Easter getaway begins as Heathrow predicts busiest day of season

The Easter getaway has begun in earnest with the UK's biggest airport, Heathrow, expecting its busiest day of the holiday period.

While road users face uncertainty about fuel supplies, those travelling by rail will have to contend with restricted services on some routes due to engineering work over the bank holiday weekend.

And those flying from Stansted airport in Essex will face a strike by baggage handlers on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday.

Roadworks have been suspended on some motorways and major roads over Easter, but restrictions remain in place on a number of busy routes.

Heathrow expects to handle 220,000 passengers on Friday, more than 1.6 million before Good Friday and a total of 3.4 million before Sunday 15 April.

Gatwick in West Sussex expects to see around 1.5 million pass through the airport between Friday and 15 April.

Dublin is Gatwick's number one destination, followed by Malaga in southern Spain. The third most popular destination is Milan – the first time the Italian city has featured in Gatwick's Easter top 10.

The Passenger Shipping Association reported a rush for car bookings this weekend.

Irish Ferries is expecting to carry 50% more people from Holyhead to Dublin and from Pembroke in Wales to Rosslare in Ireland this weekend than it did this time last year. Other ferry companies expecting increased numbers include Brittany Ferries, DFDS Seaways and Stena Line.

The Highways Agency said roadworks at 272 English locations would be completed before the bank holiday weekend, with 15 sets of roadworks and lane restrictions suspended.

The suspensions will last from 6am on Thursday 5 April until midnight on Easter Monday, 9 April.

Sites where roadworks will remain for safety reasons include 22 miles of the M1 near Luton in Bedfordshire, an 11-mile stretch of the M25 near St Albans in Hertfordshire, 11 miles of the M4 near west London and 23 miles of the M62 near Leeds.

The roads minister Mike Penning said: "I advise Easter holidaymakers, day trippers and anyone else planning to travel over the bank holiday weekend to check weather and travel conditions before setting off."

The Highways Agency said Maundy Thursday evening, April 5, and Easter Monday afternoon were likely to be the busiest periods over the bank holiday weekend, especially on the main holiday routes, as people set out and returned from short breaks or day trips.

Rail travellers will once again have to put up with Easter engineering work, with nearly every train company having to bring in buses to replace services on some routes.

However, the Association of Train Operating Companies and Network Rail have said the vast majority of passengers will be unaffected by the Easter work.

The two companies added that the number of replacement buses had dropped 34% compared with Easter 2011.

Among the spots where engineering work will take place is Waterloo station in London, with South West Trains services affected.

Services to and from three other main London stations – King's Cross, Liverpool Street and Euston – will also be affected.

Passengers heading for Gatwick will have to contend with a half-hourly service, as fewer lines and platforms are available through East Croydon in south London.