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Travel warnings as France heads on holiday

The Local France
The Local France - [email protected]
Travel warnings as France heads on holiday
Being stuck in a car or a train will not be pleasant this weekend. Photo: AFP

It promises to be a hot weekend on roads around France and not just because of the heatwave. With the summer holidays about to start, warnings have been issued to motorists.

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France could be heading for a chaotic weekend of travel as schools nationwide broke for summer holidays on Friday.

The traditional start of the holidays often means problems on the country's transport systems, that is made worse this year by the sweltering temperatures.

Traffic is likely to heavy on most major routes, according to traffic info service Bison Futé as holiday-makers make their way out of the cities to the cooler climes of the beaches and mountains in the south of France.
 
Bison Futé says the main problem will be in the region around Paris as the capital's residents desperately try to get out of the city to escape the heat.
 
Motorists are being advised to avoid roads out of the city on Friday night and during the day on Saturday. Bison Futé says drivers can also expect delays on the roads in the Rhone-Alps département in eastern France especially around the city of Lyon.
 
Anyone hoping to leave Paris on Friday is advised to wait until after 8pm.
 
The motorways A10, A13, A6, A7, and A61 are best avoided on Saturday between 10am and 3pm and on the A63, A8 and A9 between 10am and 1pm.
 
Basically anyone who wants to get out of town is advised to do so before 9am on Saturday.
 
As well as the expected traffic jams on the roads, it could be difficult weekend if you are travelling anywhere by train.
 
As The Local reported on Thursday, rail chiefs were warning passengers to face delays as the heatwave was causing havoc on the rails.
 
French national railway company SNCF warned that delays would continue in the scorching weather as trains would be forced to go slower because the heat was effectively deforming the power cables.
 
The heatwave has seen record temperatures across parts of northern France with the mercury in Paris reaching 39.7 celsius - the highest temperature since 1947. 

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