North Rhine-Westphalia faces heavy motorway congestion as summer holidays begin

Around 2.5 million students in North Rhine‑Westphalia finish school on 17 July, prompting a surge of family car trips. The ADAC warns that traffic jams are especially likely on the Cologne‑Bonn ring road, the blocked Bonn‑Nord bridge and the Kaiserberg interchange near Oberhausen/Duisburg. Friday afternoons (14 – 18 h) see the highest congestion; the organisation recommends travelling on Monday or Tuesday, or early on Wednesday and Thursday, to avoid the peak.

Fuel is comparatively cheaper off the motorway, with off‑route stations in NRW offering about €0.33 per litre less for diesel and E10. The ADAC advises filling up just before noon, when prices are lowest, and suggests detouring to the nearest off‑motorway station to save €10‑25 per tank. Summer heat above 30 °C has raised battery‑related breakdowns by roughly 20 %. For the weekend of 10‑12 July, the ADAC and the Automobile Club Europe expect sustained high traffic, recommending early‑morning or nighttime travel and reminding drivers of the weekly heavy‑truck prohibition on Saturdays from 07:00 to 20:00.

Overall, flexible planning and short breaks every 1½‑2 hours are advised to make the holiday journey smoother.