Holiday traffic in France is causing extensive congestion, with some 450 kilometres of tailbacks clogging roads across the country.

Worst affected are the A7 motorway between Lyon and Orange, the A9 motorway from Montpellier to the Spanish border and the A10 motorway linking Paris and Bordeaux.

The ANWB Dutch automobile association says it is being flooded with calls for assistance. It expects the number of phone calls this Saturday to exceed the 1,800 it received a week ago. The busiest day on France's roads is expected next week on what is known as Black Saturday.

photo: Paris Periferique ring road (flickr.com/Julie 70)