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Drivers are being urged to hunt for the cheapest petrol and “to fill up as usual” as UK travellers prepare to make 21.7m journeys on what is expected to be the busiest Easter on the roads in four years.

The average price of a litre of unleaded petrol rose by 20p from 132.83p on 1 March to 152.83p by the end of the month, raising concerns about the cost of filling up for Easter journeys, as rising oil prices triggered by the US-Israel war with Iran translated to higher prices at the pumps.

It was the fastest monthly price rise for petrol on record, according to new data released by the motoring services company RAC, surpassing the previous all-time biggest monthly increase of 16.6p recorded in June 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But while the RAC said the jump was “unprecedented”, its head of policy, Simon Williams, urged travellers to continue their journeys while hunting for the best deals. “Ahead of the Easter getaway, which is expected to be the busiest on the roads since 2022 … we urge drivers to fill up as usual and to use the myRAC app to find the cheapest forecourts near them.”

National Highways are planning to temporarily suspend 1,500 miles of roadworks from motorways and major A-roads in England between Thursday and Easter Monday, as part of efforts to ease journeys, as the AA predicted 1 million additional trips will be made compared to last year.

That will result in 21.7m total journeys, making this Easter bank holiday weekend the busiest on the roads since 2022, when travellers made their first full getaway after the end of Covid lockdowns. Traffic is predicted to peak on Thursday, when many schools break up for the holiday.

Some analysts suggested travellers may choose to cut back on their spending over the Easter weekend, including on fuel, amid the surge in petrol and diesel prices. Susannah Streeter, the chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, an investment service for high net worth individuals, said: “There may be shorter trips planned ahead, and fewer chocolate treats bought along the way.”

The AA said that just over half of travellers expect to travel under 50 miles this weekend, with 5% planning trips of between 50 and 100 miles. About 1% expect to travel between 100 and 200 miles, with fewer than 1% planning to clock up more than 200 miles.

There are also likely to be more cars on the motorways due to train disruptions, with engineering works taking out west coast mainline services between London Euston and Milton Keynes from Good Friday to Wednesday 8 April.

There will also be no service between Preston and Lancaster on the line on 4-5 April, while in Hampshire no trains will run between Winchester and Southampton, and in Kent there will be no services between Herne Bay and Ramsgate. Services between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction will also be reduced.

Many will be choosing to go abroad, though, with travel trade organisation Abta estimating that 2 million people from the UK will travel overseas this weekend. That has boosted demand for flights, with easyJet preparing for its busiest Easter getaway yet, reporting it would run 16,000 flights from UK airports during the two-week school break.

Those going to the European Union, though, are being warned to expect two-hour delays as countries deploy a new border system, known as the EU’s Entry Exit System. The system requires those from third-party countries such as the UK to have their photograph and fingerprints taken in order to enter the Schengen area.