French roads watchdog Bison Futé has forecast extremely difficult driving conditions this weekend in France, in the second chassé-croisé of the summer, which is when holidaymakers return from July trips and others head off on their August holidays.

Heavy traffic conditions on France’s main arteries are predicted from Friday, August 2nd, all the way through to Monday, August 5th. Bison Futé has advised against taking long journeys on Saturday, due to high levels of holiday traffic.

Traffic will be difficult throughout the weekend in the Rhône valley and along the Mediterranean in both directions. 

Olympic Games

Bison Futé also issued a reminder of the specific travel restrictions in place in and around Paris throughout the Olympic Games, with lanes along the A1, A4, A12 and A13, as well as the N13 and the boulevard périphérique reserved for official Olympic Games traffic.

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Other roads in the vicinity of Olympic venues, both in the Paris region and elsewhere in France, may be particularly busy at the time of the events. Here is how to check for disruption and road closures in your area.

Meanwhile, the annual holiday getaways-and-returns continue, leading to likely hold-ups on many routes across the country.

Friday, August 2nd

Travel away from the cities and in the direction of France’s main holiday resorts will be heavy all day, Bison Futé warned, with slow-moving traffic likely in the north-east, towards Spain from both the west and south coasts, and towards the Mediterranean arc.

Travel through the Massif Central is expected to be difficult, while traffic levels will be heavy in Paris region from mid-morning, getting worse in the afternoon when the regular commute kicks in.

Specific advice for travellers on Friday is:

Outbound

• leave or cross the Île-de-France before 12noon;
• avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange, from 2pm to 6pm, and between Salon-de-Provence and Marseille from 4pm to 6pm;
• avoid the A2 between Combles and Belgium from 12noon to 8pm;
• avoid the A8 between Aix-en-Provence and Italy from 4pm to 6pm;
• avoid the A9 between Narbonne and Spain from 10am to 6pm;
• avoid the A10 near Bordeaux from 11am to 9pm;
• avoid the A63 between Bordeaux and Spain from 11am to 5pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205), heading into Italy from 11am to 6pm.

Returns

• avoid the Île-de-France after 12noon;
• avoid the A8 between Italy and Aix-en-Provence from 5pm to 7pm;
• avoid the A7 between Marseille and Salon-de-Provence from 12noon to 5pm, and between Orange and Lyon from 4pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A9 between Narbonne and Montpellier from 5pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A63 between Spain and Bordeaux from 11am to 1pm;
• avoid the A89 between Bordeaux and Lyon from 11am to 1pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205), heading into France from 1pm to 7pm.

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Saturday, August 3rd

The busiest travel day of the weekend, as the first of the ‘aoûtiens’ holiday crowd get away.

Bison Futé has placed the country on the ‘black’ level alert, warning that traffic will be extremely heavy for departures.

The watchdog warned that this will especially be the case for roads heading towards France’s coastal areas and borders, as well as holiday resorts, with the peak travel period coming at the end of the morning.

Meanwhile, returning holidaymakers are expected to see numerous hold-ups, particularly around Paris and along the Mediterranean arc.

In particular, Bison Futé advises:

Outbound

• leave or cross the Île-de-France region before 6am or after 1pm;
• avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 6am to 4pm, and between Orange and Marseille from 10am to 6pm;
• avoid the A9 between Orange and Montpellier from 11am to 2pm, between Montpellier and Narbonne from 10am to 8pm, and between Narbonne and Spain, from 9am to 6pm;
• avoid the A10 between Paris and Orléans from 6am to 11am, between Orléans and Poitiers from 8am to 1pm, and between Poitiers and Bordeaux from 10am to 2pm;
• avoid the A61 between Toulouse and Narbonne from 10am to 4pm;
• avoid the A63 between Bordeaux and Spain from 10am to 12noon;
• avoid the A75 between Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers from 10am to 5pm;
• avoid the N12 Rennes and Morlaix from 4pm to 6pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205) into Italy from 10am to 2pm.

Returns

• avoid the Île-de-France region after 2pm;
• avoid the A7 between Marseille and Orange from 12noon to 2pm, and between Orange and Lyon from 11am to 5pm;
• avoid the A9 between Spain and Narbonne from 11am to 1pm, between Narbonne and Montpellier from 10am to 12noon, and between Montpellier and Orange from 5pm to 7pm;
• avoid the A10 between Bordeaux and Poitiers from 10am to 5pm;
• avoid the A13 between Caen and Paris from 12noon to 3pm;
• avoid the A75 between Béziers and Clermont-Ferrand from 9am to 4pm;
• avoid the N165 between Quimper and Nantes from 11am to 2pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205) into France from 11am to 7pm.

Sunday, August 4th

More travel problems for those heading off on their holidays, particularly in the Ile-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions, where traffic is expected to be much heavier than normal from early morning through to the evening. 

Anyone heading home should expect difficult driving conditions just about everywhere, but especially in and around the capital – and particularly from mid-afternoon through to late evening.

In particular, the advice for road users is:

Outbound

• Avoid Ile-de-France after 8am;
• avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 11am to 6pm, and between Salon-de-Provence and Marseille from 10am to 12noon;
• avoid the A9 between Montpellier and Narbonne from 12noon to 2pm;
• avoid the A10 between Poitiers and Bordeaux from 10am to 12noon;
• avoid the A71 between Orléans and Clermont-Ferrand from 11am to 5pm;
• avoid the A75 between Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers from 2pm to 4pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205), heading towards Italy from 12noon to 5pm.

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Returns

• avoid  Ile-de-France after 2pm;
• avoid the A7 between Marseille and Salon-de-Provence from 11am to 1pm, and between Orange and Lyon from 3pm to 5pm;
• avoid the A9 between Spain and Orange from 12noon to 7pm;
• avoid the A13 between Caen and Paris from 3pm to 5pm;
• avoid the A75 between Béziers and Clermont-Ferrand from 3pm to 5pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205), between Italy and France, from 12noon to 7pm.

Monday, August 5th

Travel on France’s roads is forecast to be difficult nationally, and – in particular – along the Mediterranean arc, with tens of thousands of holidaymakers heading to southern areas; while routes into Spain and Italy will also be busy.

Bison Fute has issued the following specific advice for road users on Monday:

Outbound

• avoid Ile-de-France after 10am;
• avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 3pm to 6pm, and between Salon-de-Provence and Marseille from 11am to 6pm;
• avoid the A9 between Orange and Montpellier from 11am to 1pm, between Montpellier and Narbonne from 10am to 2pm, and between Narbonne and Spain from 10am to 12noon;
• avoid the A10 near Bordeaux from 12noon to 5pm;
• avoid the A61 between Toulouse and Narbonne from 12noon to 3pm;
• avoid the A63 between Bordeaux and Spain from 11am to 4pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205) into Italy from 10am to 5pm.

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Returns

• avoid the A2 between Belgium and Combles from 1pm to 7pm;
• avoid the A7 between Marseille and Salon-de-Provence from 3pm to 6pm;
• avoid the A8 between Italy and Aix-en-Provence from 5pm to 7pm;
• avoid the A13 between Caen and Paris from 6pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A50 between Toulon and Marseille from 12noon to 6pm;
• avoid the A52 between Aubagne and Fuveau from 12noon to 6pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205), into France from 11am to 9pm.