13/07/2026
Stuck at the Gotthard? How the drive becomes the first holiday adventure
There is a sound that accompanies every Swiss summer: the quiet sigh inside the car when the traffic report once again announces „a twelve-kilometre queue before the Gotthard". The moment the summer holidays begin, half of Europe rolls southward – and a good part of the nation waits patiently on the A2 for the Ticino sun. The real question, though, is not how long the jam lasts. It is this: will the drive become a test of patience, or the first little holiday adventure?
The classic: the journey south
It is the same picture every year, and somehow it belongs to summer as much as a snack at the rest stop. The suitcases are packed, the excitement is high, and then the family simply stands still. Anyone who has waited on a hot Saturday morning near the Reuss delta knows the pattern: the first ten minutes are fine, the next twenty still bearable – and then, from the back seat, comes the question of all questions. „Are we nearly there?" If you are prepared for it, you have already half won.
Did you know? When the Gotthard road tunnel opened in 1980, its roughly 17 kilometres made it the longest road tunnel in the world – a record it held for twenty years, until Norway's Lærdal Tunnel took the title in 2000. To this day it is probably the most talked-about tube in Switzerland, especially on the first Saturday of the holidays.
Games that need no batteries
The tablet drains quickly, and its battery rarely lasts as far as Chiasso. That is why the old travel rituals are enjoying a small revival. The classic „I spy with my little eye", counting red cars or guessing number plates costs nothing and keeps everyone busy for a surprisingly long time. If you prefer something more tangible, reach for compact travel games with magnetic pieces that will not scatter across the footwell in stop-and-go traffic. A set of card games fits into any door pocket and works just as well on a lap as on a folding table in the train.
Little surprises for the road
A tried-and-tested parent trick: a small bag of unexpected trifles that may only be opened once the jam begins. A new puzzle and colouring book, a sticker pad, an unfamiliar brain-teaser – the appeal of something new bridges many a slow kilometre. And for those moments when everyone simply wants a little peace, lightweight children's headphones with limited volume keep the audio-story calm on every seat.
Aside: Why an hour feels like an eternity to children
The way time stretches endlessly in a traffic jam is not merely a feeling. A common explanation from perception research runs like this: the younger we are, the newer and denser our impressions – the brain stores more, and in hindsight the same span therefore seems longer. For a six-year-old, one year is a sixth of a lifetime; for an adult, a tiny fraction. No wonder an hour on the back seat feels like a small eternity. The trick is to fill that time with structure: a task, a goal, a little ritual – and the felt eternity turns into a manageable adventure.
When the way becomes the destination
Perhaps this is the real secret of the summer journey: it does not begin at the beach or the mountain lake, but already on the back seat. Treat the jam as lost time and you lose. Treat it as a shared hour of games, music and a snack, and you gain one of the loveliest family memories of the year – the kind that is still retold long after the holidays.
What does your perfect travel kit look like?
Whether a magnetic travel game, a card-game classic or a fresh puzzle book for the next Gotthard queue: in our range you will find plenty of small companions that make long drives shorter. Come and have a look – and tell us: what must never be missing on your family's summer trip?