Traffic jam nightmare on Ascension Day: Tips for stress-free driving!

Traffic jam nightmare on Ascension Day: Tips for stress-free driving!

Today, May 28, 2025, there will be a significantly increased volume of traffic on the motorways in Rhineland-Palatinate and throughout Germany. The reason is the extended Ascension weekend, which lasts until June 1st. The ADAC warns of long traffic jams, especially on the public holiday itself and in the following days, when many travelers will start their journey home. Major traffic jams are forecast as early as this afternoon, between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., which marks the beginning of the travel wave.

Around 1,200 construction sites have already made traffic on the highways significantly more difficult. This will not get any better in the coming days, as many federal states will have school off on Friday, May 30th. In Hamburg, too, the holidays don't end until Sunday, June 1st. The ADAC reports that return traffic will reach a peak, particularly on Sunday afternoon.

Routes and metropolitan areas at risk of congestion

Some of the most affected routes are:

• Rheinland-pfälzische Landesgrenzen
• A1, A3, A4 rund um den Kölner Ring
• A5 Richtung Karlsruhe

Metropolitan areas particularly at risk of congestion are Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich. Delays are expected on major highways, particularly on:

• A1 (Köln nach Hamburg)
• A2 (Berlin nach Dortmund)
• A3 (Köln nach Nürnberg)
• A4 (Görlitz nach Chemnitz)
• A5 (Heidelberg nach Karlsruhe)

Transport abroad and border controls

The ADAC also announces that Ascension Day is also a public holiday in neighboring Austria and Switzerland. This could lead to an increase in excursion traffic in these regions, especially in good weather. Longer journey times can be expected on the main routes such as the Brenner and Gotthard routes. When returning to Germany, travelers must also expect increased border controls, which can result in longer waiting times.

Travel tips for stress-free driving

In order to minimize travel stress, the ADAC recommends driving anticyclically. Early mornings or late evenings are ideal times to avoid traffic jams. You should also look for alternative routes in advance to avoid rush hour traffic. Another important tip is to create an emergency lane in case of traffic stoppages.

Current information on construction sites and traffic conditions is available online from the ADAC to make planning easier for travelers. Vacationers and travelers should also ensure that they have all necessary identification documents with them, especially when traveling abroad.

Overall, it's shaping up to be a challenging traffic weekend, but with the right preparations most difficulties can be avoided.

For further information on traffic conditions and congestion forecasts, please refer to the reports from ak-kurier.de and presse.adac.de.