ABTA – The Travel Association has issued its top tips for travellers heading abroad this Easter weekend, which marks the first bank holiday since UK travel restrictions were lifted. With many people travelling overseas for the first time since the start of the pandemic, ABTA’s advice for those flying this weekend is focused on helping them get to and through the airport as smoothly as possible:

Plan your journey to the airport in advance and allow extra time for traffic, planned road closures or engineering works.

Arrive at the earliest time advised by your airline and airport.

Make sure you’re ready to present your passport and any Covid-related documents you need at check-in. You also have the option to check-in online which may save you time.

Prepare your hand luggage for security by placing large electrical items like laptops and tablets in the trays provided alongside any liquids you’re taking – these need to be 100ml or less and placed inside a 20cm x 20cm plastic bag.

Take off items of clothing like coats, jackets and belts when passing through security and put any items in your pockets into the trays provided.

More broadly, ABTA Members are reporting that the Canary Islands, Turkey, Portugal and Egypt are proving particularly popular for those seeking guaranteed sunshine and warmer weather this Easter, where temperatures are set to reach 24C in Faro, 25C in Lanzarote and 32C in Sharm El-Sheikh over the weekend. London Gatwick’s most popular short haul routes for 15-18 April are Dublin, Barcelona, Malaga, Madrid, Geneva, Amsterdam and Rome, while those heading further afield are visiting Dubai, Cancun and Toronto. All these routes have seen a significant increase in popularity since UK travel restrictions were removed.

Graeme Buck, Director of Communications at ABTA – The Travel Association said: “Easter is a busy time for travel every year and in 2022 it sees the first major holiday getaway since UK Covid travel restrictions were lifted. Since the school holidays began, although there have been some reports of delays, most people’s journeys have been trouble free. That said, with many people wanting to travel it’s a good idea to plan ahead as much as possible. In particular, time spent at the airport before a flight can be reduced if you make sure you have the travel .”