French roads watchdog issues traffic warning for holiday weekend
Image: Bison Futé
Heavy traffic is expected from mid-morning until late evening, with key routes in the north-west of the country and around Île-de-France particularly busy. In the south-west, the ever-popular A10 and A63 routes will be congested, while traffic is expected to be heavy along the Mediterranean arc, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and the Mont-Blanc tunnel.
The watchdog specifically urges motorists to:
reach or cross the Île-de-France region before 10am or after midnight.
avoid the A25 between Socx and Lille from 5pm to 7pm;
avoid the A13 between Caen and Paris from 11am to 4pm;
avoid the A11 between Angers and Le Mans from 10 a.m. to 7pm, and between Le Mans and Paris from 4pm. to 8pm;
avoid the N157 and the A81 between Rennes and Le Mans from 3pm to 5pm;
Avoid the N165 between Quimper and Nantes from 3pm to 6pm;
Avoid the A10 between Bordeaux and Tours from 12pm to 7pm, and between Tours and Orléans from 6pm to 9pm;
Advertisement
avoid the A9 between Spain and Narbonne from 1pm to 5pm, and between Narbonne and Orange from 1pm to 7pm;
avoid the A7 between Marseille and Orange from 10am to 5pm, and between Orange and Lyon from noon to 7pm;
Avoid the A20 between Brive-La-Gaillarde and Châteauroux from 3pm to 6pm;
Avoid the A61 between Narbonne and Toulouse from 3pm to 5pm;
Avoid the Mont Blanc tunnel (N205) heading into France from 10am to 11pm.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local France
6 days ago
- Local France
Chassé-croisé: France prepares for busiest travel weekend of the year
France, like all countries, has busy travel weekends that coincide with school holidays and major festivals such as Christmas. In general, all of the weekends in July and August are busier than normal on French roads and railways. But it also has the chasée-croisé , which is usually the busiest travel weekend of the year, especially on the roads, where people are generally advised to avoid travelling if possible. This is due to traditional French summer holiday patterns in which many people take either the whole month of July or the whole month of August off work. They are then highly likely to travel within France, usually to popular holiday destinations such as the Mediterranean coast of the Alps. This creates the 'crossover' weekend , when the July holidaymakers return and the August ones set out. READ ALSO : Juilletistes vs Aoûtiens: Do France's two summer holiday tribes still exist? In the week leading up to this particular weekend, you're likely to see and hear media reports about it, the traffic predictions and the places to avoid. This year, that falls on the weekend of August 1st - 3rd. Roads The French traffic forecaster Bison futé grades each part of France from green (normal traffic) through yellow (difficult), red (very difficult) and finally black (extremely difficult driving conditions due to heavy traffic on major routes). On Friday the country is evenly split between red in the north west and south east (including holiday hotspots like Brittany, Normandy and the Alps) and yellow for the rest of the country. On Saturday the whole of France gets a 'black' rating for outward traffic. This means that traffic on major routes is likely to be extremely heavy with long traffic jams at key points such as motorway intersections, sliproads and péages . The traffic prediction map for Saturday, August 2nd from Bison futé. People who don't have to drive on Saturday are advised not to. You can find the full Bison futé calendar, and the detailed road-by-road breakdown here . Railways The railways are also likely to be busy, although they don't get quite the same 'chassée-croisé' effect as the roads - during July and August in France the rail network is busy most weekends. Advertisement Tickets for the high-speed TGV and Intercité trains must be bought in advance, and the SNCF website is already showing quite a few trains to be fully booked this weekend. It will still be possible to travel by train, but you may need to be a little flexible about your travel time. The advantage of the advance booking system is that booking a ticket also gives you a seat reservation, so you won't have to spend four hours standing in a corridor (unless there is some kind of emergency that involves train cancellations). The local TER trains don't have the same pre-booking and seat reservation system and these can get very busy over holiday weekends - especially in tourist hotspots - so you may end up having to stand if you are travelling by TER. These do tend to be shorter journeys, however. Plane/ferry/Eurotunnel This will be a busy weekend at France's airports, although not noticeably busier than other weekends during the peak holiday season. Make sure you check the information provided by your airline on how far in advance you should arrive at the airport. If you are travelling from the UK to France by ferry, expect heavy traffic around the ports and the possibility of long queues at border control - the post-Brexit travel checks are still causing problems, especially at the Port of Dover, at peak travel times. If you miss your ferry due to being stuck in a queue, you will simply be transferred to the next available crossing. Advertisement The Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone seems to have fewer problems, and so far this summer traffic has generally been running smoothly. Paris And finally, a note about Paris - if you are travelling to the French capital, remember that summer is when public transport operators take the opportunity for engineering works (while the Parisians are at the beach) so Metro, tram and RER lines may be running on a slightly different schedule. Find the full details here .
