Roads in France on traffic alert as holidays begin
Roads across France - especially towards the south and the coasts - will be especially busy this weekend as severe traffic alerts are issued due to the start of the summer holiday season.
National traffic forecaster Bison Futé has issued an orange alert - the third-most severe - for today and tomorrow (Friday July 5 to Saturday July 6), rising to a red alert - the second-most severe - in the Ile-de-France towards the south.
Roads are set to be extremely busy starting from lunchtime today until this evening, especially in the direction of peages on the A6 and A10 motorways. Bison Futé has suggested that drivers in the Paris area who would prefer an easy journey should leave before 6h, or after 20h.
Routes towards the south-east and the Mediterranean, and the south-west and Spain, will be especially busy. Drivers are advised to avoid the A7 motorway between Lyon and Orange between 9-17h if possible.
So far, Sunday is looking less busy, with the country classed on “green alert” - meaning no problems - except for the Bourgogne and Grand Est, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions, which will be on orange alert for much of the day.
The alerts mark the beginning of the busy holiday season, as schools close for the summer and families start their breaks away. The Bison Futé alert system rises from green (no issues) to black (total gridlock), and is updated for each holiday weekend throughout the season.
Summertime traffic is also expected to be exacerbated by vehicles from Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK, as families in those countries also begin their holidays.
