The start of the holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia: traffic jam madness threatens on the motorways!

The start of the holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia: traffic jam madness threatens on the motorways!

The start of the holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia is just around the corner, and the anticipation of the summer vacation - both in Germany and in our neighbors in the Netherlands - is palpable. OnJuly 12, 2025The summer holidays start in North Rhine-Westphalia and the motorways in the west will be at full capacity due to the high volume of traffic. The WAZ reports that both the ADAC and Autobahn GmbH are urgently warning about an increased risk of traffic jams.

It becomes particularly critical onFriday afternoon (July 11th), onSaturday morning (July 12th)and onSunday afternoon (July 13th), when holidaymakers and commuters jostle on the streets. The combination of holiday travel and work traffic can lead to significant delays, especially between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m is particularly big on Friday. For flexible travelers who rely on a good hand, we recommend setting your arrival days on Monday or Tuesday and traveling outside of peak times.

Highways prone to traffic jams

The motorways in North Rhine-Westphalia are particularly prone to traffic jams between Cologne and Lübeck, as well as between the Rhine/Ruhr and Hanover and along the A3. Loud Car Motor and Sport The following routes are considered to be at acute risk of traffic jams:

• A1: zwischen Köln und Lübeck, Baustellen bei Münster-Hiltrup, Kamener Kreuz, und mehr
• A2: zwischen Oberhausen und Bottrop
• A3: Gesamter Verlauf, mit kritischen Abschnitten zwischen Oberhausen und Mettmann
• A44: zwischen Dortmund und Kassel
• A59: auf dem gesamten Verlauf betroffen

Approximately650 to 700 construction siteswill be active in North Rhine-Westphalia during the summer holidays, which further exacerbates the situation. Autobahn GmbH recommends travelers to take enough drinks and snacks with them to get through the traffic jams in a relaxed manner.

Preparing for the trip

But that's not all: Anyone planning to drive on the motorways should also be aware that on Saturdays from7 a.m. to 8 p.maDriving ban for trucksover 7.5 tons applies. This could affect the traffic situation, especially onJuly 11thRelaxing a bit, but also opens up challenges for the rental companies of transport vehicles. The ADAC experts recommend that if there are traffic jams longer than 10 kilometers, you should pull off the motorway and create an emergency lane so as not to impede the passage of emergency vehicles.

Schools in the north and center of the Netherlands are now also on vacation, which will further boost travel. The beautiful summer months attract not only Germans, but also visitors from other federal states and neighboring countries such as Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse onto the streets. Increased backlogs are therefore expected on the coasts, in the mountains and around the bathing lakes. There is also a high volume of traffic in neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland.

It is important for all travelers to be patient and not let the anticipation of their vacation be dampened. Travel will be challenging, but the goal should be adventure and relaxation on vacation!