Despite earlier forecasts of heavy congestion, traffic flow on northern German highways remained surprisingly calm on Christmas Eve. However, transportation officials are now preparing for a potential surge in vehicles as travelers return home and begin journeys for New Year’s celebrations, with the busiest travel days anticipated between december 27th and 30th. This report details current traffic conditions, potential trouble spots, and advice for those planning to travel by car or rail during the holiday period.
AUDIO: Weihnachtsverkehr: ADAC erwartet volle Straßen auch nach dem Fest (5 Min)
Stand: December 24, 2025 11:11 AM
Traffic experts anticipated significant congestion on northern German highways leading up to Christmas, but those forecasts haven’t fully materialized by Christmas Eve. However, roads could become crowded again after the holiday weekend.
Christmas vacation began last Friday in most northern German states. As a result, the ADAC, Germany’s largest automobile club, predicted heavy traffic on congested routes that day and over the following weekend, but relatively little congestion actually occurred. Tuesday, which was also considered a high-risk day for traffic, also saw lighter-than-expected conditions. Traffic remained calm even on Christmas Eve itself.
The return traffic following the Christmas holidays and the upcoming New Year’s celebrations could lead to fuller roads the last weekend of the year (December 27/28) and on the following Tuesday (December 30), according to ADAC spokesperson Menno Gebhardt: “Historically, many people are on the road at the same time for visits with family, vacations, or short trips around New Year’s Eve.”
Which Routes Are Particularly Prone to Congestion?
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If congestion does develop, it will likely be on the traffic axes in the greater Hamburg area and the main travel routes in Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern towards and from the North and Baltic Sea coasts. The ADAC specifically names the A1, A7, A20, A23 and A24 as routes prone to traffic jams.
The A7 section near the Elbe Tunnel in Hamburg is also expected to be a bottleneck where traffic could easily come to a standstill in both directions, Gebhardt predicted. Construction on the New Elbe Bridge and the reduced lanes there also regularly cause backups on the A1 and B75 near the Norderelbbrücken. “This area should be avoided,” the ADAC advises.
Longer wait times should also be expected around the car ferry loading in Niebüll, from where it goes towards Sylt.
Tips for the Smoothest Possible Travel
On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, experts expect significantly less traffic. However, delays can occur in urban areas even on these days.
To get to your destination as congestion-free as possible, the ADAC advises avoiding the upcoming weekend for planned trips: “It’s most relaxed to travel outside of peak travel times. The early morning hours, late evening hours, or night are particularly favorable.” If possible, travelers should plan their travel times flexibly and pay attention to current traffic reports.
Deutsche Bahn Recommends Seat Reservations
The German rail service, Deutsche Bahn, also expects many passengers around Christmas and New Year’s. “The travel volume is spread over several days this year and is therefore well distributed. We expect slightly more passengers in long-distance travel this year than in 2024,” said a Bahn spokesperson.
To meet the increased demand, the railway is using all available trains and offering additional express and half-hourly connections between major cities. “Everything that can roll is on the move,” according to a statement from the company headquarters in Berlin. However, seat reservations are recommended. The least crowded train journeys are in the early morning or late evening.
Problems are expected at least in regional traffic due to an accident on the railway line between Hanover and Göttingen: Following the derailment of a freight train on Tuesday, the line is expected to remain partially closed until early January.
Hamburg Airport Expects More Than 570,000 Passengers During the Holidays
Hamburg Airport is also expecting high passenger numbers during the Christmas holidays, with more than 570,000 travelers anticipated between now and January 2. Up to 42,000 passengers are expected at Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt each day during the holiday period.
