These 10 Cities Have the Worst Traffic in the World
-
Tips for Avoiding Traffic
-
Utilize Public Transit
-
Time Your Drives
-
Download Traffic Apps
Don’t want to spend your vacation stuck in traffic? Avoid these destinations, where residents spend an average of nearly one hour each day sitting in road congestion.
Online language platform Preply analyzed data to determine which cities in the world have the worst traffic.
Related: The 16 Best Car Rental Booking Sites for 2022
The study found that New Delhi, India, is the destination with the most traffic—residents here spend an average of 57.37 minutes per day stuck in gridlock.
If you want to maximize your next vacation without spending hours on the road, head to Canberra, Australia, which is the world’s best capital city for traffic, according to the study. In Canberra, the average amount of time spent in traffic per day is just 23.91 minutes per day.
| City | Position | Minutes Spent in Traffic Per Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi, India | 1 | 57.37 |
| Manila, Philippines | 2 | 54.02 |
| Jakarta, Indonesia | 3 | 52.88 |
| Mexico City, Mexico | 4 | 52.45 |
| Bogotá, Colombia | 5 | 51.96 |
| Cairo, Egypt | 6 | 50.21 |
| Buenos Aires, Argentina | 7 | 48.15 |
| Bangkok, Thailand | 8 | 46.18 |
| Beijing, China | 9 | 44.61 |
| London, United Kingdom | 10 | 43.72 |
| Paris, France | 11 | 42.52 |
| Seoul, South Korea | 12 | 42.22 |
| Tokyo, Japan | 13 | 42.19 |
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 14 | 41.78 |
| Rome, Italy | 15 | 41.36 |
| Information Courtesy of Preply |
Although traffic jams are an unavoidable aspect of city living, there are things you can do to reduce the amount of time spent sitting on the road while traveling.
Public transportation around the world is generally cheap, and can often be faster for getting around than driving. Before visiting a new city, save maps of the public transportation system offline, and be sure to download any payment apps you’ll need in order to board (or learn how and where to buy tickets so you’ll be prepared when you arrive.)
Related:A Guide to 10 'Luxury Bus' Lines You Can Take Instead of Amtrak
Rush hour varies by city, so learn what local working hours are and try to avoid being on the road during peak commuting times if possible. Rush hour is a great time for a leisurely breakfast or afternoon happy hour as a tourist. Try to avoid scheduling flights that arrive/leave around rush hour, and if you do have to head to the airport during peak traffic times, be sure to build in lots of extra time to get there.
If you’re in an unfamiliar destination, download a navigation app like Waze that will give you real-time traffic alerts along with alternative routes to beat congestion.