How to stay informed and avoid queues and traffic on highways and roads with real-time updates

Red dot and black dot: these words will soon become familiar to Italian travelers because, according to tradition, the summer of 2023 will also be marked by departures by car. But if queues on the highway and traffic jams are certain on the one hand, then there are some solutions to avoid queues on the other hand. Some are derived from common sense and many times a few precious tips are enough to escape unbearably long waits in the car.

Others come instead from new technologies, such as mobile apps that offer the right advice given summer 2019 and beyond. All this while remembering the central importance of real-time updates to link them with readiness for lane changes to avoid queues on the motorway and on Italian roads.

Highways and Italian roads, how to avoid queues

There are some basic tips on how to avoid the queues on Italian motorways and the immediately overlooked roads despite their validity. Or maybe because you can’t do without it. For example, it is better not to travel when everyone is doing it, that is, at off-peak times and on the so-called black point days. Simply connect to the official Autostrade website for a complete overview with forecasts updated in real time. And there is a detail that should not be overlooked: traffic is most intense near the largest and most visited Italian cities, such as Milan, Rome, Florence and Bologna. Better to face a few more turns.

Often, time lost at a toll booth is consumed when paying the toll. The solution is obvious: equip yourself with a telepass or at least choose the lanes intended for card payments, where the queue is cleared a little faster. And of course, even a simple phone call to the traffic police can prove invaluable.

The best mobile apps of 2023 with real-time traffic updates

Even new technologies come to the rescue of motorists, starting with applications with real-time traffic updates. The most famous is for sure Google Maps. Usage is instant because you tap the car icon and then choose voice commands by tapping the microphone icon or saying “Ok Google” followed by the destination address. Users can receive real-time traffic updates and use alternate routes if there are long waiting lists. All of these features require an active internet connection.

However, in order not to consume data or if we are in an area where there is no signal, it is possible in advance to download the map of the area to be traveled by clicking on the icon of the three horizontal lines at the top left and selecting the Offline maps item. But there is clearly a lack of reporting on real-time traffic updates.

There is a valid alternative and it’s called Waze. Indeed, in some aspects this mobile application is more effective in managing real-time traffic updates on the motorway and on Italian roads. The application provides timely information on the roads and any traffic jams along the way thanks to a base of hundreds of thousands of registered users who post online in real time what is happening on the roads.

The user can decide to receive real-time traffic updates with the option to choose alternate routes in case of long queues. From an operational point of view, to use the application you need to register or use your Facebook account to see friends traveling the same route on the map in real time.

Key concepts

• The red and black dots indicate periods of heavy traffic on the Italian motorways, especially in summer.
• Possible ways to avoid queues include off-peak departures, use of real-time traffic services, and being prepared to change lanes.
• To manage queues on the motorway, it is possible to obtain information on the motorway website or by making phone calls to the traffic police, and to equip yourself with a Telepass to expedite payments at the toll booths.
• Smartphone apps such as Google Maps and Waze provide real-time traffic updates and suggest alternate routes.