Driving from Austria - "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with Q"

Hi All

Just back from a great week skiing in Alpbach, Austria. Thank you to all those who recommended driving through Belgium/Luxembourg/Germany and the directions. All were accurate - no tolls, cheap fuel, directions excellent etc etc, BUT ..........and a big BUT.........the traffic was awful - Queue after Queue. Yes, I know we were in our school holidays but Germany is such a busy country, with lots on the roads, that it was like a mixture of driving on the M1 and A1 - as many parts are only 2 lanes. Yes, the autobahn was fast in places, but then it just got snarled up. Here is a run down.......

UK - bit unlucky and due to snow the previous day and it being half term there were M25 traffic and queues at the tunnel - same for all and just unlucky.
Belgium and Luxembourg. - not bad and travelled well.
Germany - Snarl up started and slow/fast/slow all the rest of the way.
Took 10 hours to Luxembourg (worst partUK) and 8 hours from Luxembourg to Alpbach

return: - and this journey was the killer.

Alpbach to Munich (120km) - took 4 hours !
Alpbach to Luxembourg - 435 miles or thereabouts - took 10 hours
Home from there was fine and as expected.

Our thoughts are that yes, driving through France has tolls and is even 50miles further, BUT it's such an easy drive. Driving through germany is traffic and lots of it - a bit like driving through the UK but for 900 miles. We're going to try the French way next year and see what happens. Just thought I'd pass on my thoughts.........

There is always a bit of traffic through Luxembourg Stuttgart and Ulm, it is a few years ago since I have done that drive, before kids we used to drive overnight getting to Ulm around lunch time 8)

Pretty much travelled this route on my ill-fated journey to Slovenia last summer. All through Germany the traffic was stop go due to road works. Think Germany has embarked on a massive public works motorway improvement project to stimulate their economy.

Can anyone confirm this?

funnily enough it was south of Stuttgart where it got bad. Luxembourg was great. but Stuttgart to Austria via Munich was awful.

You will always hit STAU's If you drive anywhere near Bavaria in Daylight, You have got to appreciate the Germans , Dutchand and Brits are all wanting to Ski and get to the Piste.
last time we drove it took us 14 hours to get to Zell am Zee from Dorset. That was through France, Belgium,Germany. Travel at night and share the Driving :thumbup:

I agree with you and thank you. Next time we will - or go through France. We did understand - as we all enjoy skiing so why shouldn't they also be on the road, but it was just a warning to others really :-)

If at all possible avoid the A8 between Karlsruhe and Munich past Stuttgart any time that humans may actually exist. It's a pigging nightmire.

hehe. I'm sticking to France. Hate admitting it. Wouldn't ski there again, but love the motorways.