HOLIDAY CARNAGE Brits told ‘CANCEL your holidays’ as Heathrow flights AXED, Eurostar trains scrapped & 3.2m hit roads today alone
BRITS have been told to cancel their holidays as chaos erupts at airports with flights axed and Eurostar ticket-holders warned not to travel.
Heathrow and Stansted have been thrust into mayhem today with hundreds of hopeful jet-setters told to head home after mass cancellations.
Eurostar journeys from London St Pancras have also been halted after a wave of "sabotage" hit the French rail network overnight.
A series of fires has caused issues throughout Europe just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris.
Eurostar said in a statement: “Due to co-ordinated acts of malice in France, affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today Friday July 26.
“This extends the journey time by around an hour-and-a-half. Several trains have been cancelled.“Eurostar’s teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and onboard to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.
“We encourage our customers to postpone their trip if possible.”
One in four Eurostar trains will be cancelled on Friday and over the weekend following the arson attacks.
A spokesperson for Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, which transports vehicles from Folkestone to Calais in northern France, said its services had not been affected by the incident.It comes as a whopping 3.2million cars are said to be setting out on road trips today - just one week into the summer holidays.
Figures show traffic heading to major UK airports and staycation destinations will build from today onwards - expecting to the last the entire six-week break.The RAC is predicting Saturday will bring even more despair for motorists.
An estimated 3.6m trips are predicted to be made - with the RAC calling it a "weekend of woe".
It is likely to be the second biggest summer getaway weekend since 2015.
Last year, between July 21 and July 23, 12.6m trips were carried out.
Best & worst times to travel
BY Jon Rogers
Transport experts INRIX are warning drivers to avoid travelling between 12pm and 5pm on both Friday and Saturday and between 11am and 1pm on Sunday when the worst delays are expected.
The best times to travel will be after 6pm on Friday and Saturday, or 3pm on Sunday.
Saturday will see the longest hold-ups, with delays on A-roads and motorways expected to take a third longer than usual.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Anyone heading off on holiday on Saturday or Sunday should expect a ‘weekend of woe’ on the roads with journeys taking far longer than normal.
"If you can’t set off early, then it's highly likely you’ll be sitting in traffic for quite some time.
“Our research suggests this year’s getaway is set to be busier than average, possibly due to the UK inflation rate having slowed, giving people a bit more confidence to spend.“However, with our recent bad weather causing an increase in international travel bookings, queues to major airports should not be underestimated.
“We’d advise drivers to plan their routes well in advance if jetting off abroad this week."
Flights cancelled so far
Heathrow Airport
Lufthansa 7.25am LH2485 to Munich
Virgin Atlantic 4.05pm VS117 to Miami
Virgin Atlantic 8.05pm VS025 to New York City
Stansted Airport
Albawings 9.30am 2B222 to Tirana
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