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WEATHER

Traffic jams, sun and storms: What to expect in France over Pentecost weekend

The last of May’s long weekends starts on Friday - here’s what you can expect on the roads, and from the late spring weather over the Pentecost weekend.

Traffic jams, sun and storms: What to expect in France over Pentecost weekend
Many are expected to take advantage of the long weekend and warm late spring weather. (Photo by GAIZKA IROZ / AFP)

Monday is Pentecost, the last jour ferie of a holiday-heavy May – and the last one before the Fête nationale on July 14th. And plenty of people plan to make the most of it, with the weather set mostly fair.

READ ALSO Why do many in France work for free on Pentecost public holiday?

Warm, sunny and a bit stormy

According to national weather forecaster Météo-France, we’re set to enjoy some early summer heat over the weekend, with temperatures, especially in the north of the country, closer to July than the end of May – thanks to an anticyclone hovering over Ireland.

While morning temperatures are expected to remain around normal for the the time of year, afternoon temperatures of between 20C to 25C are forecast for the afternoons in the northern half of the country , and 24C to 28C in the southern half – rising as high as 30C in areas such as the Gard, Vaucluse and Var.

Image: Meteo France

Scattered storms and showers, particularly in the south, may punctuate the conditions on Saturday and Sunday, notably in Nouvelle Aquitaine, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the interior of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

Image : Meteo France

The good news is the situation is not expected to change much in the first part of next week, as May turns to June. 

The weather will remain very sunny in the northern half of France, and slightly more unstable in the south, with sometimes stormy showers. Temperatures will remain at high levels, especially in the northern half where the maximums will often be close to the normal values ​​of early July.

Roads watch

Friday is the big travel day for the long weekend with many expected to make an early getaway, roads watchdog Bison Futé forecasts.

It has issued a nationwide red travel alert – indicating very difficult conditions on the roads – for Friday for travel away from major cities and in the direction of popular resorts, and a yellow alert – indicating difficult road conditions – heading to major cities.

It specifically recommends that, on Friday, motorists should:

  • travel in the Île-de-France region and major cities before 12noon;
  • avoid the A1 between Paris and Lille from 5pm to 9pm;
  • avoid the A13 between Paris and Rouen from 12noon to 10pm, between Rouen and Caen from 3pm to 9pm, and between Caen and Paris from 10am to 9pm;
  • avoid the A10 between Orléans and Tours from 4pm to 7pm, and between Bordeaux and Paris, from 11am to 12midnight;
  • avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 2pm to 10pm, and between Marseille and Lyon, from 9am to 12midnight;
  • avoid the A50 between Marseille and Toulon from 5pm to 7pm;
  • avoid the A9 between Orange and Narbonne from 4pm to 7pm, between Spain and Orange from 4pm to 7pm, and between Montpellier and Orange, from 9am to 11pm;
  • avoid the A61 between Toulouse and Narbonne, from 5pm to 10pm, and between Narbonne and Toulouse from 11am to 12midnight;
  • avoid the N12 Rennes and Morlaix from 5pm to 7pm.
  • avoid the A11 between Nantes and Paris, from 9am to 12midnight;
  • avoid the N165 between Quimper and Nantes, from 10am to 7pm;
  • avoid the Mont-Blanc tunnel (N205), between Italy and France, from 11am to midnight.

A yellow travel warning for Saturday is in force, with motorists advised to:

  • restrict travel in the Île-de-France region to before 8am;
  • avoid the A13 between Paris and Caen from 10am to 5pm;
  • avoid the A10 between Orleans and Tours from 11am to 2pm;
  • avoid the A7 between Lyon and Orange from 11am to 5pm;
  • avoid the A9 between Montpellier and Narbonne from 10am to 12pm;
  • avoid the A75 between Clermont-Ferrand and Montpellier from 11am to 1pm;
  • avoid the A62 between Bordeaux and Toulouse from 10am to 12pm;
  • avoid the A61 between Toulouse and Narbonne from 10am to 2pm.

One final yellow warning has been issued for the northwest quarter on Monday, on roads away from resorts returning to major cities.

