Labour Day and Constitution Day: 13 Countries Impose Full-Day Truck Bans This Week
This week, 15 European countries impose driving restrictions on goods vehicles (HGV/TIR), with exceptional full-day bans on Friday, 1 May (Labour Day) affecting 13 countries, and Sunday, 3 May (Constitution Day), affecting 12 countries. All bans apply exclusively to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR); passenger vehicles, coaches, and often empty containers are exempt. Weight thresholds vary significantly: Poland and Bulgaria use >12t, most Alpine and Western European countries use >7.5t, while Switzerland and Liechtenstein enforce the strictest threshold at >3.5t. Understanding these distinctions is critical for planning cross-border routes and avoiding costly fines.
Date-by-Date Breakdown
Monday, 27 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key 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 nationwide | Very limited (urgent medical, military) |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads (follows Swiss rules) | Very limited |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods (ADR) |
Monday is a routine ban day with no holiday-related restrictions. Night bans apply across the Alpine corridor. Slovenia enforces a 14-hour daytime ban, while Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein enforce shorter night-only restrictions.
Tuesday, 28 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key 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 nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
Routine night bans continue across the Alpine corridor. No major exceptions apply.
Wednesday, 29 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key 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 nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
Routine restrictions continue. No exceptional bans on Wednesday.
Thursday, 30 April
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 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 |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇫🇷 France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
Thursday brings evening and selective time-window bans. Bulgaria's 4-hour afternoon window (16:00–20:00) applies ahead of Labour Day. France, Hungary, and Luxembourg enforce pre-holiday evening restrictions, while Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein continue night-only bans.
Friday, 1 May — Labour Day
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 00:00–24:00 | >12t | Highways and selected national roads (I and II class) | Perishable goods, live animals, military |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t + trailer) | Motorways, expressways, and 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal, combined transport |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All federal roads and motorways (Bundesstraßen & Autobahnen) | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| 🇫🇷 France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, ATP cert. |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
| 🇱🇺 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, fuel, mail |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | National roads DN1, DN7, and 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 + trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods (06:00–22:00), combined transport, live animals, fuel |
1 May is the heaviest ban day of the week — 13 countries impose full-day or extended restrictions on Labour Day. Bulgaria enforces a complete 24-hour ban on trucks >12t. Austria, Germany, France, Hungary, Slovakia all enforce full 22-hour bans. Romania and Slovenia impose 16-hour and 14-hour restrictions respectively. Poland's >12t threshold (lighter than most European neighbors) means vehicles 7.5–12t can operate, but trucks exceeding 12t face a 14-hour ban. Czech Republic and Italy allow limited windows (13:00–22:00 and 09:00–22:00), offering brief opportunities for urgent freight. Plan departures carefully; perishable goods often qualify for exemptions across most countries.
Saturday, 2 May
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 15:00–24:00 | >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 |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇫🇷 France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods (ADR) |
Saturday restrictions ease compared to Labour Day, but multiple countries enforce extended afternoon/evening bans. Austria extends its Saturday routine restriction to 15:00–24:00 (9-hour window). Croatia enters with afternoon restrictions (15:00–23:00), affecting drivers on the Balkans corridor. Slovenia maintains its 14-hour daytime ban. Poland's 4-hour evening window (18:00–22:00) allows limited operations. Bulgaria's post-holiday restriction eases to 4 hours (16:00–20:00), a significant reduction after the full-day 1 May ban.
Sunday, 3 May — Constitution Day
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t + trailer) | Motorways, expressways, and 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal, combined transport |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All federal roads and motorways | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| 🇫🇷 France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, ATP cert. |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
| 🇱🇺 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, fuel, mail |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | National roads DN1, DN7, and 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 + trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods (06:00–22:00), combined transport, live animals, fuel |
Sunday, 3 May marks the second major ban day — 12 countries impose full-day or near-full-day restrictions. Austria, Germany, France, Hungary, Slovakia enforce 22-hour bans; Switzerland and Liechtenstein enforce full 24-hour bans. Poland and Romania impose 14-hour restrictions. Croatia shifts to early afternoon (14:00–23:00). This constitutes a double-holiday weekend: 1 May (Labour Day) → 3 May (Constitution Day), limiting transport operations for 48+ hours across Central and Western Europe.
Country-by-Country Rules & Penalties
🇦🇹 Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & public holidays 00:00–22:00; Saturdays 15:00–24:00. A12 Inntal & A13 Brenner: additional Saturday 07:00–15:00 ban (towards IT/DE); daily night ban 22:00–05:00. | Penalties: €150–€5,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, vehicles in direct transit to/from rail terminals, dangerous goods (ADR).
🇩🇪 Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All federal roads and motorways (Bundesstraßen & Autobahnen) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & public holidays 00:00–22:00. Summer ban (Ferienreiseverordnung) July–August: Saturdays 07:00–20:00 on selected motorways. | Penalties: €75–€525
Exemptions: Fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport, dangerous goods (ADR).
