Weekend and Bastille Day drive the heaviest restrictions in Week 29
Across Week 29 (13–19 July 2026), 16 countries enforce a truck driving ban (Fahrverbot) on goods vehicles. For most of the week, however, only routine nightly bans apply — the 22:00–05:00 window that runs every night in Austria truck driving bans, Switzerland truck driving bans and Liechtenstein truck driving bans. These nightly windows are not exceptional and should not be confused with full-day restrictions. This week the genuinely heavy days are only three: Tuesday 14 July (France's full-day national holiday ban) and the weekend of Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, when the Alpine transit corridor and the main transit routes close for most of the daytime. Drivers planning ahead should consult the truck driving bans calendar in Europe 2026 before departure.
All windows listed below apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR) only. Passenger vehicles, coaches and — in many countries — empty containers returning to base are exempt. This distinction matters when planning cross-border routes: a laden semi-trailer may be stopped at a border for hours while a car passes freely, so timing the last leg of a trip around the ban windows is essential. The real hotspots are not spread evenly. The Austrian A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner corridor towards Italy and Germany, together with the main transit lanes through Germany, France, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, carry the majority of the delay risk — several countries on this list see no daytime ban at all.
Date-by-date breakdown
Monday 13 July
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited (urgent medical, military) |
| France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, livestock, fuel |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | As Switzerland |
| Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
A quiet start to the week: only routine night bans plus the run-up to France's holiday-eve restriction. No daytime closures.
Tuesday 14 July — Bastille Day
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishables, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | As Switzerland |
| Luxembourg | 00:00–21:45 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
France runs a near full-day ban for Bastille Day (14 July), the French national holiday, from 00:00 to 22:00 on all roads nationwide. Any transit through France should be completed before midnight on 13 July or held until 22:00 on 14 July.
Wednesday 15 July
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | As Switzerland |
Routine night bans only — a clear daytime window across the whole continent.
Thursday 16 July
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | As Switzerland |
As Wednesday: night bans only. A good day to cover distance through the Alpine corridor.
Friday 17 July
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 17:00–21:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel, combined transport |
| Greece | 15:00–22:00 | >3.5t | Selected national highways, toll roads | Perishables, fuel, essential supplies |
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | As Switzerland |
The Czech Republic applies its summer Friday-afternoon ban from 17:00 to 21:00 on motorways, expressways and 1st class roads. Note the trailer rule: a rig above 3.5t towing a trailer is caught even if the tractor alone is under 7.5t. Greece truck driving bans tighten on the Athens–Thessaloniki axis and the Patras corridor from the afternoon onward.
Saturday 18 July
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–05:00 (night); 07:00–15:00 (A12/A13); 15:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Germany | 07:00–20:00 | >7.5t | Federal roads & motorways | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| France | 07:00–19:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishables, livestock, fuel |
| Italy | 08:00–16:00 | >7.5t | Roads outside urban areas | Perishables, live animals, ATP-certified vehicles |
| Hungary | 15:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, valid vignette transit |
| Slovakia | 07:00–19:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishables, combined transport (00:00–06:00) |
| Slovenia | 06:00–16:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishables, live animals, ADR dangerous goods |
| Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads & motorways | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Czech Republic | 07:00–13:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel, mail, empty return |
| Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways, I/II class national roads | Perishables, live animals, military, diplomatic |
| Greece | 08:00–22:00 | >3.5t | Selected national highways, toll roads | Perishables, fuel, essential supplies |
| Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | As Switzerland |
The critical restriction on Saturday is the Austrian A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner corridor: an additional 07:00–15:00 ban towards Italy and Germany stacks on top of the standard Saturday 15:00–24:00 window, effectively closing the main north–south Alpine transit for most of the day. Germany's summer Saturday ban (Ferienreiseverordnung) runs 07:00–20:00 on selected motorways during the July–August holiday travel season. This is where a truck ban today check pays off most, because delays cascade quickly on the A8, A7 and A93 approaches to the Alps.
