Week 42: 21 weekend ban windows in 15 countries, Sunday 18 October is the critical day
Week 42 brings truck driving bans (Fahrverbot) in 15 European countries. From Monday 12 to Friday 16 October, only the routine night bans (22:00–05:00) apply. For details, see the Austria truck driving bans, Switzerland truck driving bans and Liechtenstein truck driving bans pages. These nightly restrictions apply every night, so they are not counted in this week's total. The exceptional restrictions are on the weekend. Saturday 17 October has 7 ban windows. Sunday 18 October has 14 full-day or near full-day bans. That is 21 weekend ban windows in total. No public holidays fall in this week, so there are no additional holiday bans. For the complete schedule, use our truck driving bans calendar in Europe 2026.
All bans listed below apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR); passenger vehicles, coaches and often empty containers are exempt. Weight thresholds are not the same in every country. Most countries ban trucks with a permissible maximum weight above 7.5t. Poland and Bulgaria use a higher threshold of >12t. This means trucks between 7.5t and 12t are not banned there. Switzerland and Liechtenstein use the strictest threshold of >3.5t. The Czech Republic and Slovakia also include vehicles above 3.5t when they tow a trailer.
Not all 15 countries are equally affected. The main pressure point is the Alpine corridor. On Sunday, Austria (A12 Inntal, A13 Brenner), Switzerland, Germany and Italy are closed to heavy goods traffic at the same time. In Austria, the Saturday ban starts at 15:00. The Sunday ban then continues directly into the night ban. As a result, heavy trucks cannot use Austrian motorways from Saturday 15:00 until Monday 05:00. The main east-west transit routes through Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary are also restricted for most of Sunday.
Date-by-date breakdown
Monday 12 October
| 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 | Very limited (urgent medical supplies, military) |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Only routine night bans apply. In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the night ban covers all roads for vehicles above 3.5t. Plan the driving time so the truck reaches a parking area before 22:00. The EU tachograph calculator helps you match driving time and daily rest periods with the start of the night ban.
Tuesday 13 October
| 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 | Very limited (urgent medical supplies, military) |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
No changes from Monday. Daytime traffic is not restricted in any of the 15 countries.
Wednesday 14 October
| 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 | Very limited (urgent medical supplies, military) |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Routine night bans only. The Austrian night ban applies on all motorways and expressways, including the A12, A13 and A14.
Thursday 15 October
| 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 | Very limited (urgent medical supplies, military) |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
Routine night bans only. This is a good day to plan weekend loads, especially for transport across the Alps.
Friday 16 October
| 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 | Very limited (urgent medical supplies, military) |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
This is the last day without weekend restrictions. Trucks that must cross Austria should plan to leave Austrian motorways before Saturday 15:00. Otherwise the next possible departure is Monday 05:00.
Saturday 17 October
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | 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, I and II class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic |
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 (direction-specific) | Perishable goods, fuel |
| Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail |
Restrictions start in the afternoon. Austria closes all motorways and expressways to trucks above 7.5t from 15:00. Croatia follows from 15:00, Bulgaria from 16:00 and Poland from 18:00. In the evening, France and Hungary start their weekend bans at 22:00. For Luxembourg truck driving bans, the start time depends on the direction of travel: 21:30 or 23:30.
Sunday 18 October
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–24:00 (Sunday ban + night ban) | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, 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, 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, mail |
| Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads | 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 |
| Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| 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, empty return |
| Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | DN1, DN7, selected highways | Perishable goods, ADR, TEN-T transit |
| Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, ADR |
| Slovakia | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t or >3.5t with trailer | All roads | Perishable goods and combined transport (00:00–06:00) |
This is the heaviest day of the week, with bans in 14 countries. Switzerland and Liechtenstein are closed for the full 24 hours. In Austria, the Sunday ban ends at 22:00, but the night ban starts at the same time, so the restriction lasts until Monday 05:00. Germany bans trucks above 7.5t on all Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen until 22:00. For the Monday restart in Germany, the LKW-Maut calculator helps you estimate the motorway toll (LKW-Maut). Some bans are limited in scope. Romania restricts only DN1, DN7 and selected highways. The Czech Republic restricts only 13:00–22:00.
Country-by-country rules & penalties
Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 15:00–24:00, Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00, night ban 22:00–05:00 | Penalties: €150–€5,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, vehicles in direct transit to or from rail terminals. The reference rules also list an additional Saturday 07:00–15:00 ban on the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner. This additional ban is not part of this week's schedule, but check road signs before departure.
Switzerland
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring 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, military). Most cargo has no exemption.
Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: same as Switzerland | Penalties: CHF-equivalent fines
Exemptions: same as Switzerland, very limited.
Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen | Recurring pattern: Sundays and public holidays 00:00–22:00 (the summer Saturday ban ended in August) | Penalties: €75–€525
Exemptions: fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport.
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: all roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays, this week 09:00–22:00 (winter timing) | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, vehicles with ATP certificate.
Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays; this week Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00 | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, vehicles in transit with a valid Hungarian motorway vignette. Full details are on our Hungary road bans page.
Czech Republic
Weight: >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Roads: motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and 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 and holidays; this week 06:00–22:00 | Penalties: €150–€1,500
Exemptions: perishable goods and combined transport (general exemption 00:00–06:00), live animals, fuel. Country information: Slovakia.
Slovenia
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays; this week 08:00–22:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR. Country information: Slovenia.
Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays, with direction-specific times towards Germany, France and Belgium | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel.
Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and public holidays 08:00–22:00; this week also Saturday 18:00–22:00. The summer supplement (June–September) no longer applies | Penalties: PLN 500–10,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail, humanitarian aid, empty vehicles returning to base. See the full traffic ban in Poland in 2026 schedule.
Croatia
Weight: >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Roads: selected main roads and motorways | Recurring pattern: Sundays and public holidays 14:00–23:00, pre-holiday days 15:00–23:00 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000 (approx. €400–€2,000 after the 2023 euro changeover)
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport. Route details are on the truck ban in Croatia page.
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 | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000 (approx. €256–€1,023 after the 2026 euro changeover)
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, military and diplomatic vehicles. Country information: Bulgaria.
Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: DN1, DN7 and selected highways | Recurring pattern: weekends and public holidays on selected routes | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, dangerous goods with valid ADR, vehicles in international transit on TEN-T corridors.
Plan Your Route
Check timing before departure. The Alpine corridor closes first. Austria closes at Saturday 15:00 and does not reopen until Monday 05:00. A truck that reaches the A12 or A13 Brenner after 15:00 on Saturday will wait for the full weekend.
Use ban hours as rest periods. Plan your regular weekly rest period to cover Sunday. Use a secure truck parking near your next border crossing, so you can continue as soon as the ban ends.
Use differences between countries. Trucks between 7.5t and 12t are not banned in Poland or Bulgaria. Romania restricts only selected routes. The Czech Republic restricts only from 13:00 on Sunday. Compare the alternative routes with the trip cost calculator, because a longer route can increase fuel and toll costs significantly.
Allow buffer time near borders. Traffic often increases on Saturday before the afternoon bans start and on Sunday evening after they end. Plan extra wait time at border crossings during these periods.
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: 12.10.2026