Motorists have been warned that rather than driving home for Christmas, like the Chris Rea song, they face traffic jams for hours as record numbers hit the roads in the holiday getaway.
According to the RAC, some 29.3 million journeys will be made in the days leading up to Christmas, with half in the upcoming weekend.
It is the highest number since 2013, with Saturday (21 December) and Monday (23 December) set to be 'extremely busy', says the motoring group.
The AA meanwhile expects that today will be the busiest driving day so far this year.
National Highways is removing roadworks from 95% of its roads it manages to help ease possible congestion, a spokesperson told Sky.
Delays of more than 45 minutes are being forecast in the evening on the M3 in Surrey and Hampshire, on the M25, the M1 near Watford and M23 for Gatwick Airport.
In the north, the M53 northbound from Chester to Liverpool will be worst affected by delays during home-time traffic on Friday, said the RAC.
Alice Simpson from the RAC said: "Our research suggests that with Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, many drivers will be squeezing in their getaway trips right up until the big day itself.
"While the getaway starts to ramp up from Friday, 'Snarl-up Saturday' looks particularly challenging as does Christmas Eve. Travelling outside peak hours might be the only way drivers miss the worst of the jams."
In addition, another storm blowing in at the weekend is set to add to problems for those trying to get away by air or by ferry.
Rain will sweep in today followed by high winds said the Met Office, with yellow warnings already issued for areas where wind gusts are forecast to reach as high as 80mph (129km/h).