Week 41: Sunday Brings Truck Driving Bans in 14 Countries, Alpine Corridor Under Pressure
Between Monday 5 October and Sunday 11 October 2026, truck driving bans apply in 16 European countries. Our count excludes the routine night bans (22:00–05:00) in Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. On that basis, the week has 22 exceptional ban windows: 1 on Monday (Portugal), 7 on Saturday and 14 on Sunday. Tuesday to Friday are quiet days with only the usual night restrictions. For full schedules, see the truck driving bans calendar in Europe 2026.
All bans listed apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR). Passenger vehicles and coaches are not affected, and empty containers are often exempt. Weight thresholds are different in each country. Most countries ban trucks over 7.5t. Switzerland and Liechtenstein apply a stricter >3.5t limit. Poland and Bulgaria use a >12t threshold, so trucks between 7.5t and 12t can still drive there during ban hours. The real hotspot this week is the Alpine corridor, especially the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner motorways. The main east–west transit routes through Germany, Poland and Hungary are also affected on Sunday. Plan your weekend driving time and rest periods with the EU tachograph calculator.
Date-by-date breakdown
Monday 5 October
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and 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 | Same as Switzerland |
| Portugal | 18:00–21:00 | >3.5t (dangerous goods) | Selected routes (EN1, A1, A2) | Non-dangerous goods largely exempt |
The only exceptional window today is in Portugal. It applies 18:00–21:00 on 5 October, which is Republic Day, a Portuguese public holiday. It mainly targets dangerous goods transport. In the Alps, the night bans in Austria truck driving bans and Switzerland truck driving bans apply as usual.
Tuesday 6 October – Friday 9 October
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and 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 | Same as Switzerland |
These four days have the same pattern. Only the routine night bans apply. Liechtenstein truck driving bans follow the Swiss rules. These are the best days of the week for Alpine transit.
Saturday 10 October
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 15:00–24:00 (plus night ban 00:00–05:00) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways, class I and II roads | Perishables, live animals |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, livestock, fuel |
| Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t or trailers >14m | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals |
| 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 | Perishables, fuel |
| Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, empty return |
The weekend starts in Austria at 15:00. On the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner, an additional Saturday ban applies 07:00–15:00 towards Italy and Germany. In practice, trucks are blocked on these routes for most of the day. Croatia restricts traffic from 15:00. Poland applies 18:00–22:00 for vehicles over 12t, and Bulgaria applies 16:00–20:00. In the evening, the weekend ban starts in Hungary at 22:00. The French weekend ban also starts at 22:00. For details, see the truck ban rules for France in 2026. The bans on Luxembourg truck driving bans differ by border direction.
Sunday 11 October
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–22:00 (night ban from 22:00) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Switzerland | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t or >3.5t with trailer | Motorways, expressways, class I roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Bundesstraßen and Autobahnen | Fresh food, mail, empty containers |
| France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, livestock, fuel |
| Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t or trailers >14m | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals |
| Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Roads outside urban areas | Perishables, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
| Luxembourg | 00:00–21:45 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
| Poland | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, empty return |
| Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | DN1, DN7, selected highways | Perishables, ADR, TEN-T transit |
| Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, ADR |
| Slovakia | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t or >3.5t with trailer | All roads | Perishables, combined transport |
Sunday is the peak day of the week, with truck bans in Europe active in 14 countries. Switzerland and Liechtenstein have a full 24-hour ban. Germany, Austria, France and Hungary apply bans until 22:00. This blocks the main north–south and east–west transit axes. Italy restricts traffic from 09:00. Slovenia starts at 08:00. Slovakia and Romania start at 06:00. The Czech ban runs only 13:00–22:00; see the truck ban rules for the Czech Republic in 2026.
Country-by-country rules & penalties
Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Autobahnen and Schnellstraßen | Recurring pattern: Saturday 15:00–24:00, Sunday and holidays 00:00–22:00; A12/A13 extra Saturday 07:00–15:00; night ban 22:00–05:00 on A12/A13/A14 | Penalties: €150–€5,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, rail terminal traffic.
Switzerland
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays 00:00–24:00, night ban 22:00–05:00 | Penalties: CHF 100–10,000
Exemptions: very limited (urgent medical supplies, military).
Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: same as Switzerland | Penalties: CHF equivalent fines
Exemptions: same as Switzerland.
Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Bundesstraßen and Autobahnen | Recurring pattern: Sunday and public holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €75–€525
Exemptions: fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport. Plan the motorway toll (LKW-Maut) with the German LKW-Maut calculator.
France
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00 | Penalties: €135–€750
Exemptions: perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments.
Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: outside urban areas | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays, 09:00–22:00 in winter | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, fuel, newspapers, mail, ATP vehicles.
Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays; this week Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00 | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, transit with a valid Hungarian e-vignette.
Czech Republic
Weight: >7.5t or >3.5t with trailer | Roads: motorways, expressways, class I roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays 13:00–22:00 | Penalties: CZK 5,000–100,000
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, fuel, mail, combined transport.
Slovakia
Weight: >7.5t or >3.5t with trailer | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays (06:00–22:00 this week) | Penalties: €150–€1,500
Exemptions: perishables and combined transport (00:00–06:00), live animals, fuel.
Slovenia
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, ADR dangerous goods.
Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays, direction-specific times | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel.
Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays 08:00–22:00 | Penalties: PLN 500–10,000
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail, humanitarian aid, empty return.
Croatia
Weight: >7.5t or trailers >14m | Roads: selected main roads and motorways | Recurring pattern: Sunday 14:00–23:00 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000 (former currency; Croatia now uses the euro)
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport.
Bulgaria
Weight: >12t | Roads: highways, class I and II roads | Recurring pattern: holidays and adjacent days | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles.
Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: DN1, DN7, selected highways | Recurring pattern: weekends and holidays | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000
Exemptions: perishables, ADR goods, TEN-T international transit.
Portugal
Weight: >3.5t (dangerous goods) | Roads: EN1, A1, A2 and others | Recurring pattern: public holidays and eves | Penalties: €300–€3,000
Exemptions: non-dangerous goods largely exempt.
Plan Your Route
Check timing before departure. Alpine transit should be completed by Saturday morning. If you cannot pass the Brenner before 07:00 on Saturday, plan for Monday.
Use ban hours for rest periods. Schedule your weekly rest period to cover Sunday. Find secure parking early, because truck parking fills quickly on Saturday afternoon.
Consider less restrictive routes. The Czech Republic is open until 13:00 on Sunday. Trucks of 7.5–12t are not banned in Poland. Calculate the effect of route changes with the trip cost calculator.
Allow buffer time near borders. Queues build up on Sunday evening when bans end at 22:00.
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: 05.10.2026