German highways face severe congestion as summer holidays begin

With school holidays starting this week in six additional German states, the ADAC and the Auto Club Europe (ACE) forecast a sharp increase in traffic on the country’s major autobahns. The busiest periods are expected on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, especially on routes heading south, to the North Sea and Baltic coasts, and toward the Alps and the Mediterranean. Roughly 1,000 ongoing roadworks, several large festivals and reinforced border controls further restrict capacity.

The traffic forecast highlights the A1, A2, A3, A5, A7, A8, A9 and A10, among others, as the most congested corridors. International routes through Austria (Tauern, Inntal, Brenner) and Switzerland (Gotthard) are also expected to see heavy delays, while the Brenner and nearby Alpine passes in Italy face additional bottlenecks. Travelers are advised to consider mid‑week departures, avoid peak hours, and allow extra travel time.

Overall, the combination of holiday travel, extensive construction, and cross‑border checks is set to create widespread delays on German and adjoining European highways throughout the first weekend of July.