Latest news with #BisonFuté
Local France
a day ago
- Local France
French roads watchdog issues traffic warning for holiday weekend
Bison Futé has issued a red travel warning across most of France, rising to black in the north-western quarter of the country, as everyone who has enjoyed an Ascension getaway heads back in time to return to the office on Monday. 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.
France 24
3 days ago
- Automotive
- France 24
From ‘Bison Futé' to bottlenecks: Understanding France's traffic woes
08:18 Issued on: 08:18 min As France heads into a four-day weekend – and braces for heavy traffic – we take a closer look at the country's ongoing struggles with road congestion and road rage. We also explore the origins of French traffic terminology and the history behind the well-known 'Bison Futé' traffic forecasts. Finally, what actually works when it comes to easing traffic jams? A programme produced by Amanda Alexander, Marina Pajovic and Georgina Robertson.
Local France
5 days ago
- Local France
Closures, traffic, and strikes: What to expect for France's Ascension public holiday
This year, Thursday, May 29th, marks Ascension, offering both a day off work and a chance to 'faire le pont' (do the bridge) and use a single day of annual leave to take Friday off work, giving yourself a lovely four-day break. The festival, which Christians believe marks the day that Jesus ascended into heaven, is always 40 days after Easter Sunday, which is why its exact date varies from year to year. READ MORE: Why is Ascension Day a public holiday in France? Here is what to expect over the long weekend. Closures Thursday is a jour férié for French workers, meaning banks, schools, and public offices (préfectures, town halls, etc) will be closed. Smaller shops, like your local butcher or cheesemonger, might also close on Thursday, or remain open at reduced hours, as if it were a Sunday. Usually, ahead of a public holiday, smaller shops will post their schedule for the week in a note in the window. Keep an eye out for this in the days to come. Advertisement Most supermarkets remain open, but they may do so at reduced capacity. Museums and tourist sites may close on Thursday; be sure to check their opening hours beforehand. Big sites like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower will remain open. You can see the list of other Paris museums that will remain open on Ascension on the Paris tourism website . As for Wednesday and Friday, these are normal working days, but many workers opt to leave early on Wednesday or take off the day on Friday to build a long weekend. Some shops may also remain closed on Friday. Travel disruption and strikes As many people use this as an opportunity to take a weekend trip. Expect larger crowds and longer lines at tourist sites during the weekend, as well as on the roads, and at airports and train stations. On top of that, there has been recent protest action by taxi drivers across the country, and on Monday, French farmers began another wave of protests. READ MORE: Latest: French farmer tractor protests restart, while taxi drivers target airports Both of these movements have involved road blockades and 'go-slow' campaigns, though taxi drivers have focused primarily on blocking access to airports (particularly in the Paris region) and train stations. Farmers have so far focused their protest action on motorways ( autoroutes ). The French rail union, Sud-Rail, which represents ticket inspectors, has threatened to potentially call for strike action during the Ascension long weekend. So far, no official strike notices have been filed, but a representative from the union told the French press that the strikes would be called "four days in advance." Keep an eye on The Local's strikes section for more updates on action by taxi drivers, farmers and rail workers. Traffic Aside from possible slowdowns due to protest action by taxi drivers and farmers, French traffic watchdog Bison Futé had also predicted heavy traffic for departures across the country on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as for returns on Sunday (particularly those driving from the north-west). The roads are expected to be clear on Friday and Saturday for both departures and returns. Weather Overall, French forecasters are predicting cloudy weather across much of France at the start of the week, and some showers mid-week, with the sun expected to come back out across much of the country on Friday. As for the weekend, forecasters have warned that cloudy and stormy weather (particularly in the south-east) may return on Saturday, with rain expected across most of France on Sunday. Advertisement Temperatures are expected to remain cool from Monday to Thursday, with warmer weather returning on Friday. In the south-west, temperatures are expected to reach 30C, Le Figaro reported. However, this may be short-lived with temperatures potentially dropping again with the rain and clouds over the weekend, according to reports by Météo France on Monday.
Local France
07-05-2025
- Local France
Where in France are traffic warnings in place for May 8th holiday weekend?
