Forecast for the upcoming winter by ADAC: August 14th to 17th
Germany is gearing up for a busy weekend on its motorways as the return journey from summer vacations begins. According to the ADAC traffic forecast, several routes are expected to be particularly congested.
Germany
The A8 and A93 motorways have announced through-travel bans, which will contribute to increased congestion. The A40 and A59 routes are also expected to experience significant traffic due to full closures. The general situation is expected to be challenging, with approximately 1,250 road construction sites causing delays, especially when lanes are reduced or construction stretches are long.
Nearby Countries
The Netherlands could see an impact on traffic flow due to the closure of the A12. At the Brenner Pass in Austria and Italy, significant congestion is anticipated due to bridge maintenance.
Advice for Travelers
The ADAC advises those who are flexible to avoid the busiest travel days, Friday to Sunday, and plan alternative routes. Travelers starting their vacations later might face less traffic, but overall, the return journeys are expected to be more congested than earlier weekends.
The ADAC recommends patience, particularly on Fridays in the afternoon, Saturdays in the morning, and Sundays in the afternoon. Weekday rush hour traffic is significantly lighter, but it is still recommended to avoid peak hours in the morning and evening.
Additionally, the summer travel ban for trucks over 7.5 tons on Saturdays until August 31 from 7 am to 8 pm may provide some relief. Enhanced controls at German borders can lead to additional waiting times, especially at the motorway crossings Suben (A3), Walserberg (A8), and Kiefersfelden (A93).
For more information, the ADAC advises visiting their website at www.adac.de. The ADAC also advises motorists to form the emergency lane when traffic comes to a standstill to avoid fines of up to €320.
[1] ADAC Traffic Forecast, 12th August 2025.
Football fans in Europe might not want to miss out on this weekend's matches as several routes to European-league stadiums could be more accessible due to fewer motorists on the roads, given the congestion on Germany's A8, A93, A40, and A59 motorways. Some may even choose to watch the Premier League matches, given the anticipated relief from truck traffic bans on certain weekends.