Anyone travelling on France’s main arterial routes on Monday should: 

  • restrict travel in the Île-de-France region to before 2pm;
  • avoid the A11 between Le Mans and Paris from 4pm to 7pm;
  • avoid the A13 between Caen and Paris from 10am to 8pm;
  • avoid the A7 between Marseille and Lyon from 12pm to 6pm;
  • avoid the A9 between Montpellier and Orange from 11am to 1pm;
  • avoid the A62 between Toulouse and Bordeaux from 4pm to 6pm;
  • avoid the A61 between Narbonne and Toulouse from 3 pm to 7 pm;
  • avoid the N165 between Quimper and Nantes from 10am to 7pm.

Rail and airports

Airports are reported to be running as expected, but expect some delays on rail networks, as maintenance works are routinely scheduled for the holiday weekend.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Olympics prep means travel trouble for Paris commuters this summer

A summer of discontent and delays is in store for anyone using the Metro or RER services in Paris, as the capital steps up preparations for next year's Olympics.

Olympics prep means travel trouble for Paris commuters this summer

Line closures and maintenance delays are routine in Paris in the summer, when passenger numbers are down because many people are away on holiday. But the amount of work is higher than normal this year, with improvements planned on almost every major line in and out of the capital.

Île-de-France Mobilités will announce all the disruptions for the coming summer later this month. However, the schedules for certain major routes, such as the RER A, B, C and Metro lines, are already known. 

Here’s what we know and what we don’t know about line closures in the coming weeks and months:

Metro

Line 4 

Closed between Vavin and Bagneux-Lucie-Aubrac stations from June 9th to 11th inclusive. 

Line 11 

Closed on the following Sundays: July 9th, July 30th and August 27th for work on the extension to Rosny-sous-Bois. As it has since February, the line will close at 10pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until the end of September. 

Line 14

No service between Mairie-de-Saint-Ouen and Olympiades, from July 29th to August 11th.

RER A

Europe’s busiest railway line will be closed from Nation and Val-de-Fontenay and Fontenay-sous-Bois stations from August 9th to 18th; and between Cergy-le-Haut and Conflans-Fin-d’Oise stations from August 5th to 20th.

RER B North

No trains Between Gare-du-Nord and Aulnay-sous-Bois on the weekends of June 3rd and 4th, and June 10th and 11th, in either direction.

The line will be closed between Gare-du-Nord and Mitry-Claye on August 12th, 13th and 14th. 

Between Aulnay-sous-Bois and Aéroport – Charles-de-Gaulle 2, a further closure is scheduled for the weekend of August 19th and 20th. 

On September 23rd and 24th, the section between Aulnay-sous-Bois and Mitry-Claye will not be served.

Replacement buses will be in operation, but users are warned to expect delays.

RER B South

Between Fontaine-Michalon and Massy-Palaiseau, from July 14th to July 21st, then from August 5th to August 20th, traffic will be halted to carry out modernisation work on the Chartres and Gallardon bridges. 

All trains will terminate at Fontaine-Michalon and Massy-Palaiseau. A replacement bus will serve Massy-Palaiseau, Massy-Verrières, Les Baconnets and Fontaine-Michalon stations.

From July 22nd to August 4th, traffic will be interrupted to allow completion of the Massy-Valenton-Ouest project between La Croix de Berny and Massy-Palaiseau, and to continue work on the Chartres and Gallardon bridges. 

All trains will terminate at La Croix-de-Berny and Massy-Palaiseau. A shuttle bus will serve the remaining stations.

The branch between Bourg-la-Reine and Robinson will be closed from July 22nd to August 25th inclusive. All trains will terminate at Bourg-la-Reine. Substitutions will be made at Bourg-la-Reine, Sceaux, Fontenay-aux-Roses and Robinson stations.

RER C

The Austerlitz – Javel – Henri-Martin section will be closed from July 15th to August 26th.

no trains will run between Massy and Pont-de-Rungis, either, during the replacement of the Gallardon rail bridge in Massy, and for the Massy southern rail bypass project.

Works to be confirmed

Dates for works on RER lines E, D and Transilien (lines H, K, L, N and P) have yet to be confirmed.

Orlyval

The driverless Orlyval shuttle service from Antony station to the airport, will be out of service on July 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th for maintenance work.

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