They’re finally here, the summer holidays – so almost. With North Rhine-Westphalia, the first federal state in Germany will start its well-deserved summer break next weekend. This means not only relaxation for many people, but also stress on the streets. The General German Automobile Club (ADAC) expects a lot of traffic jams on the German autobahns this summer given the enormous desire to travel among Germans. A corresponding message from the club states that there was a lot more going on on the streets at Easter and Pentecost than in previous years. Accordingly, it gets particularly crowded on the roads towards the mountains, coasts or lake landscapes.
If you want to go on holiday by car, you will need a little more patience than usual during this year’s summer holidays. Although the automobile club is not yet expecting major traffic chaos at the start of the holiday season, you will not be able to avoid one or two traffic jams in Germany . But there are ways to make getting there by car as stress-free – and traffic-free – as possible. How is that supposed to work? We have a few ideas.
Drive off when everyone else is asleep
When it comes to traffic jams, the most important thing is the right timing. The streets get crowded, especially at the start of the holiday season, because everyone flocks to their holiday home with their suitcases packed. The risk of traffic jams is highest during the day. If you want a smoother ride, try to cover as much of the route as possible at night. This also avoids the possible rush hour traffic and day trippers who also fill the streets during the day. Don’t trust just one navigation app
Which navigation app we use for our orientation is a matter of taste. However, when it comes to recognizing a traffic jam as early as possible in order to be able to avoid it, it is worth having several apps on your smartphone in order to check the route several times. Sometimes it happens that a traffic jam is not recognized by every navigation system at the same time. The alternative tours are also very different – so it’s worth investing more time in planning the route so that you don’t end up getting lost in a traffic jam.
Also give country roads a chance
Speaking of alternative routes: if there is a traffic jam on the freeway, apps often suggest a detour via the country road. They are not always recommended, as they are used by many drivers. Instead, it is worth checking out possible alternative routes before departure, which can serve as individual detours in the event of a traffic jam. There are always several ways to reach your goal. And if you have a plan B or C, you are not dependent on detours that only drive you from one traffic jam to another.
Drive the way you want others to
Anyone who sits behind the wheel in Germany has attended driving school at some point. However, we tend to forget how best to behave in traffic in order to avoid traffic jams in the first place. Even small things can help to ensure that traffic does not come to a standstill. For example, sticking to the zipper behavior and not using the left lane permanently, but only for overtaking.
Sometimes, however, even the best preparation and the greatest flexibility don’t help – you end up stuck in traffic with the hazard warning lights on. This often causes a certain resentment among the occupants of the car – and maybe even reduces the anticipation of the upcoming vacation. Instead of getting upset about the inevitable holiday traffic jam, you can also sweeten the time in traffic jams – at least a little. For example like this:
It depends on the right preparation
The traffic jam warning is hereby gone – so there is no longer any excuse for not preparing for the traffic jam. And it’s not all that complicated. It makes a big difference if you have snacks, drinks and maybe a few games with you to keep your passengers occupied while they wait. It’s also worth having a charging cable in the car so that you don’t run out of juice if the traffic jam lasts longer than expected.
Take your favorite music with you or turn on the radio
Music makes many things better – even a traffic jam. Songs that reliably put you in a good mood are certainly particularly helpful here – but the radio can also make a difference, especially if you are alone in a traffic jam. Apart from the entertainment factor, the active radio has another advantage: updates about traffic jams are usually communicated here the quickest. So it helps to see when the wait is over – and the journey can continue.
Adjust your own expectations
How much we are stressed by things largely depends on how we evaluate them. Sure, traffic jams are anything but fun, especially when you’re on your way to a well-deserved vacation. But all the excitement, no matter how justified it may be, will probably not clear the traffic jam. So it helps to be aware that the (traffic jam) end is in sight and to look forward to what is coming: the long-awaited vacation.
Sometimes, however, even the best traffic jam companion doesn’t help – boredom eventually becomes a mood killer. So that it doesn’t even come up in the first place, there are a number of games that you can play in traffic jams. These are our three favourites:
I can see what you can not see
The classic against boredom in the car. One occupant picks out an object and lets the others in the car guess what it is. To do this, they ask him questions about his appearance, the one whose turn it is can only answer “yes” or “no”. Whoever guesses correctly is next in line.
Who sang that again?
This is about music. The goal is to guess the song correctly on the radio or on the playlist – or to continue singing as you wish. Karaoke light, sort of.
Tabu to go – or drive
A passenger explains a term to the others without naming it or a related term. Whoever guesses correctly is next in line.
