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DRIVING

Autumn holidays: Where can motorists in Germany expect traffic jams?

Almost of of Germany's 16 states are currently on their autumn holidays, meaning drivers can expect some very full roads. Here's what to know, whether you're planning a holiday or just a day trip.

Published: 16 October 2023 17:35 CEST
Updated: 17 October 2023 08:45 CEST
Autumn holidays: Where can motorists in Germany expect traffic jams?
A traffic jam near Cologne at the end of September. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Oliver Berg

Herbstferien (autumn holidays) started on Monday – or are continuing – for the German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein.

On Friday they’ll begin in the states of Hesse, Berlin, Brandenburg and Saarland.

That means that motorists can a lot of traffic this week and especially upcoming weekend, when the holidays – which see the closure of schools in Germany – are either starting or ending. 

The ADAC, Germany’s largest driving association, broke down where drivers can reckon with the biggest traffic jams, delays and road closures over the holidays.

What should drivers be the most aware of?

A lot of the traffic will be coming and going to the south and the middle of the Netherlands, where the holidays are ending this weekend, said ADAC.

Drivers should also brace themselves for heavy traffic on the way to or from the hiking regions of the Alps and low mountain ranges as well as the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

The danger of traffic jams is greatest around road works and during rush hour. 

In accordance with the weather, which has taken a frosty turn around Germany, drivers should plan for weather-related obstructions on the entire road network. Fog, in particular, can considerably reduce visibility.

READ ALSO: Germany hit by floods as October heat turns into icy spells

Trips to higher altitudes in the Alps should no longer be undertaken without winter tyres.

But even at lower altitudes, winter storms are no longer a rarity at this time of year.

The following routes are set to be the most affected (in both directions):

  • Highways to and from the North and Baltic Sea
  • All areas in and around Hamburg, Berlin und München
  • A1 Lübeck – Hamburg – Bremen – Dortmund
  • A3 Würzburg – Nuremburg – Passau
  • A4 Erfurt – Dresden – Görlitz
  • A5 Hattenbacher Dreieck (Triangle) – Karlsruhe – Basel
  • A7 Hamburg – Flensburg
  • A7 Hanover – Würzburg – Ulm – Füssen/Reutte
  • A8 Stuttgart – Munich – Salzburg
  • A9 Berlin – Nuremberg – Munich
  • A10 Berliner Ring
  • A24 Hamburg – Berlin
  • A61 Ludwigshafen – Koblenz – Mönchengladbach
  • A93 Inntaldreieck – Kufstein
  • A95/B2 Munich – Garmisch-Partenkirchen
  • A99 Munich bypass

There are currently about 1,350 motorway construction sites in Germany. It can sometimes take longer there, especially with heavy traffic. Some roadworks also require full closures.

Short-term motorway closures:

A23 Hamburg towards Heide between Tornesch and Elmshorn from Friday, October 20th at 8:30 pm until Monday, October 23rd at 5 am.

A43 Recklinghausen towards Wuppertal between Sprockhövel and Kreuz Wuppertal-Nord on Sunday, October 22nd, from 6 to 10 am.

A44 Düsseldorf direction Mönchengladbach between Krefeld-Fichtenhain and Mönchengladbach-Ost from Friday, October 20th at 8 pm to Monday, October 23rd at 5 am.

A46 Wuppertal towards Düsseldorf between the end of the A46 extension and the Wuppertal-Nord junction on Sunday, October 22nd, from 6 am to 10 am.

A46 Düsseldorf direction Wuppertal between Wuppertal-Oberbarmen and Kreuz Wuppertal-Nord on Sunday, October 22nd, from 6 am to 10 am.

A 130km per hour speed limit sign on Germany's Autobahn.

A 130km per hour speed limit sign on Germany’s Autobahn. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Thomas Frey

A73 Bamberg direction Nuremberg between Hirschaid and Forchheim-Nord from 6 pm on Saturday, October 21st, to 12 am on Sunday, October 22nd

A555 Bonn direction Cologne between Wesseling and Rodenkirchen from Friday, October 20th at 9 pm to Monday, October 23rd at 5 am

A560 Sankt Augustin direction Hennef between Dreieck Sankt Augustin-West and Sankt Augustin from Wednesday October 18th at 8 pm to Saturday, October 21st at 5 am, daily between 8 pm and 5 am

Congestion forecast for Brenner, Tauern, Gotthard

Traffic in neighbouring countries will also come to a standstill at times, especially the routes to mountain destinations.

There is also a high probability of traffic congestion on the Austrian Westautobahn as well as on the Tauern, Fernpass, Brenner, Rhine Valley and Gotthard routes. Travel traffic will be slowed down around numerous construction sites.

On the Austrian Tauern motorway between Golling and Pfarrwerfen, the Ofenau and Hiefler tunnels and the Werfen tunnel chain are being renovated. Tunnels will be closed alternately in each direction. 

