Avoid traffic jam hotspots on weekendsPlanning a holiday at Pentecost? This is the best day to travel

Traffic jam hotspots at Pentecost! There is a risk of high traffic volumes on these travel days

On the Pentecost weekend, the ADAC warns of heavy traffic and long traffic jams – both at home and abroad. Things should become particularly critical on Friday, May 21, 2026. But there is also the risk of severe traffic chaos on Saturday mornings, primarily in the south, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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It is expected to be just as congested on Whit Monday, May 25, 2026, mainly in the afternoon from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. According to the ADAC, traffic on the Tuesday after Pentecost was particularly slow last year.

The best day to travel on the Pentecost weekend? On this day you risk less traffic jams

If you are still flexible when it comes to arrival or departure, you should particularly target the Sunday of the Pentecost weekend. According to the ADAC, significantly less traffic can be expected on the roads on Whitsunday. Therefore, May 24th is considered the optimal travel day for the Pentecost holiday.

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If you're not out and about that day, you can at least try to avoid peak times on the other days of Pentecost. According to the ADAC forecast, the following periods could be less polluted:

• Saturday: morning, afternoon and evening

• Monday: morning and late evening

• Tuesday: late evening

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Traffic jam forecast! Where should the streets be particularly crowded?

By the way, the streets are said to be particularly crowded in the south of Germany: The two-week Pentecost holidays begin here in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Saxony-Anhalt is once again enjoying a week-long break.

Car travelers are particularly drawn to the Alps, the low mountain ranges and the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas. Neighboring countries, especially their coastal regions, are also said to be popular travel destinations. In addition, according to the ADAC, trips to the local recreation areas of large cities contribute significantly to the forecast traffic chaos.

As if the already increased traffic volume during the Whitsun holidays wasn't annoying enough, there are also a few roadblocks. – and on important travel routes. According to the Foreign Office The Brenner Motorway, the main artery between Germany and Italy, will be completely closed for a full eight hours on Saturday, May 30th – from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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But it's not just the motorway that is affected: the side roads “B 182 Brennerstraße and L 38 Ellbogener Straße” are also closed, according to the Foreign Office. Travelers must therefore expect “traffic delays throughout Tyrol”. The reason for this drastic measure is a protest by residents who are demonstrating against the increasing traffic load.

The western alternatives to the south originally proposed by SWR, the routes via the Gotthard or San Bernardino tunnels, are no longer good ideas on Saturday, May 23rd. In front of the Gotthard Tunnel to the south there was a traffic jam around 9 a.m. – on the A2 motorway between Altdorf and Göschenen for an unbelievable 21 kilometers, as the Swiss portal Blick reports. For countless drivers, this means a loss of time of up to three and a half hours.

Travelers also have to be extremely patient before the San Bernardino Tunnel. On the A13 motorway between Maienfeld and Bonaduz, vehicles are backed up for up to 20 kilometers, which means a loss of time of around 1 hour and 40 minutes. Possible alternative routes: the A9 motorway over the Simplon Pass, the Great St. Bernard Tunnel or the Lötschberg car transport, according to Blick.

Sources used: ADAC, Foreign Office, SWR, View