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Record Easter exodus from London today as Brits holiday at home
Sri Carmichael03.04.09
THOUSANDS of Londoners were set to leave the capital today for the great Easter getaway.
It was set to be one of the busiest on record with recession-hit families opting for British holidays.
With schools breaking up for a fortnight, thousands of families were expected to pack popular train routes and major link roads.
Experts warned delays would be worse than in recent years as Easter falls exactly in the middle of the school holidays.
Rail and coach companies reported massive rises in bookings as a combination of the recession and recent spell of sunny weather encouraged more domestic travel.
Ticket company thetrainline.com heralded the rise of the "stay-cation" as it reported advance bookings for the Bank Holiday weekend up 43 per cent year-on-year.
Network Rail said more than 30million passengers would take the train across Britain over the coming fortnight with next Thursday set to be the busiest day on inter-city routes.
Ticket sales at National Express are 20 per cent higher than Easter last year, with traditional seaside towns such as Weston-super-Mare, Bournemouth and Brighton favourite destinations for Londoners.
The Association of British Travel Agents estimated that 2.5million Britons would take a foreign Easter holiday.
But projected figures for travellers passing through Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted from Good Friday to Easter Monday were nearly six per cent down on Easter last year, according to airport operator BAA.
A spokesman said a comparison was misleading given that the Bank Holiday fell when pupils were still in school last year.
Those travelling abroad are increasingly picking non-Eurozone destinations due to the pound's weakness, according to currency provider Travelex.
Demand for the Hungarian currency, Forint, has doubled in the past two months, while in the last year sales of Swiss Francs have been up 30 per cent, Turkish Lira up 20 per cent, the Egyptian Pound up 18 per cent and Arabic Dirham up 25 per cent.
A Met Office spokeswoman said: "The run of good days we've had will encourage people to stay at home and the fine, sunny weather will continue this weekend, with temperatures up to 16C across Britain, which is four or five degrees above average."
Motoring groups were braced for busier roads this year.
A spokesman for the IAM Motoring Trust said: "We've noticed the credit crunch leading to more drivers taking holidays in the UK."
He expected routes out of west London to be busiest because the West Country was proving an increasingly popular destination.
The Highways Agency said Devon and Cornwall would be completely free of disruption over Easter.
A spokesman added: "We're geared up to deal with very busy roads because the credit crunch means more people are choosing to go on holiday in Britain and fuel is cheaper than it was last year.
"We're planning to lift as many roadworks as possible over the Bank Holiday weekend. There are no big roadworks taking place around London or on routes in and out of the capital this weekend."
Ben Pearson, commercial director for trainline.com, said: "Visiting friends and relatives in the UK appears to be a far more popular option this year as people continue to keep a tight leash on their wallets.
"Advance bookings are particularly on the increase as travellers become wise to the savings that can be made by booking ahead of time."
But Network Rail said trains would not be running on a few major lines this weekend and next.
Work on the West Coast mainline up to Manchester and Liverpool on Easter weekend will mean people must take longer alternative routes.
Parts of Thameslink routes within London will also be shut for upgrades while diversions will be in place around Wimbledon this weekend and next.
On the trains and roads
TRAINS
Passengers to and from Essex and East Anglia must take replacement bus service for the leg in and out of London. Trains will start from/terminate at Ilford with buses from Romford to Newbury Park so passengers can continue into London on the Central line.
Engineering work on the West Coast mainline up to Manchester and Liverpool on Easter Saturday through to noon on the Sunday will increase journey times.
Thameslink will be shut between St Pancras and Herne Hill over the holiday. Trains from north terminate at Kentish Town or St Pancras, trains from the south at London Bridge. Replacement bus service for train passengers between Clapham Junction and Surbiton this weekend and next. Thameslink, tram and Tube services to run from there.
ROADS
No full road closures this weekend but a few lane closures overnight in South-East. The Highways Agency is planning to lift around two-thirds of roadworks over Easter, with details confirmed on Monday. 24-hour updates at www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo or on 08457 50 40 30.
Reader views (9)
I THOUGHT MOST PEOPLE WERE SKINT, HOW CAN THEY AFFORD TO GO AWAY FOR EASTER
- J Windsor, LONDON ENGLAND
I don't care, I'm off to Bacelona.
No I'm not a Banker 
- Malc, London,England
Great news, real Londoners might have a bit of space to move around the town at Easter !
- Cap, London
Loving it, keep them there, seen enough drunken poms to last me a lifetime............
- Duncan, Gibraltar
Oh great! So my home town's going to be full of drunken Brits and their whining kids over Easter. Or rather, more full than it normally is.
That's it, I'm off! Contrary to a previous poster you can still get a reasonable deal to Spain. Flights about £120 return, hotel about £80 a night for 2 - OK so your spending money doesn't go so far but if that keeps the plebs at home that's OK with me.
Holiday in Britain? You must be joking!
- Chris, Brighton, England.
The pound sterling in your pocket is not worth a carrot, whether you holiday in the UK or go abroad.
UK hotels are the biggest rip-off on the planet.
Travel agents (especially Thomas Cook) prices are grossly inflated - WHO bothers using a travel agent now, anyway?
By the time you have purchased a "cheap" flight to wherever, then add on the cost of the SEAT on the plane, plus the cost of your BAGGAGE, plus the cost of maybe being allowed to BOARD the flight first, plus INSURANCE and an IN-FLIGHT meal, it would be better to stay in bed, in the comfort of your own home (assuming you still have a home).
FORGET about taking a holiday in the UK. By the time you have purchased your rail ticket, booked your second-rate hotel room, been ripped-off by the taxi driver and served food that is not fit for human consumption, it would have cost you more than a return flight to New York.
GREED, GREED, GREED, GREED and yet more GREED.
Everyone is grabbing all they can - copying MP's no doubt!!
I will definitely be remaining firmly behind my front door throughout Easter - at least I can have a cigarette or a decent cigar when I choose.
Roll on sanity.
THE UK IS FINISHED.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe/Lancaster
Difficult to get a parking space in Brighton this morning. Normally there is a choice. Not looking forward to next week.
- Jimbob, Kensington
Was also planning a holiday right here in the UK like every year,unfortunately my kids will not have one this year as the 500 pounds increase in my council tax has put paid to that.
- David, london
Is it me? Schools always did close for two weeks at Easter, and for the rest of the working population with proper jobs, the Easter weekend started Maundy Thursday evening.
- Bj, London
