Saturday 2 August promises to be the busiest day of the summer on European roads, mobility organisations Touring and VAB reported this on Monday.
A red alert has been issued in countries such as Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain. In France, a so-called "black Saturday" is expected.
According to VAB, the main bottlenecks in France this weekend will be the motorways around Paris (A6 and A10), the A10 to Bordeaux, the A9 Orange-Spanish border, and the A7 Lyon-Marseille to the Mediterranean. The Mont Blanc Tunnel is also expected to be very busy.
In Germany, the school holidays begin this weekend in the southern states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Combined with the usual roadworks in Germany and Austria – including on the Brenner Pass – this will lead to heavy traffic towards Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia.
Long traffic jams are also expected in Switzerland towards the Italian border at the Gotthard Tunnel.
What about Belgium?
In Belgium, Touring expects traditionally heavy traffic on Friday afternoon and evening and Saturday morning, with congestion forming on the E40 Brussels-Ostend route to the coast.
The most congestion is expected on the E411 Brussels-Luxembourg and the E19 Brussels-Mons-Valenciennes route to other countries. Inland traffic can also be very congested on Sunday evening, especially on the E40 Ostend-Brussels and the E411 Luxembourg-Brussels.
According to the VAB, the best time to depart is during the week, from Tuesday to Thursday. If you have to depart during the weekend, the best time is Sunday morning.
Those who do depart on Saturday should do so in the late morning, as the major bottlenecks are less congested then. Departing on Friday to avoid congestion is not a good idea, as traffic will be a mix of holiday and commuter traffic.
