In turn, families are set to depart for destinations on Thursday (May 7), leading to heavy traffic, particularly in the afternoon.
Traffic watchdog Bison Futé has issued tier-three red warnings for traffic – the second-highest possible – in all regions across France for Thursday, on roads leading out of major cities to holiday destinations.
Roads leading into bigger cities are also facing an orange-level warning – the first tier of alerts – for traffic.
On Friday itself, warnings are limited to the Île-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions.
Sunday sees orange-level warnings across France on roads leading into urban areas.
Advice from Bison Futé for drivers on Thursday includes:
Leave or pass through the Île-de-France region before 14:00 or after 22:00, or enter before 15:00
Avoid the A25 in the direction Lille-Socx from 15:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A4 in the direction Metz-Strasbourg from 14:00 to 18:00
Avoid the A31 in the direction Nancy-Luxembourg from 15:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A7 in the direction Lyon-Orange from 17:00 to 21:00, and Orange-Marseille from 16:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A8 in the direction Le Luc-Italy from 17:00 to 19:00, and Italy-Le Luc between 16:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A50 in the direction Marseille and Toulon from 17:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A75 in the direction Clermont-Ferrand-Béziers from 15:00 to 17:00 and Béziers-Clermont-Ferrand from 16:00 to 18:00
Avoid the A16 in the direction Belgium-Amiens from 15:00 to 21:00
Avoid the A1 in the direction Lille-Paris from 15:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A31 in the direction Luxembourg-Nancy from 13:00 to 18:00
Avoid the A10 in the direction Bordeaux-Poitiers from 15:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A7 in the direction Marseille-Orange from 14:00 to 20:00
In the Île-de-France, the A6, A10, and A13 are all set to be busy.
Advice for those driving on Friday is given below:
Leave or traverse the Île-de-France region before 07:00 or after 17:00
avoid the A7 in the direction Lyon-Orange from 09:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A46 and the N346 road towards the eastern bypass of Lyon between 10:00and 13:00
Avoid the Mont Blanc Tunnel (N205) in the direction France-Italy between 09:00 and 13:00
And for Sunday (May 10):
Enter or traverse the the Île-de-France region before 12:00 or after midnight
Avoid the A13 in the direction Rouen-Paris from 15:00 to 23:00
Avoid the A10 in the direction Poitiers-Orléans from 14:00 to 18:00, and Orléans-Paris from 12:00 to midnight
Avoid the A9 in the direction Spain-Narbonne from 14:00 to 18:00, and between Narbonne-Nîmes from 15:00 to 19:00
Avoid the A7 in the direction Orange-Lyon from 13:00 to 21:00
Avoid the A75 in the direction Béziers-Clermont-Ferrand from 17:00 to 20:00
Avoid the A61 in the direction Narbonne-Toulouse from 15:00 to 20:00
Avoid the Mont Blanc Tunnel (N205) in the direction Italy-France from 12:00 to 20:00
