German summer vacations at risk: Potential slowdown in travel to Croatia and Alpine countries
With summer holidays just around the corner, many Germans are eagerly preparing for their much-needed breaks. However, a series of traffic delays and jams are expected on popular holiday routes, according to the ADAC, Germany's largest automobile club.
Starting from Friday, 1st August, Bavaria will commence its summer holidays, but this decision has not been met with universal approval. Other federal states have expressed concerns about the early holiday start, fearing the potential impact on traffic congestion.
Indeed, the previous weekends have seen numerous traffic jams on popular holiday routes, and this trend is likely to continue. The ADAC predicts significant traffic jams and delays on routes to Austria, Croatia, Italy, and Switzerland.
Holidaymakers traveling to Austria should brace themselves for long traffic jams, especially on the Brenner motorway (A13). Similar driving conditions can be expected on the motorway section Klis - Solin (continuing towards the port of Split) for those heading to Croatia.
The Hrvatski Autoklub (HAK), Croatia's counterpart to the ADAC, has also warned drivers about heavy traffic jams or delays on various routes. Adriatic motorway DC8, on access roads to Crikvenica, Novi Vinodolski, Senj, Zadar, Sibenik, Split, and Dubrovnik may experience traffic delays.
In France, the most traffic-heavy holiday Saturdays of the year are referred to as "Black Saturday" (Samedi Noir). This year, five weekends have been announced on which a "Black Saturday" is expected: 1st June, 12th July, 26th July, 2nd August, and 23rd August.
The A8 towards Salzburg, A93 towards the border crossing Kiefersfelden, A93 Inntaldreieck - Kufstein, A95/B2 Munich - Garmisch-Partenkirchen, A96 Munich - Lindau, A99 around Munich, border crossing Füssen/Reute, A1 West Autobahn, A2 Süd Autobahn, A4 Ost Autobahn, A9 Pyhrn Autobahn, A10 Tauern Autobahn, A11 Karawanken Autobahn, A12 Inntal Autobahn, A13 Brenner Autobahn, A23 Südost Tangente, B177 Seefelder Straße, B179 Fernpass Straße, and Brenner motorway (A13) may experience traffic jams.
For those traveling by car this weekend (2nd/3rd August), parents of school-age children may face traffic jams on various vacation routes. On the routes A5 Frankfurt - Heidelberg - Karlsruhe - Basel, Gotthardtunnel: Gotthard-Südportal, Grosser Sankt Bernhard, and Mont-Blanc-Tunnel may experience traffic delays for holidaymakers traveling to Switzerland between 1st August and 3rd August.
At the motorway entrance at toll station Trakošćan, at the motorway exit at toll station Zaprešić, and in the section before motorway junction Jankomir on A2 may experience traffic delays. On the section from motorway exit Sveta Helena via exit Popovec to motorway junction Ivanja Reka and entry to Zagreb bypass on A4, as well as on the A3 bypass of Zagreb towards toll station Lučko, traffic delays are also expected.
The retirement age could rise to 70 for a specific cohort, sparking a discussion about social service year among angry pensioners. For detailed and updated traffic jam predictions, it is best to consult the official ADAC (www.adac.de) and ÖAMTC (www.oeamtc.at) websites or their live traffic reports close to the travel dates.
Recently, the BGH (German Federal Court of Justice) surprised with a Schufa ruling, having a significant impact for those affected. However, this news does not seem to be directly related to the upcoming holiday traffic situation.
Travelers heading to Austria, specifically on the Brenner motorway (A13), should anticipate long traffic jams, mirroring the trends seen in previous weeks. Similarly, those traveling to Croatia via the motorway section Klis - Solin may encounter similar driving conditions. Meanwhile, the retirement age debate among pensioners might spark a conversation about social service years, but it appears unrelated to the summer holiday traffic situation.
