15 Countries, 2 Heavy Ban Days: Sunday 26 April is the Critical Bottleneck
This week, 15 European countries enforce truck driving bans, with only two exceptional full-day or holiday-specific windows: Saturday 25 April (partial-day bans in 9 countries) and Sunday 26 April (full-day bans in 12 countries). Routine nightly bans (22:00–05:00) apply daily in Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein but are not counted as exceptional. All bans apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR); passenger vehicles, coaches, and often empty containers are exempt. Drivers planning cross-border routes must prioritize the Alpine corridor (A12 Inntal, A13 Brenner) and main transit routes (A4 Poland, A1 Germany, A2 Italy), where enforcement is strictest and penalties highest.
Date-by-date breakdown
Monday 20 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Routine night bans only. No exceptional restrictions.
Tuesday 21 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Routine night bans only. No exceptional restrictions.
Wednesday 22 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Routine night bans only. No exceptional restrictions.
Thursday 23 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Routine night bans only. No exceptional restrictions.
Friday 24 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Routine night bans only. No exceptional restrictions.
Saturday 25 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 11:00–15:00; 15:00–24:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways and selected national roads (I and II class) | Perishable goods, live animals, military |
| 🇫🇷 France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with vignette |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, ATP certificate |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00; 23:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
Critical day for the Alpine corridor: Austria’s A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner enforce additional bans 07:00–15:00 (towards Italy/Germany). Italy’s nationwide ban (09:00–22:00) affects all extraurban roads. Plan routes through Slovenia or Hungary if possible.
Sunday 26 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–22:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All federal roads and motorways | Fresh food, mail, empty containers |
| 🇫🇷 France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with vignette |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, ATP certificate |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 00:00–21:45 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | National roads DN1, DN7, selected highways | Perishable goods, dangerous goods (ADR), TEN-T transit |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods (ADR) |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
Worst day of the week: Full-day bans in Switzerland (00:00–24:00) and Liechtenstein (00:00–24:00) block all transit through the Alps. Germany, France, Italy, and Poland enforce near-full-day restrictions. Avoid cross-border routes unless carrying exempt goods.
Country-by-country rules & penalties
🇦🇹 Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 15:00–24:00, Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €150–€5,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, vehicles in direct transit to/from rail terminals. A12 Inntal & A13 Brenner: additional Saturday ban 07:00–15:00 (towards Italy/Germany).
🇩🇪 Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All federal roads and motorways (Bundesstraßen & Autobahnen) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & public holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €75–€525
Exemptions: Fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport.
🇫🇷 France
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 22:00–Sunday 22:00 | Penalties: €135–€750
Exemptions: Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments.
🇮🇹 Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 09:00–22:00 (winter) | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, vehicles with ATP certificate.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All public roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–24:00 | Penalties: CHF 100–10,000
Exemptions: Very limited: urgent medical supplies, military. Most cargo has no exemption.
🇵🇱 Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & public holidays 08:00–22:00 | Penalties: PLN 500–10,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail, humanitarian aid, empty vehicles returning to base. Note: Poland’s threshold is >12t, meaning lighter trucks (<12t) are not banned.
🇭🇺 Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00 (April–September) | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, vehicles in transit with valid Hungarian motorway vignette.
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
Weight: >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Roads: Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 13:00–22:00 | Penalties: CZK 5,000–100,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal deliveries, combined transport.
🇸🇰 Slovakia
Weight: >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €150–€1,500
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel. General exemption 00:00–06:00 for combined transport.
🇸🇮 Slovenia
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 08:00–22:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR.
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays (direction-specific) | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: Perishable goods, fuel.
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Same as Switzerland | Penalties: CHF equivalent
Exemptions: Same as Switzerland — very limited.
🇭🇷 Croatia
Weight: >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Roads: Selected main roads and motorways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 14:00–23:00 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport.
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
Weight: >12t | Roads: Highways and selected national roads (I and II class) | Recurring pattern: Public holidays all day, day before holidays 16:00–20:00 | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar.
🇷🇴 Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: National roads DN1, DN7, selected highways | Recurring pattern: Weekends & public holidays | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, dangerous goods with valid ADR, vehicles in international transit on TEN-T corridors. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar.
Plan Your Route
- Check timing before departure: Sunday 26 April is the most restrictive day, with full-day bans in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Avoid cross-border routes unless carrying exempt goods.
- Use rest areas during bans: Austria’s A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner enforce additional Saturday bans (07:00–15:00). Use truck parkings near border crossings (e.g., Brennersee, Kufstein).
- Alternative routes: For Italy-bound cargo, consider Slovenia (A1) or Hungary (M1/M7) to bypass Alpine restrictions. Poland’s >12t threshold allows lighter trucks to operate freely.
- Buffer time near borders: Enforcement is strictest at border crossings (e.g., Brenner, Tarvisio, Görlitz). Allow 1–2 hours extra for checks.
Useful Tools for Truck Drivers
- Interactive Traffic Bans Calendar — full ban schedule with filters
- Live Traffic Incidents Map — real-time road closures and delays
- Truck Parkings Map (19,000+) — find parking during ban hours
- Speed Cameras (48,000+) — radar and camera locations
- European Vignettes & Tolls — e-vignette prices for 9 countries
- Truck Drivers Portal — all tools in one place
- European Holidays Calendar — public holidays affecting truck bans
Source: nakordoni.eu — Truck Traffic Bans Calendar | Updated: 20.04.2026