Peak Travel Avoidance Dates in Switzerland This Summer: Avoid These Periods for a Smoother Journey
Navigate Holiday Traffic Like a Pro in Switzerland 🚗🇨🇭
Struggling through hours of traffic is a thing of the past! To avoid gridlock, steer clear of the busiest roads during peak travel periods. But where exactly are they?
Most Congested Roads in Switzerland 🛣️
It's no secret that roadways around urban areas and routes leading to popular holiday destinations dwindling during the summer are often the most congested. According to the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA), you should watch out for the A2, and areas in Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne, and Lugano, around the Gotthard Tunnel, and on the San Bernardino road.
To avoid these bottlenecks, ASTRA suggests avoiding driving from Friday to Sunday and instead choosing weekdays for your travels. The same advice applies to day trips to areas that typically encounter heavy traffic.
Heavy Traffic on the Gotthard Tunnel 🕰️
The Gotthard Tunnel, Switzerland's main artery connecting the canton of Uri with Ticino, has earned a reputation for being notoriously jammed during summer vacations and before and after public holidays. Its infamous hours-long traffic jams are not exclusive to Swiss drivers – foreign motorists also use this route, as it’s a gateway to Italy.
Swiss motoring organization TCS issues a color-coded calendar annually to help you navigate when to avoid the route and when it is less congested. The 2025 calendar, for instance, designates 'very heavy travel' days (red), 'heavy travel' (orange), 'slow traffic' (yellow), and 'fluid traffic' (green). However, only two 'green' days are expected during the whole month of July, with July 1st and 2nd being the most likely contenders to offer smooth travel. The heaviest traffic occurs on long weekends, with Tuesday, July 29th also included. If you're unsure about the flow of traffic on any given day, you can check real-time traffic information here.
August: An Extra-Busy Traffic Month 🏡
August, with the return of holidaymakers for the beginning of the new school year, is another heavy traffic month. While traffic toward Ticino and Italy will be lighter because people are returning home, traffic toward Switzerland is expected to be heavy on most weekends and sometimes during the week as well. The only 'safe' days to travel are August 28th and 29th with the rest of the month expecting heavy traffic on most days, though to varying degrees.
Keep in mind that the road leading up to the Gotthard – the A2 motorway – will also be congested on the 'red' days. You can monitor traffic on the tunnel-bound traffic on the A2 live here.
READ ALSO: Where are the Roads in Switzerland to Avoid this Summer? 💫
Enrichment Data:- The busiest roads in Switzerland during the summer months, according to the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) and the Swiss motoring organization TCS, include the major motorways, particularly the A2 motorway around the Gotthard Tunnel.- Avery heavy congestion typically occurs on Fridays and Sundays, during afternoon and early evening hours, when weekend holidaymakers head to or return from southern destinations. The worst traffic days are long weekends with Tuesday July 29th included.- The best days to travel are typically weekdays, especially Tuesday and Wednesday, as most tourists and holiday drivers travel over weekends.- Early morning and late evening travel times on these critical holiday routes can help avoid the worst traffic jams.- The advice is based on official monitoring by ASTRA and TCS, who publish detailed traffic forecasts and travel recommendations each summer to help motorists plan their trips effectively.
To navigate Switzerland's congested roads during the summer months, it's best to avoid driving from Friday to Sunday, especially on the A2 motorway around the Gotthard Tunnel, where heavy traffic is common. To find less busy days, refer to the Swiss motoring organization TCS's color-coded calendar, as their forecasts indicate only two 'green' days in July, and August is another heavy traffic month, particularly towards Switzerland on most weekends.
