The country’s roads monitor Bison Futé has rated travel on Saturday as ‘very difficult’ (red) across most of the country in both directions of travel, rising to ‘extremely difficult’ (black) in the south east of the country.

While traffic levels on Friday and Sunday are less problematic, Bison Futé expects some issues, labelling travel ‘difficult’ (yellow) on both days.

Specifically, the watchdog advises the following on Friday:

Outward journeys

• leave or cross the Île-de-France before 12noon;
• avoid the A13 between Paris and Rouen, from 4pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A10 between Orleans and Tours, from 12pm to 8pm, and around Bordeaux from 4pm to 9pm;
• avoid the A8 between Aix-en-Provence and Nice, from 3pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A20 between Limoges and Brive-la-Gaillarde, from 3pm to 6pm;
• avoid the A62 between Bordeaux and Toulouse, from 3pm to 9pm;
• avoid the A61 between Toulouse and Narbonne, from 6pm to 8pm.

Return journeys

• avoid the A13 between Rouen and Paris, from 5pm to 7pm;
• avoid the A63 between Bayonne and Bordeaux from 5pm to 8pm;
• avoid the A61 between Narbonne and Toulouse from 5pm to 8pm;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel in the direction of France from 3pm to 7pm (waiting time greater than 1 hour).

On Saturday, Bison Futé recommends:

Outward journeys

• leave or cross the Île-de-France after 12noon;
• avoid the A13 between Paris and Rouen from 12am to 5pm, and between Rouen and Caen from 11am to 5pm;
• avoid the A11 between Paris and Le Mans from 11am to 4pm;
• avoid the A6 between Beaune and Lyon from 9am to 1pm;
• avoid the A7 between Salon-de-Provence and Marseille from 1pm to 6pm;
• avoid the A71 between Orléans and Clermont-Ferrand from 9am to 12pm;
• avoid the A75 between Clermont-Ferrand and Montpellier from 11am to 1pm.

Return journeys

• return to or cross the Ile-de-France before 2pm;
• avoid the A11 between Le Mans and Paris from 3pm to 5pm;
• avoid the A10 between Bordeaux and Poitiers from 12pm to 4pm;
• avoid the A7 between Marseille and Salon-de-Provence from 9am to 2pm;
• avoid the A75 between Montpellier and Clermont-Ferrand from 12h to 14h;
• avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel in direction of France from 3pm to 7pm (wait more than 1 hour).

And, on Sunday:

Outward journeys

• Avoid using the Fleury tollgate on the A6 in the direction of Provence from 9am to 12pm;
• Avoid the A6 between Beaune and Lyon from 10am to 1pm;
• avoid the A8 between Salon-de-Provence and Marseille from 3pm to 10pm;
• avoid the A20 between Limoges and Brives-la-Gaillarde from 3pm to 6pm;
• avoid the A71 between Orleans and Clermont-Ferrand from 11am to 3pm;
• avoid the A62 between Bordeaux and Toulouse from 16h to 21h.

Return journeys

• return to or cross the Île-de-France before 2pm,
• avoid the A8 between Nice and Aix-en-Provence from 10am to 2pm;
• avoid the A71 between Clermont-Ferrand and Orléans from 11am to 3pm.