Three exceptional ban days shape Week 34 in 16 countries
Between Monday 17 and Sunday 23 August 2026, goods vehicle traffic is restricted in 16 European countries. Only three days carry exceptional restrictions: Thursday 20 August (Hungarian State Foundation Day), Saturday 22 August with daytime windows in 13 countries, and Sunday 23 August with full-day or near-full-day bans in 15 countries. Monday to Wednesday bring only the routine nightly restrictions that apply every night of the year. The complete schedule with filters is available in the truck driving bans calendar in Europe 2026.
All restrictions listed here apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR). Passenger cars, coaches and, in several countries, empty containers or empty vehicles returning to base are exempt. For a driver planning a cross-border route, this matters in practical terms: a truck stopped by a ban loses several hours of planned driving time, and the delay usually cannot be recovered on the same shift.
The real hotspots this week are the Alpine transit corridors, not the map as a whole. In Austria truck driving bans the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner routes carry an additional Saturday ban from 07:00–15:00 towards Italy and Germany, on top of the general Saturday afternoon ban. Switzerland truck driving bans apply from just 3.5 t on all public roads, and Liechtenstein truck driving bans follow the same regime. Weight thresholds differ elsewhere: Poland and Bulgaria restrict only vehicles above 12 t, so a 10-tonne truck is not banned there, while most other countries start at 7.5 t.
Date-by-date breakdown
Monday 17 August
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited: urgent medical, military |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Routine night bans only. Daytime transit through the Alpine corridor is unrestricted.
Tuesday 18 August
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, 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 | Same as Switzerland |
Identical to Monday. Plan the last leg of the day to end before 22:00 in Austria and Switzerland.
Wednesday 19 August
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
The Wednesday evening window in Hungary is not a routine night ban. It is the start of the national holiday restriction and runs straight into Thursday.
Thursday 20 August — State Foundation Day
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals |
| 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 | Same as Switzerland |
Hungary is closed to trucks above 7.5 t for 22 hours on all public roads. Drivers on the Budapest–Vienna and Röszke corridors should either clear Hungary before Wednesday 22:00 or wait until Thursday 22:00. Austria and Switzerland are unaffected by this holiday.
Friday 21 August
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 17:00–21:00 | >7.5t (>3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, combined transport |
| Greece | 15:00–22:00 | >3.5t | Selected national highways and toll roads | Perishable goods, fuel, essential supplies |
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals |
| 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 | Same as Switzerland |
The summer Friday afternoon ban in the Czech Republic applies in July and August only. In Greece truck driving bans the restrictions concentrate on the Athens–Thessaloniki axis and the Patras corridor.
Saturday 22 August
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 07:00–20:00 | >7.5t | Selected motorways and federal roads | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| Austria | 07:00–15:00 (A12/A13); 15:00–24:00; 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| Slovakia | 07:00–19:00 | >7.5t (>3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods, combined transport, live animals, fuel |
| Slovenia | 06:00–16:00; 08:00–13:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, ADR |
| Czech Republic | 07:00–13:00 | >7.5t (>3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishable goods, fuel, postal |
| Italy | 08:00–16:00 | >7.5t | Roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Greece | 08:00–16:00; 08:00–22:00 | >3.5t | Selected national highways | Perishable goods, fuel |
| Hungary | 15:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals |
| Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14 m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways, I and II class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, military |
| Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, fuel, mail, empty vehicles to base |
| Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00; 23:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, 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 | Same as Switzerland |
Saturday is the heaviest planning day. In Germany the summer ban (Ferienreiseverordnung) closes selected motorways for 13 hours; drivers should also budget the motorway toll for the detour using the German LKW-Maut calculator. On the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner the morning window overlaps the German ban, which effectively removes the Munich–Brenner–Verona corridor from the map until 15:00. In Poland the evening window starts at 18:00 and applies only above 12 t.
