A8 in Germany

Thanks guys - I'll just pack a wet towel. Probably will do some b roads.

Construction around Pforzheim is as usual awful, that'll take a few more years to finish that major overhaul. New traffic cameras set up around Stuttgart area, too. Check local radio station websites for detailed locations. Not bad this week as German school holiday is still going on. Starting Monday, awful again.

It's the same, which is horrible. Sorry. Consider the B roads? Won't save you time, probably, but at least you're moving and seeing some of the little villages...

I haven't driven it lately, but the traffic reports I hear on the radio seem to indicate it's as bad as ever. But at least A5 isn't quite as nasty as previously (except around Karlsruhe, where it intersects with A8).

Thanks again guys. The purpose of the exercise is to go from Luxembourg to Fussen for a photo of a fountain. Yeah, I know. Would I perhaps do better to avoid Pforzheim by skirting round on the A6 to the A81 and on to A8 before Stuttgart? Or all the way on A6 to the A7? Your advice will cut down on the Alka Selzer - Tums concession and help my blood pressure ;-}

Sometimes the A6-A81-A8 option works better, sometimes it's just as bad. Usually not worse, however. And it doesn't help you escape that usual mess around Mühlhausen, where the road splits before it goes up the mountain. But traffic has to be REALLY bad on A8 for the A6-A7 detour to save you any time... and there's no guarantee that either A6 or A7 won't be backed up either, but of course, these two roads aren't NEARLY as bad as A8. I'm not sure how proficient your German is, but if your GPS doesn't provide traffic alerts, tune into any of the SWR radio stations at around 2-3 minutes after the hour and half hour. Listen for "Verkerhshinweise".

There's also the AFN stations that you can get in the Heidelberg area and the Stuttgart area (signal goes out before Pforzheim though) that do the traffic in English. On the day before the last public holiday though the DJ just threw up his hands and said "There's traffic everywhere, no point in saying which road. Every road!" I was stuck in it because I had failed to realize there was a holiday. Whoops.

Thanks. I have an app Stau-Mobile which I haven't previously used. Hope it helps. I don't know the frequencies for afrts ;-( My German is half way decent but I always have trouble following the bulletins on SWR. My car radio is set for traffic so I usually get them but they used to, at least don't know about now, used to be really boomy and with lots of background sounds. I have difficulty discriminating between backgrounds and foregrounds in simultaneous sounds so they were difficult for me to understand. I'll just buy my e-ticket, strap in, and enjoy the ride...

I love the way the Rick Steve Message Board has become an expat coconut telegraph. :-)

CLEARLY A6 to Crailsheim and then A7 to Füssen! The only time to avoid is having to go from the famous Walldorf to Sinsheim during the regular commute. (Walldorf is famous as this is where Mr. Astor came from and what he named his Waldorf Astoria hotel after - and it's the world headquarters of SAP)

Nigel, If you decide on the A6-A7 route, can you do me this favor? Stop off in Schwäbisch Hall. I need someone to provide independent confirmation that Rothenburg odT is far from the only well-preserved town in Germany. The Blue Book crowd just doesn't seem to believe me...

Tom - I'm gonna try to get to Swabisch Hall finally this weekend, if the weather isn't too bad. Everyone says it's great. The pictures are great. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I just arrived via Schwäbisch Hall. NO STAUs on either the A6 or A7. A good work around was the A61. There were several places with road works but no delays. And this is the Friday at the end of school spring holiday. Schwäbisch Hall is a TRUE GEM and we love it!!!!! We will have to return when we can stay there. No Kathe Wolfhardt or sneeballs or tourists. Ok- we saw 6. Yes 6. EDIT - That's 6 tourists... Yum Thanks Tom

Nigel-are you still in that area? Is the flooding affecting your travels? I have read the A8 is closed between Munich and Salzburg, but you are somewhere else?

Lola Thanks for asking. No, thank goodness. We had a fun night in Seefeld in Tirol above Innsbruck though. It poured on us from England all the way until we reached Verona. Never seen so much rain for years and years and years. Luckily nothing around us completely flooded. Went through about 6 inches of standing water standing on the autobahn around Brenner that we didn't see until we hit it at 110 kph. Good thing the speeds were reduced. Then a caravan overturned in Alto Adige which stopped the autostrada for nearly 2 hours. Adventure. I know, take the train. I work on them though so a road trip is fun for me. In the middle of a week in Vicenza, next week Varenna (thanks Claudia in the land of La). Everything here is 6 to 8 weeks behind where they should be. COME ON SUMMER. WHERE ARE YOU? Damn global warming!!!