Busy Car Hire Dates and Destinations in Europe
The Telegraph’s travel section is featuring a handy heads-up on traffic blackspots across Europe over the next few months. The guide focuses mainly on Britain, but roads can also get chocabloc over the next few weeks on the Continent, as most people in France, Spain and Italy drive to their destinations and set off on the same weekends. If you can avoid these dates at all, book your car hire around them!
July 25-27:
England and Wales:
The majority of schools in England and Wales break up in the middle of this week, on July 22nd or 23rd, which reduces pressure on the roads and the airports because many people travel on the weekend. Most holidays begin at the weekend. Most holidays still begin on a Saturday or Sunday. The Association of British Travel Agents has earmarked this as the busiest weekend of the year for outbound travel. The M1, M5 and M6 and the A303 and A30 could see grid locked traffic on Friday and Saturday. It will also be the busiest weekend of the year at the south-coast ferry ports.
August 2:
Car Hire France, Car Hire Spain, Car Hire Italy: This is an appalling day on French roads, when virtually the whole population of Paris heads south or west. Friday and Saturday are bad too. In Spain this is also the peak weekend for travelling to coastal resorts.
August 16-17:
Scotland, Italy, Spain: The last weekend of school holidays north of the border – roads and especially airports (incoming flights) will be busy. In Italy and Spain it is the weekend after the main summer festival of Assumption Day (August 15th) and marks the end of the summer holidays for many Italians and Spaniards who tend to drive back home on a Sunday.
August 22-24:
France: This is regarded as the worst weekend for traffic returning north or east towards Paris heads south or east. The following Sunday is also predicted to be a nightmare on the roads, which means “circulation trés difficile”.
August 23-25:
Britain: The extended bank holiday weekend is set to be a nightmare on the roads, but also the busiest weekend of the year for returning passengers at Britain’s airports.
August 30-31:
Britain:
Most English and Welsh schools return on September 2 or 3, so heavy delays are expected on main motorways on this weekend.
September 6-7:
Britain:
Schoolchildren may have returned to the classroom, but this is still a busy weekend at airports. If you’re looking to get out onto traffic-free roads, wait another couple of weeks for some real peace and quiet.
Further Information:
http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/diri/Accueil.do
http://www.highways.gov.uk/
http://www.keepmoving.co.uk/
