For the Christmas holiday weekend, marked by New Year's Eve, traffic is expected to be rather calm throughout the country, with the exception of Saturday in the Southeast. Caution and patience should be exercised if you are going to the mountains, especially in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Bison futé classified Saturday as red in the direction of departures. "Traffic will be heavy in the direction of the mountain ranges and winter sports resorts of the region, especially on the A7, A40 and A43 motorways," warn the motorway traffic forecasting services.
#InfoTrafic: 2nd #weekend #vacances #Christmas#Departures: 🟥Very difficult Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes for 30/12
🟩Calm for the other days in both directions.
Detailed➡️forecasts https://t.co/p9gesDDpAM
For short trips🚗🛣️, walk or cycle. pic.twitter.com/aujQvLcOix
— Bison Futé (@BisonFute_MT) December 27, 2023
It is therefore advisable to avoid the A7 motorway between Lyon and Orange from 16 to 18 p.m., the A40 motorway between Mâcon and Annemasse, from 14 to 16 p.m. and the A43 motorway, between Lyon and Chambéry, from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m.
Green in both directions Sunday and Monday
Despite the many trips expected this weekend, "they will be fairly well distributed over time," says Bison futé. This is why Saturday is classified as green in the return direction, as well as Sunday and Monday, in both directions.
For Sunday and Monday, "traffic is not expected to experience significant congestion despite some temporary and local difficulties in the early evening for journeys to the places of festivities," according to the road traffic forecasting services.
Despite less traffic, these days are nevertheless "very accident-prone due to the fatigue associated with late returns after the holidays" and "a sometimes unfavourable climatic context (freezing rain, snow, ice)", reminds Bison futé, which therefore calls on motorists to be careful.