The upcoming Easter holidays, which in 2025 fall on Sunday 20 and Monday 21 April, will mark the beginning of a prolonged period of heavy traffic on Italian roads and motorways. The phenomenon, widely anticipated by Viabilità Italia, will involve both short and medium-to-long journeys, with movements concentrated towards major tourist destinations and cultural cities. The first signs of traffic disruption may already appear from the afternoon of Wednesday 16 April, coinciding with school closures, and are expected to continue steadily in the following days. A new surge in traffic is anticipated from the afternoon of Thursday 17 April and during the mornings of Friday 18 and Saturday 19, with high volumes along main routes.
Easter Sunday is expected to see locally heavy traffic from late morning onwards, while Easter Monday will bring the usual wave of day trips. This will be compounded by early return traffic heading towards urban centres, with potential delays extending into the morning of Tuesday 22 April. This year’s particular calendar layout exacerbates traffic issues, as the Easter holidays are closely followed by the Liberation Day weekend, triggering a second major wave of movement. Departures for this occasion are forecast to begin on the afternoon of Thursday 24 April, while Sunday 27 could prove particularly challenging for road conditions, with the overlap of return traffic from both Easter and Liberation Day breaks.
Traffic conditions are expected to remain difficult into the final part of the month. Departures on 30 April, especially in the afternoon, and the morning of 1 May will see short-distance travel typical of spring festivities. High traffic volumes are not ruled out even in the days immediately following, particularly on 2 and 3 May, while the main return flow is expected between Sunday 4 and Monday 5 May.
For vehicles with a total mass exceeding 7.5 tonnes, restrictions will apply on public holidays and selected days preceding them, including Friday 18 April from 2 pm to 10 pm, Saturday 19 April from 9 am to 4 pm, Sunday 20 and Monday 21 April from 9 am to 10 pm, Tuesday 22 April from 9 am to 2 pm, Friday 25 April from 9 am to 10 pm, Sunday 27 April from 9 am to 10 pm, Thursday 1 May from 9 am to 10 pm and Sunday 4 May from 9 am to 10 pm.
