How much traffic can I expect on the A2 Motorway during Hannover Messe?

Question

I am thinking of staying at a hotel outside of Hannover during the Hannover Messe event. All hotels in the city are booked.

How long do you think it will take to drive to Hannover Messe from this location:

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/europe.adp?do=nw&2n=Region%20Hannover&1y=DE&1z=38110&mo=ma&1si=gfk%5fpostal&2s=Niedersachsen&2c=Hannover&2si=gaz&1da=%2d1%2e000000&1rc=Z1XAA&2da=%2d1%2e000000&2rc=A5XAX&cl=EN&2v=CITY&did=1204285107&1gi=YJtN9pQ9RkOD%2bGMVgaSm0Q%3d%3d&qq=1ADqpk24ofDqaXip4PyM%252bHY3LY4bAn4qt1mjm2B75iByjea57Xb4xFL586qHeAc7yvQ86Eco0Je19vZvqYr8ClmRAAtHclSy7uW0qwKr1O6EnrOcmNtkD17ms3IssUgHx2Nnf5GSmzw%253d&2gi=YJtN9pQ9RkOD%2bGMVgaSm0Q%3d%3d&2y=DE&un=m&1c=Braunschweig%2dwenden%2c%2dwaggum&go=1&rsres=1&1v=ZIP&ct=EU&1l=043ugcLHi3LW4n0xoTI27w==&1g=o/BVXqLqtavaNiiAgV1Vnw==&2l=ttKq5oOYMAsAwrhdtA1Uag==&2g=h7oeDvmFLwM

38110 BRAUNSCHWEIG (GERMANY)

Answer 1

Very crowded. Braunschweig close enough to Hannover that many people commute. On normal days the traffic is usually bearable, but can become quite sluggish during rush-hour. Add to this the CBit traffic and you have an absolute nightmare.

If it has got to be Braunschweig, look for a hotel close to the train station.

Answer 2

Lots of. I was at the CeBIT some years ago, and they make the autobahns one-ways in the morning and the evening just to cope with the amount of traffic. It's just horrible. Take a train.

Greetings from Bavaria,

Alwin

Answer 3

If you plan on attending a trade show in Hanover, its better to get their by public transport. To do that it may be a better idea to find a place in the city itself. Even if the hotels are full, there are lots of houses which offer rooms or apartments for these shows. Try searching for these places. They work out really good alternative to hotels. Especially if you are a group, you can rent a two or three room apartment.

We have done that!!

Answer 4

Well, Braunschweig is about 60km from Hannover (usually it takes about half an hour on the Autobahn). During a Messe event I am quite sure it will be a bit longer... it depends if you go there for CeBit or some other fair.

Answer 5

Depends on the day you are driving and the time of course too but mostly it is PACKED and BUSY!! You can generally get road reports from the radio there.

Answer 6

You have to expect a lot of traffic on A2 (heavy lorries from Ruhr - area to east Europe). It would be better to go to the north on A7. (Soltau, Fallingbostel) but the real problem are the last 5km ( they have an extra Autobahn to the Messe area. It is always closed. You should pass this one to two hours before fair opens. It would be best, you take the train.

Greetings from Hamburg, Germany

Heinz

Answer 7

lot of traffic all over the place but: they change the routing.

in the morning there are 4 lanes going towards the Cebit and in the evening they change it so that are 4 lanes leave the cebit.

Anyway it's a lot of traffic.

Stay in a Hotel in Celle (north), but might be sold out already.

even citys like Hildesheim in the south might be sold out already.

Fast train connections are to Celle, Hildesheim,Braunschweig. Lehrte or try Neustadt a.Rübenberg.

Answer 8

Let's put it this way:

The A2 is Germany's most crowded Autobahn by far.

It's basically Europe's primary West<>East highway.

CBit does not really put much extra stress on the A2.

But the local motorways in and around Hannover will

be crowded as h**l.

I'm a CBit veteran and born in that part of Germany.

If I were you I'd go for a hotel in Lehrte or Peine if

they're still free and go by train if you don't have

anything heavy you have to transport. You'll be on time,

it's stress free and during CBit there are special trains

and special subway trains. The subway trains will be

crowded as h**l but that's 100 times better than being

stuck on the "Messeschnellweg" which is the motorway

from the A2 to the fair. It's a 4 lane motorway and during

CBit mornings all 4 lanes point in one direction and it's

still crowded as h**l.