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 Jeff Steiner's Americans in France.Resource for people that would like to live or travel in France. |
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DrivingBlack Saturday (Samedi noir)
Black Saturday - Samedi noir is the worst traffic day of the year in France. It's the only black - very heavy traffic day, so the name - Samedi noir. It take place during the chassé-croisé - when Juillettistes (those taking their vacation in July) and Aoûtiens (those taking their vacation in August) crisscross on French roads. For 2017 Black Saturday is July 29th.
There can also be regional Samedis noir. For example during Christmas and winter school vacations access to the Alps can be localy rated as Black. Always best to look at the French traffic estimations before making travel plans if you drive.
During vacation/holiday periods Saturday is the day with the most traffic. This is because in France weekly vacation rentals start on Saturdays. So Saturday is the day when tourist are either coming from or going to their vacation spot. Autoroutes can be especially busy. Watch out for heavy traffic in the Paris region and the Alps in the winter.
This means that if you have to travel on a Saturday during vacation time, try to leave early or travel on another day.
Also see - Juillettistes, Aoûtiens and the Chassé-Croisé.
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