Local France
23-07-2025
- Local France
6 tips for the perfect French summer road trip
Part of the appeal of a road trip is that you don't have to book ahead for train or plane tickets so can be a little more spontaneous - but it's still worth planning a few things in advance. As with any road trip, it's obviously a good idea to make sure that your vehicle is roadworthy and in good condition for the journey, and to have some idea of where you're going and how long it is likely to take. READ ALSO Who to call and what to say in a driving emergency in France But then there are some specifically French issues; Motorway or not motorway? The generally pay-as-you-go autoroutes of France are excellent. The road surface is usually smooth, traffic flows reasonably, the views generally stunning – and there's occasional road-side art to spot and debate for a few miles. France is not a small country and its motorways stretch for more than 12,000km, of which more than 9,000km are toll roads operated by private companies under contracts with the State. Advertisement But, you don't have to use them – it is entirely possible to get from wherever you are to wherever you want to go without using a motorway in France. Just accept that the journey will take longer, may be harder on your car, involve hills, and narrow roads, towns and villages. If you're in no rush, great, enjoy la france profonde . If you need to get somewhere a little faster, though, pay the toll. READ ALSO Is it worth taking a detour to avoid France's steep autoroute tolls? Avoid the red and black days There are some days – particularly during the long summer holidays – when it's best simply to leave the motorway travel to everyone else. There are days when it seems like the entire population of France is on the road, with a good chunk of northern Europeans also using France as a ratrun to southern Europe, and the sun. Fortunately, the busy days are mostly predictable - k eep an eye on The Local and France's roads watchdog Bison Futé, which forecasts traffic levels on the country's main arterial routes, and signals trouble using a colour-coded map of France. Green is good. Red is not. Black is, basically, nationwide gridlock. And avoid, at all costs, the chasée-croisé . Take breaks At some point you're going to need a pitstop to freshen up, loosen up and, maybe, take on some food and water. And fuel. Let's not forget fuel. But, where can you stop on a French motorway? Enter the aires de service . You'll see regular blue signs at the side of the autoroute telling you how far you have to travel to the next aire de service and, via the medium of pictograms, what services are on offer – so you'll know if there's a filling station, a restaurant, café, a shop, toilet and shower facilities, facilities for caravan or camping car users and so on. The thing is, these places are not cheap. Fuel is more expensive than in town service stations, and food prices are higher. You're pretty much a captive consumer so you pay a premium for the privilege. Most will have charging points for electric vehicles and there's routinely free wifi access. There will be an outdoor area with chairs and tables, if you're organised enough to pack a picnic, while for kids there will be an outdoor play area and an indoor area for arcade games. Advertisement At peak periods, notably in the summer, numerous service stations offer free activities for children and families. This is actually a very smart idea – it breaks up a journey, gives bored backseat children something to do which delays the inevitable cries of 'are we nearly there yet', and prompts families to take a proper break before getting back in their vehicles for the next leg of their trip. READ ALSO Aires: Everything you need to know about motorway services in France Between the aires de service , you may also spot aires de repos . These are, basically, parking areas at the side of the motorway, where you can take a break from driving and relieve yourself if necessary. The good news is that they're usually landscaped, and have some benches and tables, if you have a picnic, plus toilets. Take the route less travelled There are alternatives to motorways and service stations - they're France's official villages étapes – or stopover villages. READ ALSO Driving in France: What are the French 'villages étapes'? A signpost on France's major routes will tell you that, within 5km, there's a village of no more than 5,000 people that will offer a warm welcome – and food and fuel – to weary travellers. At a fraction of the cost of motorway services. Advertisement Heading into La France profonde has advantages beyond protecting your bank balance a while longer. You'll see stunning views from the motorways – but you'll experience stunning views off them. Scenic routes are everywhere, and they're worth the effort if you have the time, and the fuel. READ ALSO 10 most beautiful parts of France to drive through Avoid tourist hotspots France is understandably proud of its reputation as the world's most visited tourist destination, but that tag does bring with it one or two problems. According to the French government, some 80 percent of the country's tourist activity – and there's a lot of it – is concentrated in just 20 percent of the