These French roads will be exceptionally busy this week as school holidays end
Traffic will be heightened due to November 1 bank holiday and end of holidays
Roads around the capital will also be congested on the weekend
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Heavy traffic is set to affect France this week as the Toussaint half-term school holiday comes to an end.
The holiday, the last major break before Christmas, lasts two weeks, and sees many families depart for time away in the countryside or coastal areas.
This also means an influx of drivers clogging major motorways when they return.
Official traffic watchdog Bison Futé predicts that Thursday (October 31) will be the busiest day for traffic.
The entire country will be on a yellow alert for traffic – the third-highest – in both directions (driving away and towards major cities).
In Paris and the Île-de-France region this rises to a red level for departing journeys, as workers seek to benefit from the bank holiday on November 1 for a long weekend away.
Traffic on major motorways
The busiest roads on Thursday will be the A1 (towards Lille and the Belgian border), and A7 (from Lyon towards Marseille).
However, the A6 – to Lyon from Paris – and A10 – Paris towards Bordeaux – will also be congested.
In the south, roads including the A8 (from the south-east into Italy) will be busy in both directions. The south-west will also see traffic on the A61 and A63.
Finally in the east, the A2 and A35 roads will be congested.
Traffic will be at its heaviest in the afternoon and evening, intensified by people leaving for a bank holiday trip after the work day ends.
Bison Futé has issued the following advice for the day:
Leave or cross the Île-de-France region before noon
Avoid the A1 in all directions from 15:00 to 21:00
Avoid the A2 between Belgium and Combles from 11:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A7 between Salon-de-Provence and Marseille in both directions from 16:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A8 between Le Luc and Italy from 17:00 to 22:00
Avoid the A10 near Bordeaux from 16:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A35 between Switzerland and Strasbourg from 16:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A46 and the N346 near Lyon from 15:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A50 between in both directions between Marseille and Toulon from 15:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A63 between Bordeaux and Bayonne from 17:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A61 between Carcassonne and Toulouse, between 17:00 and 21:00
Avoid the N85 national road between Grenoble and Gap from 17:00 to 20:00
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Weekend traffic in Paris
Traffic is also expected to be busy on Saturday (November 2) and Sunday (November 3) for drivers returning towards Paris.
The A10 will be particularly busy on both days, but especially on Sunday, where the road will be extremely congested between 12:00 and 21:00.
The A6 will also be busy, particularly on Sunday afternoon.
Traffic is not expected to be busier than usual on other roads throughout France over the weekend.
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