Summer traffic: the map of roads to avoid

Driving to your holiday destination this summer?
Discover the most problematic roads in Europe below during the busiest days.

The traffic map

Click on the map or here to view the map.

To check the departure calendar, click here.

"Black spots" to avoid

In France

• the Luxembourg-Metz-Lyon route
• the Lyon ring road
• the Lyon-Orange route
• the Orange-Montpellier-Perpignan-Spanish border route (Le Perthus)
• the Orange, Aix-en-Provence-Nice-Italian border route
• the Paris ring road
• the Paris-Orléans route
• the Bordeaux ring road
• the border crossing into Spain at Hendaye
• the Nantes ring road
• the "Rouen-Caen" route

For the return journey, the "black spots" are on the same routes in the opposite direction.

Coming back from the south of France, a good alternative to avoid Metz is to take the Langres - Troyes - Reims route.

Tips

• To bypass Paris, it's best to take the Francilienne A86-A3. To avoid Lyon, we advise holidaymakers coming back from Spain to take the Montpellier - Moulins - Nevers - Troyes - Reims route
• For those coming back from Provence, the French Riviera or Italy, it's best to follow the Vienne - Saint-Etienne - Vichy route, then head towards Moulins - Nevers - Troyes - Reims.

In Germany

• the Frankfurt-Nuremberg-Munich route
• the Stuttgart-Munich route and the Munich ring road
• the Freiburg-Basel route
• the main routes around Kassel
• the border crossings into Switzerland and Austria

For the return journey, the "black spots" are on the same routes in the opposite direction.

The recommended alternative to bypass Munich and the A9 on the way back is the Partenkirchen - Augsburg - Ingolstadt - Nuremberg route.

In Switzerland

• the Basel ring road
• the main routes around Bern
• the Winterthur-Zurich-Lucerne, Chiasso route
• the Great St Bernard and the Gotthard. The tunnels are mainly subject to queues and waiting times, especially at the Gotthard.
• the border crossings.

For the return journey, the "black spots" are on the same routes in the opposite direction.

In Austria

• the Brenner motorway
• the Tauern motorway (the Tauern tunnel can cause long queues or waiting times)
• the Salzburg-Kufstein-Innsbruck route
• the Graz ring road
• the main routes around Vienna
• the border crossings

In Italy

• the Milan-Bologna-Rimini route and the Adriatic coast as far as Bari
• the Bolzano-Verona route
• the Nice-Genoa-Florence route
• the main routes around Rome, Naples and Venice

For the return journey, the "black spots" are on the same routes in the opposite direction. Many Italians go on holiday at the beginning of August, which affects traffic density.

In Spain

• the Perpignan - Barcelona route
• the coastal road Barcelona-Valencia-Murcia-Almería-Malaga
• the main routes around Madrid

For the return journey, the "black spots" are on the same routes in the opposite direction.

In Portugal

• the main routes around Porto and Lisbon

In Belgium

• the Brussels - Namur - Luxembourg route (E411)
• the Brussels - Ostend route (E40)
• the Antwerp - Knokke route (N49)
• the Brussels and Antwerp ring roads

For the return journey, the "black spots" are on the same routes in the opposite direction.

A few tips

• Plan your departure based on the expected traffic density and the time you're likely to reach a "black spot".
• Don't underestimate tiredness if you're planning to drive at night.
• Follow our tips for making a long journey worry-free and respect the traffic rules in force in the countries you're visiting.
• Also check the "Traffic Info" websites of the countries you'll be travelling through, before and during your trip.
• Choose carefully where you fill up with fuel.