Overview
- ADAC and ACE expect the heaviest return traffic on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 2–3, with conditions easing on Sunday, Jan. 4.
- Hotspots include the metro areas of Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich and key corridors such as the A1, A2, A3, A7, A8 and A9 plus the Kölner Ring and Munich bypass.
- Alpine routes face long queues on Austria’s West-, Tauern-, Inntal- and Brennerautobahnen, Switzerland’s Gotthard and San-Bernardino corridors and Italy’s A22, with extra pressure from the Four Hills events on Jan. 4 (Innsbruck) and Jan. 6 (Bischofshofen).
- Despite fewer active works (about 680), persistent chokepoints remain: the A59 toward Cologne stays closed into June 2026, the Luegbrücke section on the Brenner is temporarily two-lane, and the Reschenpass is open during the holidays.
- Travelers should expect waits at Suben, Walserberg and Kiefersfelden due to spot border checks, comply with Tirol’s diversion restrictions, check ADAC/ASFINAG real‑time updates and prepare for winter conditions; note no truck ban on Jan. 6 in Bavaria, Baden‑Württemberg and Saxony‑Anhalt.