Europe’s roads experienced moderate traffic on Saturday morning, the first so-called “black” day of the summer season.
By mid-morning, traffic volume was comparable to the previous Saturday, a categorised “red” day. This time last year, traffic levels were markedly higher, according to a report by automotive organisation VAB at 11:00. However, VAB anticipates an uptick in congestion as the day progresses.
By 11:00, France’s roads had 650km of traffic queues. Drivers on the A7 between Orange and Lyon faced severe delays, losing more than three hours on their journey. One hour’s delay was recorded on the A63 southbound from Bordeaux, and an hour and a half’s congestion on the A9 between Montpellier and Perpignan.
Elsewhere in Europe, this Saturday was also a peak travel day, affecting both departing and returning holidaymakers. Swiss and Austrian tunnels were already heavily congested, with a two-hour wait at the Saint-Gothard, two and a half hours at Mont-Blanc, and an hour’s delay at both the Karawanken and Tauern tunnels in Austria.
