
Thursday 2 January 36% 7% 8% 20% 2%
Source: AA           

Workers can get 16 days off by taking just 7 days of holiday

Savvy employees who have planned ahead and taken advantage of this year’s favourable Christmas dates are set to enjoy a fortnight-long festive break starting this Friday, while using just seven days of annual leave.

Three bank holidays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, combine with three weekends this year, meaning workers can get an extended break from their bosses without having to use too much of their annual leave allowance.

Anyone who has checked their calendars ahead of time and booked off December 23, 24, 27, 30, 31 would get 12 days off work.

And those wanting an even longer period away from the work place can drag their holiday break to 16 days by booking off January 2 and 3 too. 

This graphic shows the days workers need to book off to bag 16 days of holiday over Christmas

This graphic shows the days workers need to book off to bag 16 days of holiday over Christmas 

Post-Christmas activity on the roads 

The AA’s member poll, which quizzed nearly 18,000 motorists, found that relatively few plan to brave the high street sales on Boxing day, with just 6 per cent heading out to the shops. 

By comparison, more than a quarter will be driving to visit family or friends the day after Christmas Day.

The motoring organisation added: ‘Travel intentions remain comparatively low between Christmas and the New Year, with commuter traffic building up slowly. 

‘The bank holidays falling mid-week means there will be a gradual return to work, as just over one in 10 head into the office on Friday 27 December, 15 per cent on Monday 30 December and 14 per cent on New Year’s Eve.’

It also believes that the big work return after the holiday period will be staggered, with just a fifth of drivers on busiest roads heading to work on Thursday 2 January. 

The AA says it is preparing for a flood of breakdown calls on Friday 3 January and Monday 6 January due to flat batteries after the Christmas break.

Travel intentions remain comparatively low between Christmas and the New Year, with commuter traffic building up slowly

Travel intentions remain comparatively low between Christmas and the New Year, with commuter traffic building up slowly