As Bavaria’s summer holidays draw to a close, the ADAC expects heavy return traffic across the region, especially around Munich.
According to the motoring association, more than 8,500 traffic jams have already been recorded during the holiday season, and the final weekend is likely to add further strain.
Key routes under pressure will include the A7, the A8, the Inntalautobahn A93, and the motorways around the Munich metropolitan area.
An ADAC spokesperson told dpa that holidaymakers returning from Italy should prepare for delays as early as the Brenner route, particularly near the Lueg Bridge.
The Tauern Autobahn A10 in Austria is also expected to see intense congestion.
Temporary exit closures in southern Bavaria
Travellers should also be aware of exit restrictions in Rosenheim district and the Berchtesgadener Land, which will remain in place over the final holiday weekend.
Such measures are intended to prevent local gridlock but can add to frustration for drivers unfamiliar with the area.
ADAC’s traffic balance: more jams, slightly shorter queues
Preliminary figures show that between the start of the summer break and August 31, the ADAC recorded 8,529 traffic jams on Bavaria’s autobahns, lasting a total of 6,822 hours.
While this is slightly more than last year, the total distance covered by the jams was marginally lower than in 2024.
The most congested weekend came early in the season, from August 1 to 3, with 988 traffic jams stretching over 2,218 kilometres.
During that single weekend, drivers spent a combined 57,830 minutes stuck in traffic.
The largest single traffic jam occurred on August 8 on the A9 between Munich and Nuremberg, where cars were backed up for around 27 kilometres, from Kreuz Neufahrn to Ingolstadt-Ost.
Changing travel behaviour adds complexity
Despite ongoing analysis, experts see no real easing of traffic. ADAC traffic expert Alexander Kreipl told dpa that holidaymakers today are far more flexible than in the past.
While long trips once followed predictable weekend departure and return patterns, travel is now spread out across weekdays and supplemented by shorter excursions.
This shift does not reduce congestion but instead leads to consistently high traffic volumes.
Kreipl added that weather forecasts also influence travel: when apps predict worsening conditions, many cut trips short, leading to sudden spikes in motorway use.
With these patterns in mind, drivers across Bavaria—and particularly those returning through the Munich area—should expect continued heavy congestion as the summer holiday season concludes.
