An amber warning for heavy traffic and difficult travel conditions has been issued by the AA, which says it expects more than 17 million drivers to take to the roads this week.

The M25 is among the motorways the breakdown organisation fears could become gridlocked with train strikes, recent bad weather and the way bank holidays fall all contributing to some busy days on the roads ahead.

The AA, which is monitoring traffic levels ahead of the Christmas getaway, forecasts that Friday, December 23 and Christmas Eve will be the busiest days while National Highways has already confirmed it is lifting almost 900 miles of roadworks to help free-up routes.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy, explained: "As people start driving home for Christmas, we are advising those heading out in their cars to be prepared for some congestion, especially on popular routes heading out of London.

"The rail strikes have convinced more people to travel by car this year, and while hundreds of miles of roadworks have been removed to ease the pain, it might not be enough to keep the queues away."

Interchanges connecting the M25 with the M3, M4, M1, M11, M20 in Kent and A1(M) are among the routes expected to experience delays over the two-day period while for those travelling further afield, jams are also forecast for Cumbria on the M6 interchange with the A69, M62/M60 junctions around Manchester and the A64 between Leeds and York.

The M4/M5 interchange at Bristol is likely to experience heavy congestion as well as the M5 at Exeter, while delays are predicted to take place through the M6 Birmingham area and the M11/A14 junction north of Cambridge.

Traffic will be most heavy, suggests the AA, from 10am until 6pm on Friday and between 10am and 4pm on Christmas Eve.

The recent cold snap has seen a rise in breakdowns for patrols but many, says the service, could have been avoided had drivers carried out pre-travel checks on their cars.

Jack Cousens added: "During the recent snow and icy weather, we attended numerous breakdowns which could have been avoided completely had their car been checked before leaving. While tyres and oil levels are common items to tick off the list, ensuring screen wash isn’t frozen and wiper blades are in good condition are just as vital, especially with more grit and dirt being kicked up off the road.

"Breakdowns add to traffic jams, so if everyone spent 10 minutes checking their car before leaving it could save everyone hours on their journey. As well as preparing your car you need to prepare yourself. Carrying warm clothing, water and snacks as well as entertainment for younger travellers in a must."