Sunday 23 August
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
| Austria | 00:00–22:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, combined transport |
| Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Federal roads and motorways | Fresh food, mail, empty containers |
| France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel |
| Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals |
| Slovakia | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t (>3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods 00:00–06:00, combined transport |
| Luxembourg | 00:00–21:45 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| Italy | 07:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, fuel, newspapers, ATP |
| Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | DN1, DN7, selected highways | Perishable goods, ADR, TEN-T transit |
| Poland | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, fuel, humanitarian aid |
| Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, ADR |
| Greece | 08:00–22:00; 10:00–22:00; 16:00–23:00 | >3.5t | Selected national highways | Perishable goods, fuel |
| Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (>3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishable goods, fuel, combined transport |
| Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14 m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
Switzerland and Liechtenstein apply a full 24-hour ban with almost no exemptions, so a Sunday crossing is not possible for most cargo. France, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Luxembourg release traffic at 22:00, while Croatia holds until 23:00.
Country-by-country rules and penalties
Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: motorways and expressways | Pattern: Saturdays 15:00–24:00, Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €150–€5,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, direct runs to and from rail terminals. Additional A12/A13 night ban 22:00–05:00.
Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: federal roads and motorways | Pattern: Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00, plus summer Saturdays 07:00–20:00 | Penalties: €75–€525
Exemptions: fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport.
France
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: nationwide | Pattern: Saturdays 22:00 to Sundays 22:00 | Penalties: €135–€750
Exemptions: perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments.
Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: outside urban areas | Pattern: Sundays and holidays, typically 07:00–22:00 in summer | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, ATP-certified vehicles. Italy is the main destination of southbound Brenner traffic.
Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all public roads | Pattern: Sundays and holidays 06:00–22:00 from April to September | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, transit with a valid Hungarian motorway vignette.
Czech Republic
Weight: >7.5t (>3.5t with trailer) | Roads: motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Pattern: Sundays 13:00–22:00, summer Fridays 17:00–21:00 | Penalties: CZK 5,000–100,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal deliveries, combined transport.
Slovakia
Weight: >7.5t (>3.5t with trailer) | Roads: all roads | Pattern: Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €150–€1,500
Exemptions: general exemption 00:00–06:00 for perishable goods and combined transport, live animals, fuel.
Slovenia
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: motorways and expressways | Pattern: Sundays and holidays 08:00–21:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR. Full details of the Slovenian truck ban are published per date.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: all public roads | Pattern: Sundays and holidays 00:00–24:00, night ban 22:00–05:00 daily | Penalties: CHF 100–10,000
Exemptions: very limited — urgent medical supplies and military only. Most cargo has no exemption.
Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: all public roads | Pattern: Sundays and holidays 08:00–22:00, pre-holiday Saturdays 18:00–22:00 | Penalties: PLN 500–10,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail, humanitarian aid, empty vehicles returning to base.
Croatia
Weight: >7.5t or trailers over 14 m | Roads: selected main roads and motorways | Pattern: Sundays and 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 and II class roads | Pattern: holidays all day, eve of holidays 16:00–20:00 | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles. Bulgaria follows the Orthodox holiday calendar.
Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: DN1, DN7 and selected highways | Pattern: weekends and holidays on selected routes | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, ADR shipments, international transit on TEN-T corridors. In Romania the restrictions are route-specific, not nationwide.
Greece
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: selected national highways and toll roads | Pattern: holidays and holiday eves on major routes | Penalties: €200–€2,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel, essential supplies.
Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all roads | Pattern: Sundays and holidays, with direction-specific times towards Germany, France and Belgium | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel.
Plan your route
Check the exact start time for each country before departure, not only the day. A 22:00 release in Germany and a 23:00 release in Croatia produce a one-hour difference that decides whether a delivery is made on Monday morning. Verify the whole week in advance in the traffic ban schedule.
Use the ban hours as a rest period. Parking near the Alpine corridor fills early on Saturday morning; drivers running north-west can also wait out the Sunday ban at truck stops in Belgium, where no ban applies this week.
Where possible, route around the strictest regimes. Switzerland at 3.5 t is far more restrictive than Poland at 12 t, so a lighter vehicle may legally continue through Polish territory when a Swiss transit is impossible. Compare fuel and toll costs for each option with the trip cost calculator before committing to a detour.
Allow buffer time near borders. Ban end times and border queues combine, and the first hour after 22:00 on Sunday produces heavy traffic at Alpine and Central European 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
- 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: 17.08.2026