Journeys on some roads will take more than twice as long this Christmas compared to other times of the year, according to data from traffic monitoring firm Inrix.

Inrix, who provide traffic and travel for UK radio stations, as well as data for live sat-nav systems, have compiled the list based on historic data and recent traffic levels.

The busiest days on the roads will be Friday 19^th, Tuesday 23rd and Saturday 27th December with the majority of Britain’s 35 million vehicles expected to take to the UK’s roads ahead of the festive season.

Friday 19th will see the worst of the delays, which will peak at around 4pm as Christmas traffic combines with the usual Friday evening peak period. There could be up to 20 million cars on the road throughout Friday afternoon as drivers leave work early or set off to spend the festive season away from home.

Traffic on Tuesday 23rd will peak at around 12pm, and after the normal quieter period of Christmas Day and Boxing Day, traffic will pick up again on Saturday 27^th December as drivers head home after spending Christmas away, return to work or go shopping.

The worst affected roads will be major motorways, including the M1, M25 and M6, with a 60-mile section of the M1 northbound extending the normal 60-minute journey time by an extra 1 hour and 25 minutes. The longest delays will be found on the M25 anti-clockwise, where the usual 40-minute trip between junction 23 and junction 10 will take around 2 hours and 20 minutes.

During peak periods, average speeds are predicted to fall to just 14 miles per hour on the M56 eastbound where it joins the M6 outside Manchester (junction 9), and the M5 northbound at junction 3 where it joins the M6 (Halesowen and Birmingham).