Fête nationale holiday: where to expect heavy traffic in France

France’s roads are expected to be very busy today (July 13), as people set off for Fête nationale long weekend breaks.

La Fête nationale falls tomorrow (July 14), giving workers the opportunity to faire le pont (make a bridge) to the weekend by taking Friday off as well.

Read more: Faire le pont: When are France’s four-day weekends possible?

National forecasting service Bison Futé predicts that conditions will be “difficult” in terms of departures from urban centres today across the whole of France apart from Ile-de-France, where they will be “very difficult”.

Today, July 13

Drivers are advised to get out of Ile-de-France before 12:00 and avoid other big cities between 14:00 and 19:00.

They should also try to stay away from the:

• A10 between Orléans and Tours from 14:00 until 20:00
• A11 between Paris and Le Mans between 15:00 and 20:00
• RN157 between Laval and Rennes from 16:00 until 21:00
• A7 between Lyon and Orange from 14:00 until 21:00 and between Orange and Marseille from 15:00 to 20:00
• A9 between Orange and Narbonne from 15:00 until 21:00
• A61 between Toulouse and Narbonne from 15:00 until 21:00
• A63 between Bayonne and Spain from 15:00 to 19:00

Access to Italy through the Mont Blanc tunnel will also be especially difficult until 19:00.

Thursday, July 14

Tomorrow, traffic conditions are expected to be normal everywhere apart from Ile-de-France, where they will be “difficult”.

Friday, July 15

However, on Friday they will be “difficult” across the whole country in terms of departures and “very difficult” in the south east.

On this day, drivers are advised to get out of Ile-de-France before 12:00 and avoid the:

• A31 between Langres and Beaune from 14:00 until 17:00
• A10 between Orléans and Tours from 15:00 until 19:00
• A6 between Beaune and Lyon from 14:00 until 16:00
• A7 between Lyon and Orange from 10:00 until 21:00 and between Orange and Marseille from 15:00 until 19:00
• A8 between Nice and Italy from 11:00 until 14:00
• A9 between Orange and Narbonne from 14:00 until 20:00
• A63 between Bayonne and Spain from 09:00 until 19:00

Access to Italy through the Mont Blanc tunnel will be heavy from 10:00, and especially heavy between 17:00 and 20:00, where delays will last up to an hour.

Saturday, July 16

Saturday is expected to be “very difficult” in terms of departures and “difficult” in terms of return journeys.

Motorists should get out of Ile-de-France before 07:00, or get back to it before 14:00 if driving home.

People setting off on breaks should avoid the:

• A84 between Caen and Rennes from 11:00 until 15:00
• A10 between Orléans and Bordeaux from 10:00 until 16:00
• A11 between Le Mans and Nantes from 10:00 until 15:00
• A31 between Langres and Beaune from 10:00 until 13:00
• A6 between Beaune and Mâcon from 08:00 until 11:00
• A7 between Lyon and Orange from 06:00 until 18:00 and between Orange and Marseille from 08:00 until 18:00
• A9 between Orange and Narbonne from 06:00 until 16:00 and between Narbonne and Spain from 09:00 until 13:00
• A20 between Limoges and Brive from 09:00 until 17:00
• A750 between Lodève and Montpellier from 09:00 until 19:00
• A61 between Toulouse and Narbonne from 09:00 until 15:00
• A62 between Agen and Toulouse from 09:00 until 16:00
• A63 between Bayonne and Spain from 08:00 until 21:00
• A43 between Lyon and Chambéry from 11:00 until 14:00

Access to Italy through the Mont Blanc tunnel will be difficult between 10:00 and 15:00: expect a delay of up to 30 minutes.

For people returning home, Bison Futé advises you to stay away from the:

• A7 between Orange and Lyon from 08:00 until 17:00 and between Marseille and Orange from 08:00 until 15:00
• A9 between Narbonne and Orange from 09:00 until 20:00
• A75 between Lodève and Clermont-Ferrand from 08:00 until 18:00
• A61 between Narbonne and Toulouse from 10:00 until 13:00
• A62 between Toulouse and Bordeaux from 09:00 until 17:00

Access to France through the Mont Blanc tunnel will be difficult between 16:00 and 19:00, with a wait of up to half an hour.

Sunday, July 17

On Sunday, the traffic will shift towards those coming back from weekend breaks, becoming “very difficult” in terms of return journeys. It will still, however, be “difficult” for people departing from urban centres.

Bison Futé advises drivers to get back to Ile-de-France before 14:00, and – for return journeys – to avoid the:

• A10 between Poitiers and Orléans from 11:00 until 21:00
• A11 between Angers and Paris from 12:00 until 22:00
• RN157 between Rennes and Laval from 12:00 until 21:00
• A7 between Marseille and Lyon from 09:00 until 19:00
• A9 between Narbonne and Orange from 10:00 until 21:00
• A71 between Bourges and Orléans from 14:00 until 18:00
• A61 between Narbonne and Toulouse from 11:00 until 20:00
• A62 between Toulouse and Bordeaux from 10:00 until 20:00
• A43 between Chambéry and Lyon from 10:00 until 19:00

Traffic in the Mont Blanc tunnel towards Italy will be heavy between 15:00 and 20:00, with delays of up to 30 minutes.

People setting off from urban centres should avoid the:

• A7 between Lyon and Orange from 09:00 until 20:00 and between Orange and Marselle from 10:00 until 20:00
• A9 between Orange and Narbonne from 10:00 until 20:00
• A62 between Bordeaux and Toulouse from 10:00 until 20:00
• A63 between Bayonne and Spain from 11:00 until 21:00

Traffic conditions should return to normal on Monday (July 18).

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