Too many drivers will make the mistake – forget about late-night departures this weekend
Set your alarm for 3 a.m., leave before sunrise, and take advantage of a clear road to get to your destination faster. Tens of thousands of vacationers do this every year to avoid traffic jams as much as possible during the summer. This will be the case again this weekend, long predicted to be the worst of the summer. Many French people have chosen to wait until the beginning of August to go on vacation, which will not be without repercussions on traffic conditions. Saturday was the only day to have been classified as black at the national level by Bison Futé.
It will therefore be tempting to move your departure forward by a few hours to avoid getting caught in the tidal wave generally observed between 6 and 8 a.m. But be careful, not everyone will have an interest in doing so this Saturday, August 2. Holidaymakers heading from the Paris region to Bordeaux should think twice before cutting their night short.
"In the Île-de-France region, traffic will remain heavy overnight on part of the motorway network," warns the regional traffic and information center. This will be the case on the A6 motorway and the roads that converge on it, particularly the A86, but especially on the A10 motorway towards the Atlantic coast.
According to forecasts, there will already be a lot of people on the stretch between Paris and Orléans by midnight. Significant slowdowns are expected throughout the night on this first part of the A10, which seriously doubts the point of getting up at 2 or 3 a.m. to rush out onto the roads. Not to mention that night driving remains more dangerous, due to reduced visibility and driver fatigue. Interrupting your sleep to still find yourself stuck in traffic has been a better reward. And even if the worst time to take the A10 from Paris is expected to be between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., there may be better things to do than wake up at the crack of dawn.
Rather than moving your departure forward, why not postpone it? Once the traffic has subsided, the first few kilometers of the A10 motorway will be perfectly smooth around midday. This would allow you to reach the cities of Orléans, Poitiers, Bordeaux, and their surrounding areas much more quickly. All while still having been able to sleep in the morning! A great way to start your vacation in great shape.
L'Internaute
