15 Countries, 5 Full-Day Truck Bans: Sunday 19 April is the Critical Day
This week, 15 European countries enforce truck driving bans, with five full-day or extended restrictions on Sunday 19 April. Routine nightly bans (22:00–05:00) apply daily in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and others but are not counted as exceptional windows. All bans apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR); passenger vehicles, coaches, and often empty containers are exempt. Drivers planning cross-border routes must note weight thresholds: Poland uses a >12t limit, while most others enforce >7.5t (Switzerland: >3.5t). The Alpine corridor (A12 Inntal, A13 Brenner) and main transit routes face the strictest controls.
Date-by-date breakdown
Friday 17 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & 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 18 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 15:00–24:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways & I/II class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, military |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇫🇷 France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Main roads & motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with vignette |
| 🇱🇮 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 |
Austria’s 15:00–24:00 ban on motorways is the most critical restriction. Poland’s pre-holiday ban (18:00–22:00) affects key transit routes.
Sunday 19 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–22:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & 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 | Federal roads & 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) | Main roads & 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 | Roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇱🇮 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 | DN1, DN7 & selected highways | Perishable goods, dangerous goods (ADR), TEN-T transit |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & 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 |
Critical day for transit: Switzerland and Liechtenstein enforce 24-hour bans, while Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and Poland impose full-day restrictions. The Alpine corridor (A12 Inntal, A13 Brenner) is particularly affected.
Monday 20 April to Thursday 23 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways & 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 from Monday to Thursday.
Country-by-country rules & penalties
🇦🇹 Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Motorways & expressways | 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 have additional Saturday bans (07:00–15:00 towards IT/DE).
🇩🇪 Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Federal roads & motorways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €75–€525
Exemptions: Fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport. Summer bans (Jul–Aug) on Saturdays 07:00–20:00.
🇫🇷 France
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 22:00–Sunday 22:00 | Penalties: €135–€750
Exemptions: Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments. Holiday eves: 22:00–24:00 before public holidays.
🇮🇹 Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Roads outside urban areas | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 09:00–22:00 (winter) | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, ATP-certified vehicles.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–24:00 | Penalties: CHF 100–10,000
Exemptions: Urgent medical supplies, military. Most cargo has no exemption.
🇵🇱 Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & 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. Summer: Fri 18:00–22:00, Sat 08:00–14:00 (Jun–Sep).
🇨🇿 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 & expressways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 08:00–21:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods (ADR).
🇭🇺 Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 06:00–22:00 (Apr–Sep) | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, vehicles in transit with valid vignette.
🇭🇷 Croatia
Weight: >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Roads: Main roads & 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 & I/II class roads | Recurring pattern: Holidays 16:00–20:00 (pre-holiday) | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar.
🇷🇴 Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: DN1, DN7 & selected highways | Recurring pattern: Weekends & holidays 06:00–22:00 | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, dangerous goods (ADR), TEN-T transit. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar.
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays (direction-specific) | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: Perishable goods, fuel. Bans vary by border direction (DE/FR/BE).
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Same as Switzerland | Penalties: CHF equivalent
Exemptions: Same as Switzerland — very limited.
Plan Your Route
1. Check timing before departure: Sunday 19 April has the most extensive bans. Avoid Switzerland and Liechtenstein entirely if possible. 2. Use rest areas during bans: Austria’s A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner have additional Saturday restrictions (07:00–15:00 towards IT/DE). 3. Alternative routes: Consider bypassing the Alpine corridor via Slovenia or Czech Republic, where bans are shorter (13:00–22:00). 4. Buffer time near borders: Poland’s pre-holiday ban (18:00–22:00 on Saturday) may cause delays at DE/PL crossings.
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: 17.04.2026