How to avoid traffic jams in the Paris region this Marathon and vacation weekend?

Roads in the Île-de-France region will be saturated this weekend, Saturday August 10 and Sunday August 11, 2024. For those planning to hit the road, traffic will be less difficult than last week, but you'll need to be patient. Bison Futé' s forecast for Friday is orange, followed by red on Saturday and Sunday.

In detail, this means heavy traffic in the outbound direction from late morning "towards the toll gates of the A6 and A10 freeways". Beware, the North-South transit (A3, A86 and A6B) to reach these routes could "concentrate the most congestion, throughout the day", according to Bison Futé. In the return direction, "some slowdowns may be recorded in the afternoon, mainly on the A10 and A4 freeways."

Please note that due to the organization of the Olympic Games marathon, the N118 will be closed to traffic between the A86 and Paris from Friday night, August 9 to Saturday, August 10, until Sunday afternoon, August 11. It is advisable to avoid the center of Paris, as well as the Hauts-de-Seine and Yvelines areas, and to take the A6a freeway as an alternative route, then the A6 and A10 to reach the south of the Île-de-France region. On August 11, the Île-de-France region will be marked by the closing of the Paris Olympic Games.

Bison Futé's advice for departures:

• Leave or cross the Île-de-France region before 12pm
• Avoid the A10 freeway, between Paris and Orléans, from 2pm to 8pm
• Avoid the A13 freeway, between Paris and Caen, from 5pm to 11pm
• Avoid the A11 freeway, between Paris and Angers, from 5pm to 8pm

In the return direction:

• Reach or cross the Île-de-France region before 2 p.m.
• Avoid the A7 freeway, between Orange and Lyon, from 3pm to 5pm
• Avoid the A8 freeway, between Italy and Le Luc, from 5pm to 8pm
• Avoid the A9 freeway, between Spain and Narbonne, from 3 pm to 8 pm, and between Narbonne and Montpellier, from 5 pm to 7 pm
• Avoid the A54 freeway, between Nîmes and Arles, from 3 pm to 7 pm

Saturday, August 10, 2024

The situation will be more complicated the following day. The Centre National d'Information Routière (CNIR) classifies the day as "red" in the outbound direction, and is predicting an "intensification of traffic" from early morning on the A10 freeway. On the A6B and A6, traffic could also slow down as soon as the first rays of sunshine appear. Traffic will return to normal by mid-afternoon. In the return direction, the A10 freeway will be affected by heavy traffic "between mid-afternoon and early evening".

Bison Futé's advice for departures

• Leave or cross the Île-de-France region before 7 a.m.
• Avoid the A11 freeway, between Angers and Nantes, from 12pm to 4pm
• Avoid the A10 freeway, between Orléans and Poitiers, from 11am to 1pm, between Poitiers and Saintes from 12pm to 4pm and between Saintes and Bordeaux from 9am to 6pm.
• Avoid the A63 freeway, between Bordeaux and Bayonne, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Avoid the A7 freeway, between Lyon and Orange, from 7am to 4pm
• Avoid the A75 freeway, between Clermont-Ferrand and Sévérac-le-Château, from 2 pm to 4 pm
• Avoid the A61 freeway, between Toulouse and Narbonne, from 11am to 2pm
• Avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205), between France and Italy, from 12pm to 3pm
• Avoid the N165, between Nantes and Quimper, from 12pm to 6pm

• To be read
• Paralympic Games: traffic restrictions for the para-marathon, from La Courneuve to Paris
• Date, route, news: everything you need to know about the Marathon pour Tous, a first-of-its-kind race for the Paris Olympics
• Tips for the week of December 23 - 29, 2024 in Paris: free or cheap outings

In the direction of returns

• Reach or cross the Île-de-France region before 11 a.m.
• Avoid the A83 freeway between Niort and Nantes, from 11am to 5pm
• Avoid the A10 freeway, between Bordeaux and Niort, from 12pm to 5pm
• Avoid the A63 freeway, between Bayonne and Bordeaux, from 11am to 5pm
• Avoid the A7 freeway between Marseille and Orange, from 11am to 3pm, and between Orange and Lyon, from 2pm to 4pm.
• Avoid the A9 freeway between Spain and Narbonne from 10am to 9pm, and between Nîmes and Orange from 1pm to 3pm.
• Avoid the A75 freeway between Sévérac-le-Château and Clermont-Ferrand, from 9am to 3pm.
• Avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205), between Italy and France, from 11am to 10pm

Sunday, August 11, 2024

What about the end of the weekend? The day will be red in the outbound direction, with "difficulties between mid and late morning" on the A10 and A6 freeways. In the opposite direction, "slowdowns are expected to extend from late morning until early evening on the A6 and A10 freeways".

Bison Futé's advice for departures

• Leave or cross the Île-de-France region after 5 p.m.
• Avoid the A7 freeway between Lyon and Orange from 2pm to 6pm
• Avoid the A71 freeway, near Clermont-Ferrand from 12pm to 5pm
• Avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205), between France and Italy, from 10am to 5pm

In the direction of returns

• If you are returning from the west via the A11 and A10 freeways, avoid returning before 1pm.
• In the Île-de-France region, and if possible, plan to return after 6 p.m.
• Avoid the A6 freeway in the Paris region between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Stay informed

For a smoother journey, follow the forecasts and advice of Bison Futé. Consult their online platforms for information updated in real time, and plan your journeys accordingly. For detailed, real-time information, consult the Anticiper les jeux, Bison Futé and Sytadin platforms.

With the extreme heat ahead, make sure you take breaks every two hours, keep sufficiently hydrated, change drivers regularly if possible, and above all, stay alert at the wheel. Good luck on the roads! And don't forget to take advantage of this weekend's discounted fuel to save on your vacation budget.