Traffic on German highways is increasing once more.
Traffic Congestion Across Europe as Holidays Wind Down
As the holiday season draws to a close, many European countries are experiencing increased traffic volumes, particularly in Austria and Germany.
In Austria, the end of the holiday season has led to high traffic volumes on transit routes, causing delays and congestion. The summer holidays have come to an end this weekend in several federal states, including Carinthia, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg, adding to the already heavy traffic.
Through traffic restrictions remain in effect on major routes such as the A8 Munich - Salzburg and A93 Rosenheim - Kufstein. These restrictions are aimed at managing the increased traffic and preventing congestion, but they can lead to longer wait times for motorists.
In Germany, there are increased border controls at Suben (A3), Walserberg (A8), and Kiefersfelden (A93), which can also cause delays. Weekend departure restrictions remain in effect on the Inntal motorway A12 and the Fernpass route in Tyrol, adding to the congestion.
Many late holidaymakers, day-trippers, and hikers are increasing traffic on popular routes, further exacerbating the problem. Attempts to circumvent these restrictions are consistently prevented by the police.
The Brenner motorway is particularly affected, where construction work on the Lueg bridge can cause tailbacks, despite two-way traffic on weekends. Delays can also occur when exiting to France, the Netherlands, Poland, or Denmark.
Travelers to Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, or Turkey should expect delays with common wait times of several hours at the Balkans crossings. Two tunnels near the German border on the D8 in the Czech Republic are under repair, causing disruptions on the Dresden-Prague route.
Saxony and Thuringia have already ended their autumn school holidays by mid-October 2025, while eleven other federal states including Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria still have holidays running from October 20 to 24, 2025, so some federal states' holidays have ended while others continue for another week.
A major project affects the Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy: It is fully closed from September 1 until mid-December.
For those looking to minimize fuel costs, the free Spritpreis-App "mehr tanken" can help. The app offers a current overview of fuel prices, price forecasts, and cheap gas stations nearby. Electric vehicle drivers can also find charging points and their prices with the app.
Significant disruptions are expected on neighboring countries' major roads, particularly on return routes. Particularly congestion-prone times are Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, and Sunday afternoon.
South of Pfunds on the Reschen Pass, there is a construction site with alternating one-way traffic. A detour via Switzerland is possible. The Pfändertunnel on the Rheintal motorway A14 is free of construction during the day but may be closed at night.
Commuting traffic is in full swing, with a significant increase in heavy goods vehicle traffic due to the lifting of Saturday driving bans. It is generally less busy from Tuesday to Thursday, avoiding morning and evening rush hours.
There are around 1,258 construction sites on German motorways, causing delays in many places. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg still have one more week of holiday time.
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