country, meaning that better-known tourist sites can get overwhelmed by visitors. Advertisement France is fairly bursting with places to visit so t hink a little outside the tourist box - maybe h ead to the Vanoise and Beaufortain massifs rather than Mont Blanc; the Côte Bleue to the west of Marseille is every bit as beautiful – and much less busy – than the Calanques; while opposite Cannes, the Lérins Islands, are an ideal alternative to the îles du parc national du Port-Cros. READ ALSO 19 alternative places to visit in France to avoid the crowds France also has a lot of beautiful villages that are well worth visiting just to experience some traditional rural lifestyle. READ ALSO : 14 of the best villages in France - according to the French✎ Drive sensibly This really should go without saying, but keeping to speed limits and maintaining safe distances is the best way to travel. Your blood pressure remains even, you're less likely to crash. This remains true whatever the locals are up to on the roads. READ ALSO Swearing, honking and tailgating: French drivers ranked among worst in Europe Don't get arrested Avoiding unnecessary trouble with the law is a common sense approach to life and it should be fairly easy to do. But, as in all countries, there are a whole range of driving laws to fall foul of – from standard driving infractions to ages-old French rules on running the air-con in your winnebago , for example. Advertisement Very minor law-breaking may – may – be solved with a grovelling apology to the world-weary police officer in front of you and tactical use of the 'dumb foreigner' defence. READ ALSO Driving in France: What are the offences that cost you penalty points on your licence? But more serious offences may see you in the back of a police car en route to a police station, where you can be held for up to 24 hours before someone has to decide whether you can be detained for longer. S uffice to say, this alone will put a kink in your holiday. READ ALSO What to do if you are arrested in France But not as much as the kink as any future court appearance and French criminal record may do. Foreign motorists in France are more likely to experience national traffic laws via the medium of an unwanted speeding fine in the post. Speeding is taken very seriously in France. You can be pulled over by a police officer for speeding, but you could also be caught by a speed camera and not even realise it until you get a fine in the mail. READ ALSO Radars, fines and points: How to understand France's speeding laws For non-EU tourists driving their own cars in France, whether you receive a point on your foreign licence depends on whether your country (or state) has a reciprocal agreement with France. If you have been snapped by a speed camera while in a hire car, rental companies will relay your information to French authorities, and they may also apply a surcharge for fines. And don't think you'll get away with it if you're flashed while driving a UK-plated car . If you're planning on taking in some of France's famous vineyards while on your trip, remember to designate a driver - French drink-drive laws are strict and the alcohol limits may be lower than you are used to, especially if you are from the UK. READ ALSO : What you risk if you drink and drive in France✎
Fashion Network
22-07-2025
- Fashion Network
Roberto Cavalli launches luxury hospitality partnerships in Ibiza and Cannes
Italian fashion label Roberto Cavalli has brought its brand of unabashed glamour and Mediterranean elegance to the high-end hospitality universe through exclusive collaborations with Ibiza hotel The Unexpected and Annex Beach hotel in Cannes. The label has brought its bold aesthetic to new Ibiza luxury destination The Unexpected Hotel, which is located in the heart of Playa d'en Bossa. The hotel was developed as part of the renovation of the Ushuaïa Tower and is inspired by the iconic Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, known for its excellent services and entertainment, avant-garde design, and haute gastronomy. Cavalli's aesthetic takeover covers the hotel's Oyster & Caviar Bar, located next to the recently opened restaurant- Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen. The fashion house has customised every detail of the space with its new Ray of Sea print, from sun loungers to beach towels, pillows, umbrellas, and even the private Jacuzzi on the VIP terrace. Ray of Sea was designed by Cavalli's creative director Fausto Puglisi as part of an exclusive capsule for Summer 2025. The print represents an evolution of the archival Ray of Gold print, introduced on the runway for the brand's spring/ summer 2007 collection. Inspired by sunlight reflected on a gold Art Deco lighter that belonged to the brand's founder, Roberto Cavalli, the print has now been reinterpreted in a Miami Blue hue. Following the Cannes Film Festival, the Italian label returned to the French Riviera for its new collaboration with Annex Beach. The space celebrates Roberto Cavalli's aesthetic universe with an installation that juxtaposes its Zebra Stripes and Ray of Sea prints. Cavalli sofas, cushions, beach towels, sun loungers, and tableware have transformed the beach destination into a true expression of the brand's lifestyle vision.