🇫🇷 France
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 22:00–Sunday 22:00 (all weekends); holiday eves 22:00–24:00. Extended bans on Grands Départs (summer holiday periods). | Penalties: €135–€750
Exemptions: Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments, dangerous goods (ADR).
🇮🇹 Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays vary by season: winter 09:00–22:00, summer 07:00–22:00. Pre-holidays often 14:00–22:00 or 16:00–22:00. | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, vehicles with ATP certificate (refrigerated transport).
🇭🇺 Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 06:00–22:00 (April–September). Pre-holiday Saturday: 22:00–Sunday 22:00. | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000 (~€80–€800)
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, vehicles in transit with valid Hungarian motorway vignette, fuel.
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
Weight: >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Roads: Motorways, expressways, and 1st class roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 13:00–22:00; Fridays 17:00–21:00 (July–August). | Penalties: CZK 5,000–100,000 (~€170–€3,400)
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal deliveries, combined transport, dangerous goods (ADR).
🇸🇰 Slovakia
Weight: >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00. Saturday pre-holiday ban when followed by holiday. | Penalties: €150–€1,500
Exemptions: Perishable goods (general exemption 00:00–06:00 on Sundays for combined transport). Live animals, fuel, dangerous goods (ADR).
🇸🇮 Slovenia
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 08:00–21:00 (extended to 22:00 on major holidays). | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR, combined transport.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All public roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Full Sunday & holiday ban 00:00–24:00 (full day). Daily night ban 22:00–05:00. One of Europe's strictest regimes. | Penalties: CHF 100–10,000 (~€110–€11,000)
Exemptions: Extremely limited: urgent medical supplies, military, humanitarian. Most cargo has NO exemption — perishable goods, fuel, and combined transport do NOT qualify.
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays. Direction-specific bans on border corridors (towards Germany, France, Belgium). | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: Perishable goods, fuel, combined transport, dangerous goods (ADR).
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All roads (follows Swiss rules) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–24:00. Daily night ban 22:00–05:00. Transit through LI enforces Swiss truck ban regime. | Penalties: CHF equivalent fines
Exemptions: Same as Switzerland — very limited (urgent medical, military only).
🇵🇱 Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & public holidays 08:00–22:00. Pre-holiday Saturday 18:00–22:00. Summer (June–September): Friday 18:00–22:00, Saturday 08:00–14:00 additional. Critical: Poland's >12t threshold means lighter trucks (7.5–12t) are NOT banned on Sundays/holidays. | Penalties: PLN 500–10,000 (~€120–€2,400)
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 & public holidays 14:00–23:00. Pre-holiday days 15:00–23:00. Good Friday and Holy Saturday also restricted 15:00–23:00. | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000 (~€400–€2,000)
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport, dangerous goods (ADR).
🇧🇬 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. Day after holidays 14:00–20:00. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar (may differ from Western Easter). | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000 (~€255–€1,020)
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles.
🇷🇴 Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: National roads DN1, DN7, and selected highways | Recurring pattern: Weekends & public holidays on selected routes. Summer: Fridays additional restrictions. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar. Good Friday (Vinerea Mare) is public holiday since 2018. | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000 (~€640–€1,920)
Exemptions: Perishable goods, dangerous goods with valid ADR, vehicles in international transit on TEN-T corridors.
Plan Your Route: Best Practices for Week 18
- Check timing before departure: The Alpine corridor (Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Slovenia) enforces daily night bans (22:00–05:00) and extended daytime restrictions on weekends/holidays. Plan to cross these borders during permitted hours or use rest areas strategically.
- Use rest areas during bans: If caught in a ban window, park at designated truck parkings. Nakordoni lists 19,000+ safe parking spots across Europe, with real-time availability.
- Route through lower-restriction countries: Poland's >12t threshold (vs. >7.5t in Western Europe) means lighter trucks can operate Sundays. Czech Republic and Italy allow narrow operating windows (13:00–22:00 and 09:00–22:00, respectively) on holidays. Consider these routes if your HGV permits.
- Allow extra buffer time near borders: Pre-holiday evenings (30 April, 2 May afternoon) see compressed ban windows across multiple countries. Departing 1–2 hours earlier can mean the difference between a legal crossing and a costly fine.
- Check for exemptions: Perishable goods (refrigerated/ATP), fuel, livestock, and combined transport often qualify for exemptions. Verify your cargo documentation against each country's rules before crossing.
Useful Tools for Truck Drivers
- Interactive Traffic Bans Calendar — full ban schedule with country and date filters
- Live Traffic Incidents Map — real-time road closures, congestion, and accident reports
- Truck Parkings Map (19,000+) — find safe, legal parking during ban hours
- Speed Cameras (48,000+) — radar and camera locations across 15 countries
- European Vignettes & Tolls — e-vignette prices and validity for 9 countries
- Truck Drivers Portal — all logistics tools in one place
- European Holidays Calendar — public holidays affecting truck bans (Labour Day, Constitution Day, Easter, etc.)
Source: nakordoni.eu — Truck Traffic Bans Calendar | Updated: 27.04.2026