Motorists are being urged to prepare for significant delays this Bank Holiday weekend as a major sporting event coincides with peak travel. Bath Rugby is set to face Lyon in the European Rugby Challenge Cup final at the Principality Stadium on Friday, May 23. The match kicks off at 8pm, with gates opening at 6pm, attracting thousands of enthusiastic fans to Cardiff.
This high-profile rugby final comes at a time when many are hitting the road for Bank Holiday getaways, intensifying congestion risks. Visit Cardiff, the city’s official tourism board, has issued a travel advisory warning that the M4 motorway is expected to experience heavy traffic and urges drivers to plan their journeys carefully.
Adding to the pressure, the AA has issued an amber traffic alert for the weekend, forecasting over 20 million journeys across the UK on Friday alone, confirming the likelihood of widespread delays.
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Rail travel will also be affected. Great Western Railway (GWR) has warned passengers of crowded services due to both the Bath-Lyon match and another big fixture on Saturday at the same venue, where Northampton Saints will take on Union Bordeaux-Bègles in the Investec Champions Cup Final.
To ease travel, GWR will operate five additional trains after the Bath final, providing more than 3,000 extra seats from Cardiff Central to key destinations including Bath, Bristol, Chippenham, Swindon, and Westbury. Despite the extra services, trains are expected to be extremely busy, and a queueing system will be in place outside Cardiff Central to manage boarding safely.
For fans traveling to the match, GWR advises using Bristol Temple Meads station to board larger Intercity Express Trains, which offer a more comfortable and quicker journey. Early travel is highly recommended to avoid the busiest services and ensure a smoother experience.