Braving the snow clogged highways to Germany and back

Against all the ANWB and KNMI weather advice (including the Dutch father who frantically called the Dutchman) NOT to travel by car, we hit the highways to Germany last Sunday! The whole journey back and forth was an experience in itself, perhaps much more impressive than the Christmas Markets in Cologne, lol.

Still in the Netherlands, driving on the A2 highway in Utrecht, the snow has caught up on us but there is no stopping, there is no turning back... we are on our way to the Kerstmarkt =)


Due to the snow, traffic has built up on the A12 highway to the direction of Arnhem and Oberhausen (Germany).

Arriving in Germany, this is nearby Dusseldorf area, packs of snow on the highway. The no-speed limit 3-lane autobahn of Germany have become a 60 KM/per hour drive. Check out the heavy counter traffic too.

Here is our driving timeframe: We left just before 11AM in Utrecht and arrived in Cologne past 3PM. The drive could have been an easy 2.5 hours. Going back was worse. We were a bit worried about the bad weather as it started snowing again so we left Cologne just before 8PM. We finally arrived in Utrecht past 1AM!

The snow was amazing, the car felt like it was on skis and skiing sideways. I was not really sure if I was enjoying it or if I was scared. Maybe both haha.

This video is taken between Dusseldorf and Oberhausen on the E35 highway enroute to the Netherlands. See the thick layers of snow, taken at a later stage of the traffic, and previous to this was bumper to bumper with cars stalling on the shoulder stuck deep in the snow and trucks slowing down because they are gliding sideways. A bit scary but real adventure =)

Anyway, I will post fotos of the festive Christmas Markets in Cologne later.