Weekend travel warning on French roads as summer getaway continues

The Bison Futé service has classed traffic levels across most of France on Saturday as red – its second highest level, meaning travel on roads out of all major French cities will be “very difficult” – with those in the eastern Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region classed as  “extremely difficult”, the highest level.

But the problems begin earlier, with traffic levels on France’s major arterial routes rising from lunchtime on Friday, as some holidaymakers set off early to avoid the rush.

Image: Bison Futé

Bison Futé advises road users heading away from major cities in France to:

• leave or cross the Île-de-France before 12noon;
• avoid the A13 between Paris and Rouen from 5pm to 9pm, and between Rouen and Caen from 3pm to 9pm;
• avoid the A10 between Orleans and Tours from 4pm to 7pm;
• avoid the A63 between Bordeaux and Bayonne from 3pm to 7pm;
• avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 4pm to 10pm, and between Salon-de-Provence and Marseille from 3pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A8 between Aix-en-Provence and Nice from 12pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A9 between Montpellier and Narbonne from 4pm to 7pm;
• avoid the A62 between Bordeaux and Toulouse from 4pm to 8pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel in the direction of Italy from 1pm to 7pm (waiting time greater than 1 hour).

Meanwhile, those heading back to the cities from popular French holiday resorts should:

• avoid the A13 between Rouen and Paris from 5pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A10 between Bordeaux and Poitiers from 1pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A7 between Orange and Lyon from 3pm to 6pm;
• avoid the A8 near Aix-en-Provence from 4pm to 9pm;
• avoid the A62 between Toulouse and Agen from 3pm to 8pm.

On Saturday, the busiest day of the weekend on France’s roads, Bison Fute says motorists heading away from major cities should:

Image: Bison Futé

• leave or cross Ile-de-France after 4pm;
• avoid the A13 between Rouen and Caen from 1pm to 3pm;
• avoid the A11 between Paris and Le Mans from 11am to 1pm;
• avoid the A10 at the Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines toll area from 8am to 12pm, and between Orléans and Bordeaux from 10am to 6pm;
• avoid the A63 between Bordeaux and Bayonne from 1pm to 5pm, 
• go through the Fleury toll area on the A6 after 12pm;
• avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 10am to 3pm and between Salon-de-Provence and Marseille from 1pm to 6pm;
• avoid the A9 between Orange and Montpellier from 8am to 10am;
• avoid the A75 between Clermont-Ferrand and Montpellier from 11am to 1pm;
• avoid the A62 between Agen and Toulouse from 11am to 5pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel in the direction of Italy from 10am to 1pm (waiting time greater than 1 hour);

Those heading the other way on Saturday should:

• return to or cross Ile-de-France before 2pm;
• avoid the A10 motorway, between Bordeaux and Poitiers, from 1pm to 3pm;
• avoid the A7 motorway, between Marseille and Salon-de-Provence, from 9am to 3pm and between Orange and Lyon, from 12pm to 3pm;
• avoid the A8 motorway, between Nice and Aix-en-Provence, from 10am to 2pm;
• avoid the A9 motorway, between Montpellier and Orange, from 11am to 1pm.
• Travel becomes much easy on French roads on Sunday, Bison Fute said.

Image: Bison Futé

But it has still issued the following advice for those travelling to holiday destinations

• avoid the A10 between Poitiers and Bordeaux from 3pm to 5pm;
• avoid the A63 between Bordeaux and Bayonne from 5pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 12pm to 4pm.

Transport Minister Clément Beaune reminded holidaymakers that motorway operators were offering 10 percent reductions in the price of tolls holders of holiday vouchers for the whole of the summer holiday period.