As thousands of motorists plan early getaways for the VE Day (May 8th) public holiday, the French traffic watchdog Bison Futé has predicted 'difficult' and 'very difficult' travel conditions across the country, starting on Wednesday. For those opting for other methods of transportation - French rail unions have threatened strike action in the days surrounding VE Day. However, SNCF bosses reported on Tuesday that '90 percent of all trains would run over the weekend. You can stay up to date on strike action by following our Strikes section . READ MORE: VE Day: What happens in France on May 8th Here is what to expect if you have a road trip planned for the second May public holiday; Wednesday, May 7th Bison Futé placed the entire country on the orange 'difficult' alert, while the south-eastern Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region was placed on red alert for 'very difficult' traffic conditions. Motorists departing for a holiday or long weekend are advised to: Image: Bison Futé leave or cross Île-de-France before 2pm; avoid the A25 between Lille and Socx from 5pm to 8pm; avoid the A13 between Rouen and Caen from 4pm to 7pm; avoid the A11 between Angers and Nantes from 2pm to 8pm; avoid the A10 between Tours and Poitiers from 12noon to 7pm; avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 3pm to 10pm; avoid the A8 between Le Luc and Italy from 3pm to 6pm; avoid the A46 and the N346 road for the eastern Lyon bypass from 5pm to 7pm. Thursday, May 8th The watchdog issued a partial orange alert, taking in the northwestern quarter and a band heading south-east to Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, on the forecast for Thursday. While fewer problems are expected on the public holiday itself, orange alerts were put in place across the north-west quarter – focused mainly on the A13 and A11, and in the Rhône valley. Motorists are advised to: Image: Bison Futé avoid the A13 between Rouen and Caen from 10am to 1pm; avoid the A11 between Chartres and Nantes from 10am to 12noon; avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 9am to 2pm; avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205) heading into Italy, from 9am to 12noon. Friday and Saturday These days are set to be quieter, with no major travel issues forecast. Advertisement Sunday, May 11th Bison Futé raised the alert level again for Sunday, when people will be heading back home after their short break. The watchdog placed most of the country on the orange alert – rising to red in the south-east quarter and along the Mediterranean arc. The A7, A8, A9, and A61 in the south-eastern quarter are expected to be particularly difficult, the watchdog said, while slow traffic should be expected on Atlantic coast roads and those heading into the Paris region. Advertisement Bison Futé's advice to motorists is: Image: Bison Futé reach or cross the Île-de-France before 11am; avoid the A13 between Caen and Paris from 4pm to 10pm; avoid the N165 between Quimper and Nantes from 4pm to 9pm; avoid the A10 between Tours and Orléans from 4pm to 8pm; avoid the A9 between Spain and Narbonne from 4pm to 7pm, between Narbonne and Montpellier from 5pm to 7pm, and between Montpellier and Orange from 3pm to 7pm; avoid the A8 between Le Luc and Aix-en-Provence from 11am to 1pm; avoid the A7 between Marseille and Orange from 11am to 3pm, and between Orange and Lyon from 12noon to 10pm; avoid the A61 between Narbonne and Toulouse from 6pm to 9pm.
Local France
17-04-2025
- Climate
- Local France
French Alps hit by heavy Easter snowfall leaving roads and ski resorts blocked
Residents and visitors in the popular ski resort of Tignes were on Thursday confined to their homes and hotels because of heavy snowfall and risk of avalanches – with restrictions in place 'until further notice'. Lockdown applies to 'all neighborhoods, villages, and hamlets in Tignes,' according to the resort's website . 'Travel within the same neighborhood is only permitted between 3pm and 8pm,' the alert added. The resort's ski area has been shut, no shuttle buses are running and schools and nurseries are also closed. Local officials ordered the lockdown as more than a metre of snow has fallen on the resort, as a result of a relatively common weather phenomenon that occurs between one and three times every winter. Forecasters have warned that more than 2m of snow could fall in places before the storm passes , which brought wind and rain to Corsica and south-east France overnight. Elsewhere, between 20 and 40cms of snow fell in the Queyras and Briançonnais regions overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. Advertisement Météo-France placed the Savoie département on orange alert for avalanches on Thursday, particularly in the Haute-Maurienne and Haute-Tarentaise ranges on the Italian border. Better weather is expected, however, on Friday. What about travel disruption? France's roads watchdog Bison Futé has reported the closure of the A40 at Cluses for all vehicles traveling in the direction of Mâcon-Mont Blanc Tunnel-Italy. The The A51 from Monestier de Clermont to Grenoble, which had been closed, has re-opened, regional newspaper the Dauphiné Libéré reports. The Fréjus road tunnel, which was closed on Thursday morning, as the access ramp was completely blocked by trucks and light vehicles reopened around noon, but conditions remain very difficult, officials have said. Keep updated by checking the Savoie préfecture website . #JeudiPhoto | Par tous les temps, la @PoliceNationale est mobilisée dans les #HautesAlpes . Ce matin, au poste frontière de Montgenèvre 🇫🇷🇮🇹, près de 60 cm de ❄️ fraîche sont tombés. Nos équipes sont présentes sur le terrain pour assurer votre sécurité. ⚠️ Prudence en 🚗. — Police nationale 05 (@PoliceNat05) April 17, 2025
