Brenner Autobahn traffic jams expected to worsen as European summer travel peaks

The Brenner Autobahn (A13 in Austria, A22 in Italy) will remain partially single‑lane through the Lueg Bridge construction throughout 2026, causing long queues for drivers traveling between Germany and Italy. The Austrian ASFINAG warns of extended wait times and a temporary 60 km/h speed limit in the work zone, while the ADAC and ACE advise travelers to avoid peak weekend days, consider night travel, or use alternate routes such as the Gotthard Tunnel or the Tauern Autobahn.

During the first weekend of July (3‑5 July), the Auto Club Europa (ACE) predicts a “first large summer travel wave” on German highways, with heavy traffic toward the Alps, the North and Baltic Sea coasts, and the Mediterranean. About 1,000 ongoing construction sites and numerous short‑term works are expected to create further bottlenecks, especially on routes from Bremen, Lower Saxony, Saxony‑Anhalt, Schleswig‑Holstein, Thuringia and surrounding regions. The ADAC warns that “no one will get through without congestion.”

A separate analysis by the PiNCAMP camping portal shows that rising summer temperatures are shifting camper demand northward. While Southern Europe still accounts for roughly 67 % of bookings, Northern Europe (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) saw a 15 % increase in July/August 2026, and Central Europe a 6 % rise, as travelers seek cooler “Coolcation” destinations to escape heatwaves.