The traffic will be routed in one lane in the free tubes in two-way traffic. Drivers will have to allow for significantly longer journey times. There is also a high risk of traffic jams on the entire Austrian Brenner motorway due to several road works including lane closures.

Due to the closure of the Gotthard railway tunnel, the volume of traffic on the car route through the Gotthard tunnel could increase and cause additional traffic jams

Waiting times possible at the border

Due to increased border checks, there could be waiting times at the border.

The three motorway border crossings Suben (A3 Linz – Passau), Walserberg (A8 Salzburg – Munich) and Kiefersfelden (A93 Kufstein – Rosenheim) are particularly affected.

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TRAVEL NEWS

How can Germany fix its patchy rural transport connections?

While German cities are some of the best connected in the world, inadequate infrastructure in the countryside can create headaches for public transport users. Could new 'transfer hubs' be the answer?

Published: 18 June 2024 12:54 CEST
Updated: 22 June 2024 15:58 CEST
How can Germany fix its patchy rural transport connections?

Last year, a major survey conducted by city guides publisher Time Out crowned Berlin the city with the best public transport in the world. The extensive bus, tram and train network was praised by 97 percent of Berlin residents, who noted that transport in the German capital tended to be safe, comfortable and reliable.

But for those who travel a short distance out into Brandenburg, Berlin’s rural neighbour, the contrast couldn’t be more striking: trains stop running at 6pm, buses come every 2-3 hours and residents often face a lengthy trek to their nearest bus or train station. 

This divide was confirmed in a 2021 study by Deutsche Bahn subsidiary ioki that looked at public transport connections in Germany. Researchers found that while around 27 million people who lived in German cities had very good access to public transport, the 55 million who lived in suburban or rural areas were much more badly served.

READ ALSO: 55 million people in Germany have ‘inadequate public transport’

According to Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), rural areas are in “urgent need” of solutions to these gaps in public transport. 

Speaking to DPA on Tuesday, the FDP politician set out his plans for local ‘transfer hubs’ that he said would encourage more car users to use public transport – even in non-urban areas.  

What exactly is a transfer hub?

A ‘transfer hub’ – or Umstiegs-Hub in German – is a place designed for travellers to switch from one mode of transport to another. As an example, Wissing mentioned easily accessible train stations with parking spaces, good bus connections, cycle paths and e-car charging ports where people could easily switch from their car to a quick commute by rail into the nearest city.

“We need more attractive transfer points in rural areas,” the Transport Minister told DPA. “The federal states could consider for themselves which locations in which regions would be best for such transfer hubs. From there, rail connections could then be offered to the metropolitan regions at regular intervals.” 

As opposed to taking “coercive” measures to force the switch from car to public transport, a “constructive approach” that considers both modes of transport would take the country further, Wissing said. 

“I believe that there is an urgent need in Germany to orientate the structures in rural areas towards more multimodal transport,” he explained. “The convenient flexibility of the car and the efficiency of the railway can be combined if the infrastructure is right.”

READ ALSO: Why (and where) Germans are choosing to go on holiday by car this year

What impact could this have?

With Germany’s transport sector repeatedly missing its climate targets, the ministry needs to find ways to reduce emissions and encourage a more widespread use of sustainable transport.

According to Wissing, this could have a much bigger impact in the countryside than it would in a city like Frankfurt or Berlin, since people in rural areas tend to travel longer distances. 

“We can achieve a situation where a commuter travels perhaps 20 or 25 kilometres to a transfer hub instead of 100 kilometres each way to work by car,” said Wissing. “That would be up to 150 kilometres less per day – a huge potential reduction in CO2.”

Bayerischer Oberlandbahn in Warngau

A regional train run by the Bayerischer Oberlandbahn stops near Warngau. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Lennart Preiss

But climate groups and transport companies have been pushing for a much more ambitious approach to expanding public transport in the countryside.

In its six-point plan for delivering good rural public transport, for example, the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) calls for rail-bus connections that run at least hourly and flexible, on-demand public transport options. 

However, Wissing said that a lack of skilled labour and low demand on rural routes would make it difficult to offer the kind of bus and train services VDV is calling for. 

“If the bus used to come every three hours and in future it will come every two hours – what kind of improvement would that be? People would stay in their cars,” he said.

READ ALSO: What to know about Deutsche Bahn’s summer service changes

Where does the Deutschlandticket come into this? 

According to the VDV, the €49 monthly travel pass, which has been valid for more than a year on local and regional transport throughout Germany, has an average of 11.2 million subscribers per month.

So far, however, it is primarily a ticket that is used in urban regions, with only 21 percent of Deutschlandticket users coming from rural areas.

According to VDV surveys, around 16 percent of Deutschlandticket users have been travelling by car less often since taking out the subscription.

Nevertheless, the shift has not yet materialised to the extent the government hoped for.

Meanwhile, federal and state transport ministers have been discussing an expansion and modernisation pact for local public transport for some time. The federal states are also calling on the federal government to increase the billions in regionalisation funds, which are used to order services from regional public transport companies.

With reporting by DPA

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