New Year in France: What will the traffic be like this weekend?

This weekend marks the beginning of 2023 and the end of the school Christmas holidays on Tuesday (January 3).

Certain roads around France are therefore likely to be congested, as families return from festive breaks.

National traffic forecasting service Bison Futé has said that traffic conditions should be normal today and tomorrow (December 30-31), both in terms of departures and return journeys to urban centres.

However, on Sunday (January 1), conditions will be “difficult” for people beginning return journeys in Grand Est and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

“Returning from ski resorts to the rest of the country is likely to be difficult on big alpine roads, in the Rhône Valley and on the A6,” Bison Futé has said.

Drivers are advised to get back to Ile-de-France before noon if possible, and to avoid the A6, the A7 between Orange and Lyon, the N90 between Italy and Albertville and the Mont-Blanc tunnel to France in the afternoon.

Then on Monday (January 2), conditions will be “difficult” for return journeys to Grand Est.

Traffic is expected to grow heavier in Ile-de-France from around 11:00, reaching its peak between 16:00 and 20:00.

There will also be congestion on the A35 between Strasbourg and Germany, on the A10 at the Saint-Arnoult toll, and on the A6 between Lyon and Beaune.

Bison Futé has added that “traffic conditions could worsen depending on the weather,” and has encouraged drivers to check the forecast before setting off.

You can find out more about this weekend’s traffic predictions on the Bison Futé website.

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