Driving home for Christmas: traffic tips to ensure your Christmas journey doesn't end in chaos

Arrive on time - Driving home for Christmas: traffic tips to ensure your Christmas journey doesn't end in chaos

"I'm driving home for Christmas. Oh, I can't wait to see those faces", Chris Rea has been singing every year at Christmas time since 1986. With a harmonious-sounding melody, he sings about the anticipation of the contemplative family celebration, which he feels in himself and sees in the faces of his fellow drivers on the highway. However, as much as the song sounds like peace, joy and happiness, the lyrics are realistic elsewhere. Rea also sings about traffic jams and the hour-long journey.

And anyone who has ever traveled around the holidays - whether by car, train or plane - knows how exhausting the whole thing can be. Instead of happily singing "Last Christmas" and relaxing in the car on the way home, many commuters are left sitting at the station shortly before the festive season or have to squeeze into a crowded train with a number of other Christmas returnees. But "cuddling up with strangers" wasn't even on the wish list. We have summarized the most important information for you so that you arrive at your loved ones' homes on time and, above all, relaxed this year.

By car to the family party: you should be prepared for this

If you don't want to rely on public transport, you can get behind the wheel yourself. This time, however, you should do this well in advance - and it's best to pack a good portion and some provisions next to the presents in the back seat. The German Automobile Club (ADAC) is already expecting traffic jams on Friday and Saturday. According to the report, major cities, freeways and the expressways towards the Alpine region will be particularly affected by increased traffic volumes.

Commuters should plan for the longest waiting times around Germany's conurbations of Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich. Outside Germany, the roads around the well-known winter sports resorts in Austria, Italy and Switzerland are particularly busy. For example, the risk of traffic jams increases on the Brenner highway in Austria or on the Gotthard Pass in Switzerland shortly before the holidays. On the holidays themselves, on the other hand, it will be contemplatively quiet on Germany's roads, as it is every year, before the wave of return journeys starts towards the evening on the second national holiday. In any case, it's worth keeping a regular eye on the traffic jam forecasts and allowing a little extra time. A good playlist won't hurt either, so as not to let the wait spoil your mood.

For Christmas with Deutsche Bahn: what you need to bear in mind

The horror scenario of a warning strike before or during the Christmas holidays is unlikely to materialize despite Deutsche Bahn 's ongoing wage negotiations with the union. Nevertheless, rail passengers should be prepared for the possibility that something could go wrong on their journey home. Not only because delays and train cancellations are no exception anyway, but also and above all because Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday this year - and Deutsche Bahn is actually only running a reduced timetable across Germany at the weekend.

This means that an increased volume of travelers could be met with a reduced number of trains on the Christmas weekend. In this case, chaos is virtually pre-programmed. In order to cope with this, the company has already announced that it will deploy 60 additional trains between December 20, 2023 and January 1, 2024 to cope with the rush. These will primarily be used on highly frequented routes, including the Berlin-Göttingen-Frankfurt and Cologne-Munich connections via Frankfurt. Nevertheless, it is always worth checking the expected capacity utilization of the booked train in advance on the Deutsche Bahn website - especially before and after the holidays - and reserving a seat if you are not in the mood to travel home standing up. By the way: Here, too, things are much more relaxed during the holidays.

Wanderlust for the festive season: flying to Christmas

Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to reach their family by train or car. Some people have to take a plane for a festive family celebration - or simply want to spend Christmas abroad. In Hamburg, for example, 350,000 passengers are expected around the holidays, with 2,500 flights planned, most of them on the Friday before Christmas and New Year's Eve. Things are different at Memmingen Airport. The Swabian region is already preparing for an increased rush, including an increased number of flights by Wizzair and Ryanair. The airlines are deploying 60 more aircraft over the holidays. Around 700,000 passengers are expected in Düsseldorf, but the airport is well prepared for the rush and promises smooth operations.

According to a recent analysis by Booking.com, most Germans are heading to Bangkok, London, Istanbul, Paris and Vienna for Christmas. If you are also boarding a plane to spend the Christmas holidays somewhere else, you are well advised to find out in advance about any special features at the airport and at your destination and to arrive at the airport early so that you can pass through any time-consuming security checks in good time.

Generally speaking, if you have a healthy dose of patience and are well informed in advance, don't forget to look forward to seeing your loved ones and allow enough time, you will (eventually) arrive at the party again this year. Or, to put it in the words of Chris Rea: "When I get through. Oh and feel you near me." And that's what matters in the end, isn't it?

Source: Deutsche Bahn, ADAC, Hamburg Airport, Memmingen Airport,Düsseldorf Airport