Which cities have the worst traffic jams?

The Parisians who drive often complain about traffic congestion, and they clearly have good reasons to do so. According to the latest TomTom index, the capital is indeed the most congested city in France, ahead of Bordeaux and Lyon.

In Paris, a motorist driving an average of 20 km per day – for a round trip between home and work – lost 109 hours in traffic jams in 2022. Generally, it takes 26 minutes and 10 seconds to cover 10 km (average across all days of the week). Travel time logically increases during peak hours: it rises to 30 minutes in the morning and 34 minutes in the evening.

The TomTom index reveals that drivers in Bordeaux and Lyon also do not have an easy life. On average, they lose 95 hours and 83 hours respectively in traffic jams (again calculated for a profile making a 20 km round-trip between home and work). Residents of Nice, Toulouse, Rouen, and Montpellier fare better. Nantes and Marseille are somewhat worse off, but do not face the same issues as the top three cities.

Parisians can always put things into perspective by saying that the situation is worse elsewhere. In Dublin, people lose an average of 145 hours per year in traffic jams; in London, 139 hours.

The Financial and Ecological Cost of Traffic Jams

The index shows that traffic jams have a significant financial impact. “In Paris, driving a petrol car during rush hours increases the cost of driving by 40%, compared to driving during optimal hours”, explains TomTom about this. Ecologically, the study suggests a fairly clear correlation between congestion and CO₂ emissions, which seems quite logical. More generally, the very use of cars in the city is being questioned. By working remotely once a week, a Parisian using a petrol car would emit on average 227 kg less CO₂.

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