UP to one million people will be on the move in the busiest travel period of the year, which gets under way this weekend.
Iarnrod Eireann expects to eater for more than 200,000 people on Intercity rail services over Christmas and New Year and a similar number will use Bus Eireann expressway and local bus services.
Aer Lingus expects to carry 230,000 passengers in and out of Ireland over the holiday period, while British Midland will cater for 100,000 travellers.
Irish Ferries will carry 40,000 passengers and 9,000 vehicles, while Stena Line will have 70,000 passengers and 15,000 vehicles on its Dun Laoghaire/Holyhead and Rosslare/Fishguard routes.
A lucky passenger arriving at Dublin airport on Monday next will officially become Aer Rianta's nine millionth passenger in 1996. Aer Rianta, which operates Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports will make a special presentation to the traveller at 8 a.m. Nine million is a record number of passengers for the airport operator in any single year.
Bus Eireann says extra buses' will operate on all major routes up to and including Christmas Eve.
A large number of midday and afternoon services are also being offered on Expressway routes to avoid peak evening travel periods over the weekend and on Monday and Christmas Eve.
For chose staying at bomb but planning to party, city Nitelink services will operate all weekend and on Monday in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. DART services in Dublin will be improved to cater for Christmas shoppers today, while the number of trains in service will be doubled tomorrow between noon and 6.30 p.m.
All banks will open as normal on Monday, but close at 12.30 pm. on Christmas Eve and remain closed until Monday, December 30th. A number of branches of the TSB bank will open at 8.30 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday.
Department stores and shops in most cities and provincial towns will close at the usual time today and will open tomorrow from 12 noon or 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Most stores will open on Monday until 8 p.m. and close at the usual time on Christmas Eve.
On the roads this weekend, traffic disruption in Dublin and provincial cities is almost inevitable in the final shopping days before Christmas, despite Operation Freeflow.
Garda restrictions on parking, bus lanes and clearways will be strictly enforced and in Dublin city centre parking on Henry Street will only be allowed between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., while no parking is allowed on South King Street until January 1st.
In the outer city area there is a 40 m.p.h. speed restriction between Newlands Cross and Rathcoole while improvement work continues on the Naas dual carriageway.
At the Point Theatre, there will be traffic delays from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow because of the Russian ballet.
In Galway there are roadworks on the airport road so passengers are advised to allow extra time for the journey to the airport.
In Meath there are traffic delays, especially at peak time on the Dublin/Navan road about three miles outside Dunshaughlin, because of roadworks.
