Traffic Jams on European Highways

Posted by Henk Bekker Aug 11, 2008

The freedom offered by having your own car is one of the most pleasurable ways to explore Europe, especially when traveling off the main roads. However, to get from cities to rural areas, it is usually necessary to use highways. Never mind the fees many countries charge for using their highways, come summer vacations these roads are packed and progress often slows down to a crawl if not a complete standstill.

In summer, forget all about no speed limits on some German autobahns. I enjoy pushing my car to its 200 km/h (125 mph) top speed as much as the next crazy driver but being able to progress in summer at 100 km/h (60 mph) would be a feat worth shouting about. Far too often traffic radio warns of a dreaded Stau (traffic jam) ahead.

Things are not much better elsewhere. The first Saturday in August 2008 saw traffic jams in France stretching for over 700 km (435 miles), or more or less all the way from Paris to the Mediterranean. August 2008 still has a few weekends to break last year’s record traffic jam of 842 km (523 miles).

A few tips on avoiding traffic jams:

• Believe the advertisements – trains do not get stuck in traffic and is a relaxing way to travel long distance even during the high season.
• Fly – low-cost airlines were still advertising cheap fares even for traveling during the hot summer months (but double-check those hidden fees!)
• Avoid driving on summer weekends – especially going towards the Mediterranean and Alps on Saturday.
• Avoid country lanes parallel to highways – they will be packed and often even slower.
• Travel in June or September – the weather may be great and the traffic will be light.