For this last weekend of July, traffic will be difficult throughout France, with a Saturday classified as black in the direction of departures.
A weekend in slow motion: this is what awaits motorists from this Friday, July 29, according to forecasts from Bison Futé. As we know, this long holiday weekend, where the traditional crossover between Julyists and Augustians takes place, is often marked by long traffic jams on the roads: last year, more than 1000 kilometers of traffic jams had been recorded on Saturday.
This year, the first big slowdowns are expected from this Friday, July 29: that day, Bison Futé sees Red in the direction of departures. The difficulties will begin in the morning, in Ile-de-France, with traffic jams planned on the A86 and A6B motorways or even near the toll booth of the A10 motorway in Saint-Arnoult. Traffic jams which will last until the night and the authorities advise in particular to leave the Ile-de-France region before noon.
In the direction of returns, France will be orange, except for the south-eastern part of the country, which will be red. Bison Futé suggests crossing Île-de-France before 2 p.m. and in particular avoiding the A7 between Marseille and Orange all day, the A9 between Narbonne and Orange in the afternoon and the A62 between Toulouse and Agen , between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
A busy weekend on the roads
But it is indeed the day of Saturday July 30 which promises to be the most tumultuous of the weekend according to Bison Futé who anticipates massive traffic jams throughout the territory. An ordeal for these holidaymakers who will have to be patient before arriving safely. In the direction of departures, France will be black and traffic will be “extremely difficult“. The service advises in particular to leave Île-de-France after noon, and to avoid the Saint-Arnoult toll between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m.
In the direction of returns, traffic will bevery difficult» and strongly slowed down, in particular in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (around Lyon), but also on the Mediterranean Arc (between Marseille and Avignon) as well as on the South-West quarter (between Toulouse and Bordeaux). The Mont-Blanc tunnel will also be very busy from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
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The situation will calm down somewhat on Sunday, classified orange in the direction of departures and green in that of returns. Traffic jams are still expected on the A9 (around Montpellier), A10 (near Bordeaux) and A62 (near Toulouse) motorways. But it is above all the A7 motorway that will be impacted by very dense traffic on the Marseille-Lyon axis: unlike other regions, this area will be classified red, in the direction of departures, and orange, in the direction of returns. .
Despite the inflation that weighs on household budgets, the holiday routes should therefore be busy throughout the weekend. Motorists will have to be patient, and Bison Futé reminds all motorists of the importance of adopting the right reflexes: taking multiple breaks, staying well hydrated and not drinking alcohol. At the same time, the SNCF seems on track to record a record attendance this Friday, with 400,000 passengers expected on the main lines. It will be “the busiest day of the summer“, rejoices in advance SNCF Voyageurs, which points to a level of reservations up 10% compared to 2019.