Bavarian travel surge causes traffic congestion in Austria
In early August 2025, Austria's major highways and tunnels, including the A10, B163, Fernpass road (B179), A9, Tauern Tunnel, Bosruck Tunnel, and Karawanken Tunnel, are experiencing significant traffic congestion and long delays. This is primarily due to the peak summer holiday travel period, with a high volume of holidaymakers returning home, generating heavy northbound traffic on European transit routes.
On the Fernpass road (B179) in Tyrol, slow-moving traffic is expected in the southbound direction from the border tunnel Füssen to Reutte Süd, and approximately 45 minutes of delay can be expected on the Fernpass road itself. Traffic jams are also occurring on the access road B163.
In Carinthia, block-by-block clearance is taking place on the A10 towards Villach before the Oswalditunnel, and there is a one-hour wait before the Karawanken Tunnel towards Slovenia. A traffic jam has formed on the A9 towards Graz before the Bosruck Tunnel toll station in Styria.
Long delays exceeding an hour have been reported at the Tauern and Karawanken tunnels near the Slovenian border, with heavy queues expected on these Alpine crossings. The A10 motorway in Salzburg and surrounding areas faces exit bans on Saturdays to manage freeway congestion, contributing to complex traffic patterns. The A9 motorway and tunnels like Bosruck also see increased congestion due to holiday traffic flow and bottlenecks.
Contributing factors include the peak holiday travel "chassé-croisé" effect, where millions simultaneously start and end vacations, causing overloaded highways. Additionally, truck traffic bans on weekends in Austria and neighboring Italy, such as on the A22 Brennero toward Austria, aim to reduce heavy vehicle congestion but also concentrate passenger vehicle flows, causing backup, especially on Saturdays. High traffic levels at popular Alpine transit points such as the Brenner Pass, with additional restrictions and traffic management measures in place to alleviate bottlenecks, also contribute to the congestion.
Mobility organizations advise avoiding Fridays and peak Saturday midday hours, when traffic is worst, favoring weekdays (Tuesday to Thursday) or Sunday mornings to minimize delays. Progress on the B163 is being made in small steps.
The high volume of holiday travelers on European transit routes has led to a significant increase in traffic congestion and delays on cars, particularly in the southbound direction on the Fernpass road (B179) and the B163 in Tyrol. To navigate the congested lifestyle of travel during this peak holiday season, mobility organizations suggest avoiding Fridays and peak Saturday midday hours, opting instead for weekdays or Sunday mornings.
