Traffic jams and strikes: Travel in France on first summer holiday weekend
les grandes vacances
- s
chools in France break up for the long summer holidays on July 5th and many families have wasted no time dashing off on their annual getaway.
On the roads
On France's key arterial routes, that means heavy traffic, as domestic holidaymakers, boosted by tourists from some neighbouring countries head to the coasts for a week or two in the sun.
Saturday, July 5th is expected to be the busiest day on the
autoroutes
and main arteries this weekend, so French roads watchdog Bison Futé advises drivers to avoid travel if your journey is not urgent.
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Friday, July 4th -
The roads watchdog issued a yellow alert – indicating 'difficult' travel – conditions across all of France, rising to red – 'very difficult' around Paris, and yellow for those heading away from the coast along the Mediterranean arc.
Map: Bison Futé
Be aware, too, that the A7 will be closed in both directions between the junction with the A51, near the commune of Pennes-Mirabeau, and Saint-Charles station, in Marseille, from midnight on Friday, July 4th, until 12noon on Sunday, July 6th.
Bison Futé specifically advises motorists heading away from French cities towards popular holiday destinations to:
avoid travel through the Ile-de-France until after 11pm;
avoid the A25 between Lille and Socx from 3pm to 7pm;
avoid the A63 between Bordeaux and Bayonne from noon to 6pm;
avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 2pm to 7pm, and between Orange and Marseille from 5pm to 7pm;
avoid the A75 between Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers from 3pm to 6pm;
avoid the A61 between Toulouse and Narbonne from 4pm to 7pm;
avoid the A46 and N346, for the eastern bypass of Lyon, between 12noon and 6pm;
Avoid the Mont Blanc tunnel (N205), heading into Italy, until 9pm.
Heading back towards cities, it advises avoiding:
the A9 between Montpellier and Orange from 6pm to 8pm;
the A7 between Marseille and Salon-de-Provence from 5pm to 8pm;
the A8 between Italy and Le Luc from 4pm to 7pm;
the A57 between Le Luc and Toulon from 4pm to 6pm;
the A54 and the N113 between Salon-de-Provence and Nîmes from 5pm to 8pm.
Saturday, July 5th -
The busiest travel day of the first weekend of the summer holiday period, with a nationwide red travel warning in place on routes heading towards popular holiday destinations, and a yellow alert in place for those heading the other way in the south east.
Map: Bison Futé
Particular advice, for those heading to holiday destinations, is:
Leave or cross the Ile-de-France region before 5am or after 5pm;
Avoid the A11 between Angers and Nantes from 10am to 2pm;
Avoid N165 between Nantes and Quimper between 1pm and 5pm;
avoid the A10 between Paris and Orléans from 8am to 12noon, between Orléans and Tours from 11am to 2pm, and between Tours and Bordeaux from 10am to 5pm;
avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 8am to 3pm and between Orange and Marseille from 10am to 8pm;
avoid the A9 between Orange and Narbonne from 11am to 2pm and between Narbonne and Spain from 11am to 5pm;
Avoid the A61 between Toulouse and Narbonne from 1pm to 3pm;
Avoid the Mont Blanc tunnel (N205) heading into Italy from 9am to 4pm.
Heading away from holiday resorts, the advice is:
avoid the A7 between Marseille and Orange from 10am to 2pm;
avoid the A8 between La Fare-les-Oliviers and Le Luc from 11am to 1pm;
avoid the A9 between Spain and Orange from 11am to 5pm;
avoid the A54 and the N113 between Nîmes and Salon-de-Provence from 10am to 3pm.
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Sunday, July 6th -
A return to relative travel calm, with only a partial yellow travel alert in place on roads heading towards holiday destinations.
Map: Bison Futé
In particular, motorists are advised to avoid:
the A25 between Lille and Socx from 11am to 3pm;
the A13 between Rouen and Caen from 3pm to 5pm;
the A11 between Angers and Nantes from 4pm to 7pm;
the A10 between Orléans and Tours from 9am to 2pm;
the A7 between Lyon and Orange from noon to 8pm;
the A43 between Lyon and Chambéry between 12noon and 2pm;
the Mont Blanc tunnel (N205) into Italy from 10am to 7pm.
In the air
French air traffic controllers staged a two-day strike on Thursday and Friday, prompting the cancellation of hundreds of flights not just to-and-from France but also overflying the country.
READ ALSO
'Stuck at Charles de Gaulle' - Hundreds more flights cancelled as French air traffic controllers strike
The European Airlines for Europe (A4E) association said 1,500 flights would be cancelled on Thursday and Friday in Europe, affecting 300,000 passengers – causing 'almost 500,000 minutes' in delays in Europe on Thursday for nearly 33,000 commercial flights.
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And the effects of the walkout will likely be felt well into the weekend, as airlines scramble to get their planes where they need to be.
As a result, some delays and disruption are likely. Airlines generally try to preserve long-haul flights so disruption is usually centred on short-haul routes, however high levels of cancellations can also lead to knock-on disruption and delays on other flights. Contact your airline if you are concerned about your flights this weekend.
Railways
The union Sud Rail has an open-ended strike notice in place until September 1st, but no walkouts have been announced for this weekend. Nevertheless, as it is the first holiday weekend of the summer, expect railway stations to be much busier than normal, as those who don't want to drive or fly head off on their holidays.
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