If you’re planning on (8)driving home for Christmas(8) this year quick tip don’t do it today!

That’s the advice from travel experts anyway, with the RAC and transportation analytics specialists INRIX suggesting Thursday 19 December is set to be the worst day for road traffic. AA predicts both Thursday and Friday will be terrible for drivers, as leisure and everyday commuter traffic combines.

There may be a silver lining, though: Highways England said around 98% of motorways and major A roads will be roadworks-free in time for Christmas. But with train chaos sweeping the nation – including ongoing cancellations, the South Western Railway strike and planned engineering work – there are also going to be more travellers diverted onto the roads.

So when are the worst times to travel this Christmas?

On Friday 20 December, roads are likely to be busy for a greater period of time, between 12pm and 7pm. AA suggests traffic is expected to peak from 4pm on Friday, with delays to journey times on some stretches of motorway including the M25, the M5 between Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare and the M6 around Birmingham. Again, people are advised to travel after 8pm.

Saturday 21 December is predicted to be busy earlier in the day, as people who work during the week set off. Traffic is predicted to worsen from 10am up until around 3pm. To avoid congestion, travel after 4pm, RAC advises. On Sunday 22 December, the picture is pretty much the same, with people advised to travel after 5pm.

Monday 23 December is set to be busy between 10am and 3pm, with drivers advised to set off after 4pm – although at the risk of hitting commuter traffic from 5pm onwards, it might be best to set off later in the evening. On Tuesday 24 December, people are urged to avoid travelling between 2pm and 6pm. If you can, set off well before 10am.