Heavy traffic expected in France this weekend: roads to avoid
Traffic watchdog Bison Futé has put in place red level traffic warnings
Holiday season is almost over… which means an influx of cars on the road
Mathis Boussuge / Shutterstock
Heavy traffic is expected across France this weekend, as holidaymakers return from tourist hotspots to larger cities.
Traffic watchdog Bison Futé has put in place red level traffic warnings (the second highest possible) in parts of south-west and central France, as well as Alpine areas, for Friday (August 23).
Saturday (August 24) sees red level traffic warnings cover the entire country.
The warnings generally apply to roads leading away from coastal areas and into larger cities such as Paris, Lyon, and Bordeaux.
By Sunday (August 25), warnings nationally will reduce to a tier-two yellow level.
Despite this, on Monday (August 26) red warnings are back in place, covering Paris and the surrounding departments (but not the wider Île-de-France region).
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Which roads will be busiest?
Bison Futé has highlighted a number of busy roads on Friday, including the A7, A8 and A9 in the south, as well as the A63 and A10 in the south-west.
The A75 – that goes through the Massif Central – will also see traffic.
Jams will begin in the late morning, lasting until the evening (around 20:00 to 22:00).
Roads entering into Paris and the local suburbs will also face increased traffic until late into the evening, particularly the A10 towards Yvelines.
The same roads are expected to face difficulties on Saturday, with the addition of the Mont Blanc tunnel, which will be busy until around 22:00.
Heightened warnings are in place as bottlenecks are expected on these roads in the afternoon – particularly on the A7 towards the direction of Lyon – but roads will also be busy from morning until nightfall, increasing the journey time.
Sunday is forecast to see conditions improve, however roads including the A11 and A85 in the west of France face traffic in the directions of Le Mans and Tours respectively.
The A71 in central France, between Bourges and Orléans, will also see an influx of users, but no severe bottlenecks are forecast on any roads.
Full details for the weekend can be found on the official Bison Futé website.
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