Traffic jams and packed trains as French head for skiing holidays

France’s roads were blocked on Saturday by winter holidaymakers heading for ski resorts in the Alps. Nearly 80 kilometres of traffic jams were reported at midday and a million passengers were expected on the railway network.

Reuters/Robert Pratta

Drivers heading south for a week of skiing during the brief school holiday found themselves stuck in tailbacks, especially on the A43 motorway between Lyon and Chambéry in the heart of ski country in the French Alps.

Drivers making the return journey had to deal with a mere 40 kilometres of tailback, traffic monitors reported.

The Rhône-Alpes and Auvergne regions were also on pollution alert thanks partly to heavy traffic and extra speed limits were in force throughout Rhône-Alpes and around Riom, Clermont-Ferrand and Issoire.

School holidays in the Paris and Bordeaux regions led the SNCF rail company to prepare for one million passengers over the weekend.