Start of School Holidays in the East: ÖAMTC and ADAC Warn of Traffic Jam Wave Toward the South and the Coast

Already on Friday, the ADAC expects the biggest surge in traffic. An ADAC spokeswoman said: "Wir erwarten den größten Verkehrsansturm schon am Freitag". Saturday will also be busy on many routes, particularly on the highways heading south (A3, A5, A7, A8, A9) as well as toward the North Sea and Baltic Sea (A1, A7).

In northern Germany, Bremen, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia will receive their report cards on Friday. In Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia alone, around one million children and young people are affected. This means the first major travel wave of summer is rolling in.

Construction Sites as Traffic Jam Traps

Nationwide, according to ADAC, around 1,000 highway construction sites are currently causing disruptions. According to reports, particularly affected are the A1 between Bargteheide and Bad Oldesloe, the A7 around the Rader Hochbrücke, the A2 between Hanover and Braunschweig, and the A29 near Oldenburg.

On the Elbe ferry Glückstadt-Wischhafen, long waiting times are possible according to ÖAMTC. Currently, four FRS ferries rotate daily between Glückstadt and Wischhafen, at peak times every 20 minutes. The shipping company advises traveling outside of peak hours.

One ADAC recommendation is to drive before 10 a.m. or after 4/5 p.m. Kunstmann from ÖAMTC also recommends that travelers drive when there is less traffic, that is, before 10 a.m. and after 4/5 p.m.

On the A1, full closures will occur between Hamburg-Stillhorn and Hamburg-Harburg due to bridge construction work, including on Friday, 3 July, at 5 a.m. A second date may be cancelled if construction is completed earlier than planned. The signposted detour via the B75 is generally heavily congested.

Closures and Detours in the North

In Lower Saxony, the Horster Dreieck is one of the major traffic jam hotspots because the connecting lane to the A7 toward Hanover is closed. On the A7 between Hamburg and Hanover, there are alternating closures and narrow lanes, as well as between Hanover and Kassel, where a moving construction site will be in place until 4 July.

In Saxony and Thuringia, the A4 and the A9 around the Hermsdorfer Kreuz could be particularly affected. Delays are also possible at the Erfurter Kreuz. On the A71 in southern Thuringia, maintenance work in the tunnels is affecting traffic flow.

Parallel to the start of school holidays, the Donauinselfest kicks off in Vienna on Friday, organized by the Vienna SPÖ and featuring a total of 14 stages and 700 hours of programming. The Donauinsel transforms into a huge festival zone along 4.5 kilometers between the Nordbrücke and Reichsbrücke, for which according to organizers around three million visitors are expected.

Donauinselfest: Free Party with Three Million Guests

The program includes, among others, Earth, Wind & Fire – or rather an "Earth, Wind & Fire Experience by Al McKay", the original guitarist of the US band founded in 1969. The Italian band Nek, known for the 90s hit Laura non c'è, will also perform, as will domestic acts such as Lusterboden, Sodl, Endless Wellness, and Matakustix. Boris Bukowski has also been on stage for 65 years.

Despite 1.8 million euros in subsidies for the bash, the City of Vienna is cutting back on some acts this year while giving others longer slots. In May, Jazz Gitti turned 80; she is also performing. According to organizers, absolute highlights are the Ö3 stage at the Floridsdorfer Brücke and a colorful mix of music, cabaret, sports, and family programming.

For the smoothest possible arrival and departure, Wiener Linien is increasing service frequency on the U1 and U6. These will run continuously at a dense 3-minute interval in the nights from Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday until approximately 2:00 a.m. The core S-Bahn line is closed from Saturday at 2 a.m., which S-Bahn passengers must keep in mind.

Travel by Public Transport Instead of Car

Various lines reliably bring visitors to the island: the U1 to "Donauinsel", the U6 to "Handelskai" or "Neue Donau", the U2 to "Donaustadtbrücke", the S-Bahn to "Handelskai", tram line 31 to "Floridsdorfer Brücke", and line 33 to "Friedrich-Engels-Platz". The night buses N41 and N43 also run approximately every 15 minutes until about 3:30 a.m.

Those arriving by car should know: In parts of the 22nd district, parking management applies on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. There are no parking spaces near the festival grounds according to organizers, and vehicles parked illegally will be towed. With towing and storage fees, fines, and taxi costs to the storage facility, the amount quickly adds up to over 400 euros.

Weather and Weekend Program

On Sunday, the regular timetable largely applies; only lines 26, 31, and 29A are in service slightly longer for the last festival guests. Many trams and buses – specifically lines 25, 26, 31, 11A, 26A, and 29A – are extending their service hours on Friday and Saturday.

After the recent heat wave, temperatures cool down to pleasant values below 30 degrees right on time for the weekend, making the weather cooperative for the open-air festival. Thus, for hundreds of thousands of families, the summer begins with a mix of holiday traffic, concerts, and family programming – and the challenge of fitting it all together.