The Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB) has issued a warning to all those planning to hit the roads this evening ahead of the Easter weekend, announcing that heavy traffic is expected across a number of Dutch roads. 

Rush hour in the Netherlands to be especially busy on Thursday

With the school holidays well underway across Europe and at various international schools in the Netherlands, this time of year is certainly popular amongst families and holidaymakers. The Easter weekend is right around the corner, and while Good Friday isn’t a Dutch holiday, the ANWB is still expecting to see a significant spike in the number of motorists on the road during the Thursday evening rush hour. 

“ANWB traffic information expects a busy evening rush hour on April 14… due to a combination of the usual commuter traffic and a lot of recreational traffic,” the travellers’ association writes on its website. The biggest delays are expected on Thursday afternoon on the A1 between Amsterdam and Apeldoorn, and on the A2 between Utrecht and Eindhoven. In addition to this, heavy traffic is expected on the A12 between Utrecht and the German border and on the A50 between Apeldoorn and Eindhoven.

Delays expected on Dutch roads throughout Easter weekend

In addition to holidaymakers, day trips are also extremely popular over the Easter weekend, especially if the weather is good. Roads near destinations such as Keukenhof, Zandvoort, and the Paaspop music festival will be busy throughout the weekend, as will roads leading to various theme parks, zoos, and beaches.

Roads in the Netherlands are also expected to be busy on Easter Monday as holidaymakers return home after the long weekend. The ANWB emphasises that delays should be expected in the centre and south of the country from midday. 

As for traffic jams across Europe, the ANWB has warned that the biggest delays will occur in Belgium and France on Friday and Saturday. German roads will be busy too, specifically in between the cities of Munich, Nuremberg and Salzburg on Good Friday. The heaviest traffic in Switzerland will be on Thursday, with waiting times of up to two hours expected at the St. Gotthard tunnel.