15 Countries Enforce Truck Bans This Week — 5 Full-Day Restrictions on Sunday
This week, 15 European countries impose truck driving bans, with five full-day restrictions on Sunday, 10 May. Routine nightly bans (22:00–05:00) are excluded from this count—only exceptional full-day or holiday-specific windows are highlighted. All bans apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR); passenger vehicles, coaches, and often empty containers are exempt. Drivers planning cross-border routes must account for these restrictions, particularly on the Alpine corridor (A12 Inntal, A13 Brenner) and main transit routes like Poland’s A4 or Germany’s A7, where delays can exceed 6 hours during peak ban periods.
Date-by-date breakdown
Monday, 4 May — Saint Florian's Day (Austria)
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Note: Austria’s Saint Florian’s Day imposes standard night bans, but the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner routes face additional restrictions on Saturdays (07:00–15:00). Switzerland’s strict >3.5t threshold means even lighter trucks are affected.
Tuesday, 5 May
| 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 |
| 🇧🇬 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 | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Bulgaria’s pre-holiday ban (16:00–20:00) affects key transit routes like Trakia Highway (A1). Poland’s >12t threshold means lighter trucks (<12t) are exempt.
Wednesday, 6 May — Saint George's Day (Bulgaria)
| 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 |
| 🇧🇬 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 | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Critical: Bulgaria enforces a full-day ban for Saint George’s Day, halting all >12t trucks on highways and national roads. Drivers must reroute or park before midnight.
Thursday, 7 May
| 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 nationwide | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇫🇷 France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
France’s pre-holiday ban (22:00–24:00) precedes Liberation Day. Luxembourg’s direction-specific bans may affect routes to Germany or France.
Friday, 8 May — Liberation Day / Victory Day
| 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 nationwide | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, and 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇫🇷 France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 00:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
Critical: France (00:00–22:00), Luxembourg (full-day), and Slovakia (00:00–22:00) enforce holiday bans. The Czech Republic’s 13:00–22:00 restriction affects key routes like D1 (Prague–Brno).
Saturday, 9 May
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00; 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 | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇫🇷 France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | 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 |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 00:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
Critical: Austria’s Saturday ban (15:00–24:00) and Luxembourg’s full-day ban disrupt weekend logistics. Croatia’s restrictions on trailers >14m affect long-haul routes like A1 (Zagreb–Split).
Sunday, 10 May
| 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 nationwide | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, and 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 nationwide | 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 (extraurbane) | 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, 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 with trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
Critical: Five countries enforce full-day bans: Switzerland (00:00–24:00), Germany (00:00–22:00), France (00:00–22:00), Hungary (00:00–22:00), and Slovakia (00:00–22:00). Austria’s 00:00–22:00 ban includes the A13 Brenner, a major Alpine bottleneck. Poland’s >12t threshold means lighter trucks are exempt.
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 and A13 Brenner have additional Saturday bans (07:00–15:00).
🇩🇪 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. Summer ban (Jul–Aug) on Saturdays (07:00–20:00) for selected motorways.
🇫🇷 France
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 22:00–Sun 22:00 (all weekends) | Penalties: €135–€750
Exemptions: Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments. Holiday eves: 22:00–24:00 before each public holiday.
🇮🇹 Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 09:00–22:00 (winter), 07:00–22:00 (summer) | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, vehicles with ATP certificate. Pre-holidays often 14:00–22:00.
🇭🇺 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, vehicles in transit with valid Hungarian motorway vignette. Pre-holiday Saturday ban: 22:00–Sun 22:00.
🇨🇿 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 | Penalties: CZK 5,000–100,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal deliveries, combined transport. Pre-holiday day: 13:00–22:00 if next day is holiday.
🇸🇰 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 perishable goods and combined transport.
🇸🇮 Slovenia
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 08:00–21:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR. Pre-holiday day: from 14:00.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All public roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–24:00 (full day) | 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 | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: Perishable goods, fuel. Direction-specific bans on border corridors (e.g., towards Germany or France).
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Same as Switzerland (Sundays & holidays 00:00–24:00) | Penalties: CHF equivalent fines
Exemptions: Same as Switzerland—very limited.
🇵🇱 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. Summer: Fri 18:00–22:00, Sat 08:00–14:00 (Jun–Sep).
🇭🇷 Croatia
Weight: >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Roads: Selected main roads and motorways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & public holidays 14:00–23:00 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000
Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport. Good Friday and Holy Saturday also restricted 15:00–23:00.
🇧🇬 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 (may differ from Western Easter).
🇷🇴 Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: National roads DN1, DN7, and selected highways | Recurring pattern: Weekends & public holidays, selected routes | 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’s full-day bans in Switzerland, Germany, and France require early arrival or rerouting. Use nakordoni.eu’s interactive calendar to filter by country and date.
- Use rest areas during bans: Austria’s A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner have dedicated truck parking zones (e.g., Kufstein Süd or Brennersee) to avoid penalties.
- Alternative routes: For Sunday trips, consider bypassing Switzerland via Germany’s A81 (Stuttgart–Singen) or Austria’s A1 (Salzburg–Vienna). Poland’s >12t threshold allows lighter trucks to operate normally.
- Buffer time near borders: Luxembourg’s direction-specific bans (e.g., 21:30–24:00 towards Germany) may cause delays at border crossings like Wasserbillig. Plan for 1–2 hour buffers.
Useful Tools for Truck Drivers
- Interactive Traffic Bans Calendar — full ban schedule with filters by country, date, and weight threshold
- Live Traffic Incidents Map — real-time road closures, accidents, and delays
- Truck Parkings Map (19,000+) — find secure parking during ban hours
- Speed Cameras (48,000+) — radar and camera locations across Europe
- European Vignettes & Tolls — e-vignette prices for 9 countries (Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, etc.)
- Truck Drivers Portal — all tools in one place
- European Holidays Calendar — public holidays affecting truck bans (e.g., Orthodox Easter)
Source: nakordoni.eu — Truck Traffic Bans Calendar | Updated: 04.05.2026