Heavy traffic is expected at the start of the weekend as families head to ski resorts to celebrate Christmas.
Congestion is expected in all regions of France departing Paris and other major cities today Friday (December 19) with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes facing very heavy traffic.
Traffic alert service Bison Futé has issued the following advice for drivers:
Leave or traverse the Île-de-France region before 14:00 or after 21:00
Avoid the A36 motorway between Besançon and Germany from 13:00 to 21:00
Avoid the A7 motorway between Lyon and Orange from 15:00 to 19:00 and between Orange and Lyon from 14:00 to 18:00
Avoid the A9 motorway between Orange and Narbonne from 14:00 to 18:00
Avoid the A8 motorway between Le Luc and Italy from 12:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A42 motorway between Lyon and Pont d'Ain from 18:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A43 motorway between Lyon and Chambéry from 17:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A46 motorway and the N346 national road for the eastern bypass of Lyon from 15:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A1 motorway between Lille and Paris from 15:00 to 18:00
Avoid the A11 motorway between Nantes and Angers from 14:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A10 motorway between Poitiers and Tours from 15:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A41 motorway between Switzerland and Grenoble from 16:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A48 motorway between Grenoble and Bourgoin-Jallieu from 15:00 to 20:00
For Saturday, the service recommends drivers:
Leave or traverse the Île-de-France region before 06:00 or after 16:00.
Avoid the A40 motorway between Mâcon and Annemasse between 11:00 and 16:00
Avoid the A43 motorway between Lyon and Chambéry between 10:00 and 19:00
Avoid the A46 motorway and the N346 national road for the eastern bypass of Lyon from 10:00 to 16:00
Avoid the Mont Blanc Tunnel (N205) between France and Italy from 14:00 to 19:00
Conditions are expected to improve on Sunday as most families will have reached destinations.
However, traffic in other areas, particularly the south-west may be impacted by farmer protests depending on the outcome of today’s crucial EU-Mercosur trade deal negotiations.
The graphic below provides a regional overview of traffic this weekend.
