How to avoid bumper-to-bumper traffic on your holiday road trip
Updated . First published at
Now the Christmas school holidays have kicked off, we're well and truly in the middle of peak road trip season.
In fact, nearly half of all Aussies are planning a road trip in the next month, according to data from Thrifty.
And though it seems like backseat squabbles and traffic-related delays are inevitable, there's actually one way you can beat the rush.
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Now it's Christmas it's road trip season. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The number one way to avoid traffic? Travel on a Sunday.
According to Thrifty, Sunday is the quietest day to travel. Only seven per cent of respondents in its survey planned to leave on that day, making it the best option for drivers looking to avoid congestion.
As for days to avoid?
Friday and Monday.
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This is the last thing you want to see when you hit the road. Getty
According to the research, Fridays are the most popular day to depart across the school holiday period, with just over one-fifth (23 per cent) of travellers choosing to start their journey then.
Mondays are also busy, accounting for 19 per cent of departures.
If you do have to leave on a busy day, maybe you can hold off until the afternoon - road trip traffic tends to drop off significantly after 1pm, says Thrifty.
While last weekend - the first one of the school holidays - was predicted to be the busiest one of the holidays, there are still plenty of drivers who are going to hit the road between Christmas and New Year.
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Travelling with a car full of kids can be stressful. Getty
While your itinerary might not always be super flexible, if you're travelling with kids it's a good idea to keep your distances short, or take regular breaks.
John Walsh, a veteran Getaway expert and 9Travel columnist, swears by short, two-hour road trips, whether you have kids or not.
"Two hours is a comfortable distance to drive. You won't get there too late and you'll really appreciate it on the way home, when three or four hours can be a huge chore," he wrote.
Australia has some great road trips. Getty
The best short road trips in Australia:
- Sydney → Blue Mountains (90 mins)
- Melbourne → Phillip Island (2 hrs)
- Brisbane → Gold Coast (1 hr)
- Adelaide → Victor Harbor (80 mins)
- Perth → Swan Valley (40 mins)