Sunday 19 July
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited (full-day ban) |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | As Switzerland (full day) |
| Austria | 00:00–22:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Federal roads & motorways | Fresh food, mail, empty containers |
| France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishables, livestock, fuel |
| Italy | 07:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Roads outside urban areas | Perishables, ATP-certified vehicles |
| Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, valid vignette transit |
| Slovakia | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishables, combined transport (00:00–06:00) |
| Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishables, live animals, ADR |
| Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads & motorways | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Poland | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel, mail, empty return |
| Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | DN1, DN7, selected highways | Perishables, ADR, TEN-T international transit |
| Greece | 08:00–22:00 | >3.5t | Selected national highways, toll roads | Perishables, fuel, essential supplies |
| Luxembourg | 00:00–21:45 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
Sunday is the peak. Switzerland and Liechtenstein enforce a full 24-hour ban — one of the strictest regimes in Europe, with almost no cargo exemptions. Germany, France, Hungary and Slovakia all run 00:00–22:00 nationwide, and Poland closes 08:00–22:00. Because so many transit countries close at the same time, any Sunday leg through central Europe should be planned to finish before the morning window or resume after 22:00.
Country-by-country rules & penalties
Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 15:00–24:00, Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00, plus the A12/A13 Brenner Saturday 07:00–15:00 corridor ban | Penalties: €150–€5,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, vehicles in direct transit to/from rail terminals.
Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: federal roads and motorways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00, plus summer Saturday ban 07:00–20:00 (Jul–Aug) | Penalties: €75–€525. The motorway toll (LKW-Maut) applies separately — estimate it with the German LKW-Maut calculator.
Exemptions: fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport.
France
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 22:00 to Sundays 22:00, plus 22:00–24:00 on holiday eves | Penalties: €135–€750 (4th class).
Exemptions: perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments.
Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays, typically 07:00–22:00 in summer | Penalties: €419–€1,682.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, ATP-certified vehicles.
Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 06:00–22:00 (April–September) | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, transit with a 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, Fridays 17:00–21:00 (Jul–Aug) | 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: 00:00–06:00 general exemption for perishables and combined transport; live animals, fuel.
Slovenia
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 08:00–21:00, pre-holiday from 14:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR.
Switzerland
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: all public roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–24:00, night ban 22:00–05:00 daily | Penalties: CHF 100–10,000.
Exemptions: very limited — urgent medical supplies, military. Most cargo has no exemption.
Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays, with direction-specific windows on border corridors towards DE, FR and BE | Penalties: €50–€500.
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel.
Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: same as Switzerland — Sundays & holidays 00:00–24:00, night ban 22:00–05:00 | Penalties: CHF-equivalent fines.
Exemptions: same as Switzerland — very limited.
Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 08:00–22:00, pre-holiday Saturday 18:00–22:00, plus summer Fri 18:00–22:00 and Sat 08:00–14:00 (Jun–Sep) | Penalties: PLN 500–10,000. Note the higher threshold: Poland bans only vehicles above 12 tonnes, so a rig under 12t is not restricted — unlike the >7.5t rule used in most of Europe (and the >3.5t rule in Switzerland).
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail, humanitarian aid, empty vehicles returning to base.
Croatia
Weight: >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Roads: selected main roads and motorways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 14:00–23:00, pre-holiday 15:00–23:00 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport.
Bulgaria
Weight: >12t | Roads: highways and I/II class national roads | Recurring pattern: holidays all day, day before 16:00–20:00, day after 14:00–20:00 | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000. Like Poland, Bulgaria uses the higher >12t threshold.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles.
Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: national roads DN1, DN7 and selected highways | Recurring pattern: weekends & holidays on selected routes, extra Friday restrictions in summer | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, ADR dangerous goods, international transit on TEN-T corridors.
Greece
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: selected national highways and toll roads | Recurring pattern: holidays and holiday eves on the Athens–Thessaloniki axis and Patras corridor | Penalties: €200–€2,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel, essential supplies.
Plan Your Route
Check the timing before every departure — a single traffic ban can add a full day to a schedule if you reach the border after it starts. Use rest areas and secure parking during ban hours rather than queuing at a closed corridor; searching for parking near the border in advance avoids being stranded on the hard shoulder. Where possible, plan alternative routes through countries with less restrictive daytime rules, and remember that the >12t threshold in Poland and Bulgaria leaves lighter rigs free to move. Build a buffer of two to three hours near the Alpine corridor on Saturday and Sunday, verify your remaining driving time and mandatory breaks with the EU tachograph calculator, and price any diversion with the trip cost calculator before committing to a longer road.
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
- German LKW-Maut Calculator — calculate motorway toll costs for HGV trucks
- EU Tachograph Calculator — verify driving time and mandatory break compliance
- Trip Cost Calculator — estimate fuel, toll and total trip expenses
Source: nakordoni.eu — Truck Traffic Bans Calendar | Updated: 13.07.2026