THE long Easter weekend is finally here which means plenty of you will be escaping Somerset to see loved ones.

That means there'll be plenty of traffic on the roads - so when is the best time to travel? 

According to Inrix,this year’s Easter period will see more than 20 million cars on the UK’s roads.

Maundy Thursday will be the busiest getaway day this Easter bank holida.

The worst affected roads will be the major motorways, with some journeys taking as much as three times longer than on an average Thursday evening.

Drivers between junctions 9 and 21 on the M25 (both ways) should expect delays of up to 1 hour and 30 minutes, extending a typical journey from 40 minutes to over two hours, with the average speed falling to 17 miles per hour.

Drivers heading in both directions on the M6 and southbound on the M5 towards the West Country on Maundy Thursday should be prepared for delays of almost an hour and average speeds of less than 25 miles per hour.

Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News:

On Good Friday, drivers are advised to avoid roads during 10am and 2pm.

Major motorway journeys may take twice as longer than usual; particularly on the M25 between J9 and J21 which will see delays of up to 55 minutes around lunchtime extending journey times from 40 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes.

Easter Sunday remains the quietest day for cars on the road, with 25 per cent less vehicles expected compared to an average Sunday.

On Easter Monday, Inrix advises avoiding travelling between 12pm and 5pm, with journeys expected to take up to twice as long as usual during this period.

Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News: