Black in the direction of departures, red in the direction of returns: according to Bison smart, the day of the “holiday crossover” promises to be tough for motorists in mainland France. At noon, reports Vinci Autoroutes, traffic is already “very disrupted in the Rhône Valley, on the A7 towards the South and the Mediterranean”. The A7 motorway is stuck at Lyon but also at Valence and Montélimar. For example, it takes 5h20 between Lyon and Orange (3h40) and 3h45 (2h) between Orange and Narbonne. Traffic is most disrupted north of Barcelona, due to a car accident.
The south-west of the country is less congested, but some journey times must be increased: this is the case for that between Bordeaux and the Spanish border, which climbs to 2h45 (45 minutes) and goes up to 3h20 in the reverse. Between Toulouse and Narbonne, an hour must be added to the usual time. The journey from Paris to Bordeaux promises to be difficult: nine hours, 4 hours longer than normal, and 6:20 in the opposite direction, due in particular to a traffic accident.
To avoid the nightmare of traffic jams during the period from July 29 to August 1, it is possible to adopt certain reflexes. Smart Bison has issued some recommendations for travellers.
In the direction of departures, the agency advises, for example, to avoid the A7 motorway this Saturday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., for those who want to drive between Lyon and Orange. Ile-de-France motorists are invited to leave their region or cross it before 12 p.m. Those traveling between Toulouse and Narbonne can avoid the A61 motorway from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In the direction of returns, it is recommended, among other things, to reach or cross Île-de-France from 2 p.m. Bison Futé recommends that those driving in the Bordeaux region avoid the A62 motorway between Toulouse and Bordeaux from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For southerners, the A7 motorway is to be bypassed between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. for a Marseille-Orange route, and 7 p.m. for an Orange-Lyon route. Bison futé has also designed a map of alternative routes to unclog the busiest roads. Good luck to travelers, and good road!
