Holiday traffic jams: Avoid these routes in France this weekend
School holiday season sees many heading to – or returning from – Alpine resorts
Roads in the east are likely to face heavy traffic due to half-term holidays
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Drivers in the east of France and around Paris are likely to face significant traffic this weekend as another round of holidaymakers set off to Alpine slopes.
The half-term holidays are at their zenith, beginning for school zone ‘A’, ending for zone ‘B’ and still in place for zone ‘C’, meaning many families are planning to begin or end their holidays this week.
Read more: Calendar: French school holidays for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026
It is also the start and end of school holidays for many children in Belgium and the Netherlands, leading to traffic overflow from these countries.
In turn, this will all lead to heavy road traffic along routes used to reach the Alpine ski resorts, popular destinations for half-term holidays.
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is at a tier-two yellow warning for traffic on Friday (February 21), as is the capital Île-de-France region from traffic watchdog Bison Futé.
On Saturday, this rises to a tier-three red (the second-highest level possible) for the mountainous areas, specifically for those making their way out of larger cities towards the resorts.
Traffic returning to Paris will also be busy on Saturday.
Which roads to avoid?
Bison Futé recommends drivers avoid the following roads on Friday as traffic will be busiest:
The A72 motorway between Nervieux and Saint-Étienne from 14:00 to 19:00
The A43 motorway between Lyon and Chambéry, from 17:00 and 23:00
The Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205) between France and Italy from 16:00 to 20:00
In addition, those leaving or travelling through/around Paris to go on holiday should attempt to complete this leg of their journey before 10:00.
Advice for drivers on Saturday includes:
Avoid the A40 motorway between Mâcon and Passy from 11:00 to 16:00
Avoid the A43 motorway between Lyon and Chambéry from 09:00 to 15:00 and between Chambéry and the Fréjus Tunnel from 09:00 to 17:00
Avoid the A430 motorway between Chambéry and Albertville from 12:00 to 17:00
Avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205) between France and Italy from 10:00 and 14:00.
Avoid the A43 motorway, between Chambéry and Lyon from 10:00 to 16:00
Similarly to Friday, drivers needing to traverse the Île-de-France should do so in the morning, before 11:00.
Tips on how to avoid traffic and prepare your vehicle for a winter journey can be found in our article below.
Read more: How to avoid massive traffic jams amidst holidays and ski season
