Traffic chaos for NRW holidaymakers: trip to Holland in danger!

Traffic chaos for NRW holidaymakers: trip to Holland in danger!

Many citizens from North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are heading back to Holland this year to spend their summer holidays on the beaches of the Netherlands. However, there are significant difficulties for travelers on the way to the popular beach destinations.

Getting to the beach regions of Zandvoort, Katwijk, Noordwijk, Bloemendaal, Ijmuiden, Egmond and Bergen is made considerably more difficult by extensive construction sites around Amsterdam. This construction work, which is being carried out by the Dutch authority Rijkswaterstaat, is scheduled to last until October 2025 and affects the A1, A4, A9 motorways and the A10 ring road. The situation is particularly stressful for drivers, who have to expect closures and diversions lasting months.

Traffic problems on the highways

Since May 9, 2025, there have been significant traffic problems on the highways mentioned. An example of this is the complete closure of the A1 between Watergraafsmeer and Diemen from May 9th to 26th. Traffic will be redirected to the already heavily used A2 and A9. These renovations are urgently needed as the streets date back to the 1950s and 1960s and are in urgent need of modernization.

A high volume of traffic is expected, especially between August 20th and 24th, as the largest ship and harbor festival in the world, “Sail”, is taking place in Amsterdam. During this time, traffic will increase enormously again, which is likely to result in additional disruptions. Massive traffic disruptions are also expected during Amsterdam's 750th anniversary from June 21st to 24th and the NATO summit from June 22nd to 26th.

Recommendations for travelers

Travelers from NRW should prepare well and keep an eye on the current traffic situation. It is recommended to consider alternative travel methods such as rail, especially as track work is also taking place at Amsterdam Zuid station. Holidaymakers should also plan more travel time and, if possible, postpone their vacation until late autumn if this is possible. The “Vaststaan ​​of meebewegen” campaign provides digital alert systems and traffic information that can help travelers better plan their routes.

Given these circumstances, it is advisable for vacationers from North Rhine-Westphalia to be patient and perhaps develop a plan B for their summer vacation. With the major events announced and ongoing construction work, travelers should be well prepared to enjoy a relaxing time on the Dutch coast despite the disruptions.

For more information you can read the articles from The West and Ruhr24 read.