By Brunella Brunetti

Travelling by car can be very convenient. Especially whilst one is travelling in Europe, the car offers a lot of flexibility. However, while travelling by car, the chance of running into traffic jams, especially in Europe, and loosing hours in congestion is quiet high. In the following blog, we will discuss the cities with the highest hours lost in congestion in Europe, as well as some tips and tricks to avoid traffic jams.

Traffic Jams around large cities

Many large cities in Europe have one Problem in common: traffic jams. Especially during rush hour, it is almost impossible to arrive punctual to the destination, as one can be literally stuck for hours in traffic jams. For this reason, several companies in Europe started to look for alternative solutions to avoid massive traffic jams. One of the most notorious ones is the flying car/drone. Here you can find more information about the passenger drone.

Traffic Jams in Europe

Top 20 Cities with the highest hours lost in congestion

INRIX is an international market leader for real-time traffic information. Following table depicts the hours lost in congestion in 20 cities of Europe.

PositionCityHours lost in congestion
1Dublin (IR)246h
2Paris (FR)237h
3London (UK)227h
4Bordeaux (FR)223h
5Brussels (BE)195h
6Belfast (UK)190h
7Edinburgh (UK)165h
8Montpellier (FR)163h
9Nantes (FR)160h
10Zürich (CH)156h
11Manchester (UK)156h
12Leicester (UK)155h
13Berlin (DE)154h
14Hull (UK)151h
15Bristol (UK)149h
16Sheffield (UK)149h
17Nottingham (UK)149h
18Cardiff (UK)143h
19Leeds (UK)143h
20Geneva (CH)142h

The table above depicts the top 20 cities in Europe with the most hours lost in congestions. Cities that are outside of the destinations of Fly Aeolus are not considered in this table.

According to the INRIX 2018 Global Traffic Scorecard, people lose the most hours in congestion in cities of the United Kingdom. On the second place, cities in France and on the third-place cities in Switzerland. 

Avoid Traffic jams in Europe

What can you do, in order to avoid being stuck in traffic?

Here are some tips and tricks: 

  1. Plan your route the night before on Google Maps. Try to avoid busy roads or construction. Google Maps allows you to choose alternative routes, by click on alternate points, to find another route. However, one cannot predict accidents or inconveniences that occur on the same day. For this reason, it is recommendable to use Google Maps or a good navigation system while travelling, as accidents, inconveniences or congestions are displayed on real time basis.
  2. Look at the weather report. In the event of severe weather warnings, postpone your appointment, if it is possible. This will allow you to stay safe and avoid long traffic jams on the highway.
  3. If possible, try to set your appointments outside of rush hours. In case you still need to travel during peak hours, await them. Use your time efficiently while awaiting the rush hour and take a walk, work or have something to eat.
  4. Check whether the day you are travelling is a holiday or one of the busiest days of the year to travel. If you are for instance travelling in France during Black Saturday, usually the last Saturday of July, you will encounter massive traffic jams along the way. Therefore, plan your road trip carefully and check whether the days you are travelling are holiday starting dates or not.  
  5. Nowadays it became quite acceptable to work from home or to schedule appointments through video-conferences. For this reason, check whether it is really needed to travel or not and consider using available technologies to avoid congestions.
  6. In case you have an appointment in large cities like London or Berlin, consider using public transport like subways, to avoid congestions in the city center. 

The alternative: Air Taxi!

Not only congestion lengthen your travel time, but they can also hinder your drive to the airport of major cities. Therefore, it is often convenient to choose a flight from regional airports. 

One can find regional airports, on European average, every 15 Minutes. From these regional airports it mostly possible to rent a low-cost plane and depart. Fly Aeolus uses 1600 airports throughout Europe. Click here to display the airports in your area. 

Fly Aeolus destinations

With an air taxi you are always able to save up valuable time! Especially if you are travelling for business, the time that you save while travelling can be used efficiently for the business, resulting in a higher economic value for the company. Find here when it is worth to take an air taxi

For prices and air taxi offers, consult our price calculator. For further questions, do not hesitate to contact us at info@flyaeolus.comor call us on +32 (0)3 500 9082.