The Gotthard Tunnel is located in the southern central region of Switzerland and connects the two Swiss cantons of Uri and Ticino. Even though the Gotthard Tunnel is an important traffic route, it often becomes a daily source of frustration for many travelers. Especially during holiday periods, vehicles line up in kilometer-long traffic jams, significantly prolonging your journey.
With the start of the summer holidays, traffic volumes in Switzerland also begin to increase. Travelers from various countries cross Switzerland on their way to vacation destinations. Daily traffic jams form at the tunnel entrance of the Gotthard. The weekends from July 4th to July 28th, 2025, are forecast to be especially jam-prone. During this time, holidays begin for the Netherlands and eleven additional German federal states. Last year, travelers also had to expect kilometer-long traffic jams. In particular, the July weekends of 2024 saw record-breaking congestion of up to 14 kilometers. The same applied to August 1st to 3rd, 2024 — the start of the return travel period.
To avoid the worst congestion, you should choose your travel days wisely and avoid traveling on weekends. The best days to travel are midweek, preferably Tuesday through Thursday. This strategy has proven effective over recent years, as Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday tend to be significantly less congested than the period from Friday through Monday. In addition, try to travel early in the morning or late in the evening.
Also keep in mind the return traffic jams starting in early August, which can cost you considerable time. The return travel wave begins on the first weekend of August and continues until the end of the month. The first three weekends of August are particularly prone to heavy traffic, and jams of up to 10 kilometers are not uncommon. To enjoy a smooth journey without long delays, the same rule applies: travel on Tuesdays and drive through Switzerland either early or late in the day.
We wish you a relaxing journey and would like to remind you of the current toll regulations in Switzerland. Please note that the Gotthard Tunnel falls under the Tunnels that requier a vignette. You can find more information about the toll in our guide. Use our route planner to better plan your journey and view relevant toll products (such as the vignette). Purchase your digital vignette easily from home through our website and avoid the hassle of sticking and later scraping off a physical vignette. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via email.
