REVEALED: The Swiss roads to avoid during the holidays

You know the drill: with the start of the school holidays, people are packing their cars and taking to the roads.

That's the reason why traffic moves slowly (and sometimes not at all) and congestion is more of a norm than an exception.

"During the Christmas and New Year holidays, long traffic jams and heavy traffic disruptions, mainly in the direction of the ski areas, are to be expected," Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) said in a statement.

Among the most congested roads in the coming days will be the A1, A2, A3, A9 and A13, in particular in the regions of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Lugano, in the sector of the Gotthard tunnel, on the San Bernardino route between Sargans and Rothenbrunnen, as well as on the sections towards the Bernese Oberland and Valais, FEDRO said.

This will be the case both this weekend, as well as on the weekend of January 7th, on the return journey.

Despite bottlenecks expected on the above-mentioned motorways, FEDRO urges drivers not to stray off the main thoroughfares in the hope that traffic will flow better on local roads.

"A high volume of traffic accompanied by traffic jams and loss of time on the main axes frequently results in the transfer of traffic to other roads,” FEDRO said in its statement.

However, these detours "weigh on the inhabitants of the localities bordering the national roads and ultimately have the effect of paralysing traffic in the regions concerned.

"It is therefore important that travelers stay on the motorway even in traffic jams, if only out of respect for the local population."

This is where FEDRO is expecting disruptions:

Motorways:

A1, Greater Zurich Area

A1/A6, Bern region

A1, Lausanne region

A2, Basel

A2/A14, Lucerne region (up to Stans-Nord)

A2, Amsteg – Faido (Gothard road tunnel)

A3, Walenstadt–Reichenburg

A8, Interlaken–Spiez

A8, Sarnen – Lopper interchange

A13, Sarganserland–Rothenbrunnen

A28, Landquart–Klosters

Main roads:

Spiez – Kandersteg (outward journeys)

Gampel – Goppenstein (return journeys)

Brunnen–Flüelen (Axenstrasse)

Goeschenen – Andermatt

Raron – Brig

Bellinzona – Locarno

Various main roads in the Bernese Oberland, Graubünden and the Valais side valleys.

Car loading stations:

At the time of departure, expect slow traffic  between 8 am and 4 pm at the transshipment stations of Furka (in Realp), Lötschberg (in Kandersteg) and Vereina (in Klosters-Selfranga).

At the time of returs, there will likely be congestion between 11 am and 6 pm at the Furka (in Oberwald), Lötschberg (in Goppenstein) and Vereina (in Lavin-Sagliains) stations.