Italy’s motorways (or highways) rarely see much in the way of heavy traffic on regular weekdays or weekends. But that all changes around national public holidays as hundreds of thousands of people take to the road to reach their holiday destinations.
And, as over eight million Italians are currently expected to travel over the upcoming Easter long weekend (or ponte), heavy traffic is likely.
Italian motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia hasn’t yet released its official traffic forecasts for the holidays, but here’s what drivers can expect based on recent years’ events.
Which days and times are you most likely to bump into traffic?
Good Friday, which falls on April 7th this year, isn’t a public holiday in Italy, which means that most people will set off on their journeys on Friday afternoon or evening.
READ ALSO: Reader question: Will there be any strikes in Italy over Easter?
Highways for Italy issued a ‘black’ traffic alert (the highest level available) for Friday afternoon last year and the situation might well repeat this year, with traffic jams possibly occurring from as early as 2pm or 3pm.
Drivers on Italian motorways might face some heavy traffic in the afternoon and evening of Friday, April 7th. Photo by Jure MAKOVEC / AFP
Overall traffic should improve on Saturday, April 8th, though some motorways might still see some congestion in the morning.
If previous years are anything to go by, Easter Sunday should be a fairly unproblematic day for drivers, as most Italians will focus on their family lunches and relaxation rather than travelling.
However, traffic-related issues are largely expected to resurface on Easter Monday (or Easter Monday in Italian).
Many Italians will take a trip out of town (the so-called trip out of town) on the day, which may result in heavy traffic on some roads in the morning and late afternoon.
And Easter Monday officially closes the Easter holidays, which means that people who spent the long weekend away from home will likely be making the journey back on Monday afternoon or evening.
This may significantly worsen traffic on many Italian motorways, especially those connecting popular seaside or countryside locations to big cities.
Which roads are most likely to see heavy traffic?
Motorways connecting the north of the country to the south are generally the most likely to experience heavy traffic over the Easter holidays as many Italians return to their hometowns to spend time with family and friends.
READ ALSO: How to avoid car hire scams in Italy
In particular, Motorway A1, which connects Milan to Naples, and Motorway A14, connecting Bologna to Taranto, are both known to see sizeable traffic jams over Easter, especially on Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Motorways connecting the north of Italy to the south are generally the most likely to experience heavy traffic over the Easter holidays. Photo by Claudio MARTINELLI / AFP
But drivers may also come across heavy traffic on the following routes:
- A4 Turin – Trieste
- A6 Turin – Savona
- A7 Milan – Genoa
- A10 Genoa – Ventimiglia
- A12 Genoa – Rome
- A22 Brenner Pass – Modena
- A24 – A25 Rome – Teramo – time.news
- A26 Genoa – Gravellona Toce
Major state roads (or state roads in Italian) connecting big cities to popular coastal or countryside locations may be affected by significant congestion, especially on Easter Monday.
Motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia is expected to release an official list of the roads that are more likely to get busy over the holidays closer to the weekend.
Useful information for travellers
If you’re planning on travelling this weekend, there are a number of resources that you can use to keep up to date with the latest developments on the road.
This online map from Italy’s motorway construction and maintenance company ANAS features live updates on road closures, maintenance work, traffic levels and even weather conditions. The service is also available through their mobile app‘OR’.
Motorway company Autostrade per l’Italia offers a similar live mapshowing road closures and traffic jams as well as the locations of the nearest petrol stations and service areas.
The Italian Transport and Infrastructure Ministry’s Twitter account gives live updates on the status of the country’s major roads.
Finally, if you want to speak directly to an operator while you’re on the road, you can do so by either contacting ANAS’s customer service at 800 841 148 or using their live chat.