European highways face severe congestion on Saturday, July 18 holiday travel

The French road‑watching service Bison Futé issued a red traffic alert for Saturday, 18 July 2026, warning that routes in Brittany will be extremely busy as vacationers head to the coast. Travel times are expected to increase, with the RN165 between Nantes and Quimper advised to avoid between 15:00‑17:00 (departing traffic) and 11:00‑13:00 (returning traffic). The day is classified red for departures and orange for returns.

Mobility organisations VAB and Touring forecast similar red‑level congestion on major European motorways, affecting France, Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. Expected problems include heavy traffic toward the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, Alpine regions, and forest‑fire risks. Specific disruptions include the closure of the A6 near Fontainebleau, construction delays on German A‑roads, and bottlenecks on Austrian routes such as the Brenner and Tauern passes. Drivers are urged to check insurance coverage, monitor weather warnings and consider alternative routes.