Week 43: Hungarian national holiday and a full Sunday ban regime across 14 countries
Truck driving bans (Fahrverbot) apply in 15 European countries between 19 and 25 October 2026. This week has 23 exceptional ban windows. These are full-day, holiday-specific or weekend restrictions: one pre-holiday evening and one full holiday ban in Hungary, seven Saturday windows and 14 Sunday bans. The routine night bans (22:00–05:00) in Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein apply every night, so they are not included in this count. For a full overview with filters, use 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. Monday to Thursday are routine days with night bans only. Traffic becomes heavy on Friday 23 October, the Hungarian 1956 Revolution Memorial Day. The main hotspot is again the Alpine corridor, where the Austrian A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner motorways connect Germany and Italy. Drivers who plan cross-border routes through Austria, Switzerland and Italy on Saturday afternoon and Sunday should expect the longest stops. Also note that Daylight Saving Time ends at 03:00 on Sunday 25 October, when clocks move back one hour. Check how this affects your driving time and rest period records with the EU tachograph calculator.
Date-by-date breakdown
19 October — Monday
| 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 (Swiss rules) | Very limited |
Routine night bans only. In Austria truck driving bans apply at night on all motorways and expressways, including the A12, A13 and A14. The same pattern applies Tuesday and Wednesday.
20 October — Tuesday
| 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 (Swiss rules) | Very limited |
No exceptional restrictions. Under Switzerland truck driving bans, the night ban starts at >3.5t, so lighter vehicles are also affected.
21 October — Wednesday
| 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 (Swiss rules) | Very limited |
Routine night bans. Transit through Liechtenstein follows the Swiss regime. See Liechtenstein truck driving bans.
22 October — Thursday
| 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 |
| 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 (Swiss rules) | Very limited |
Under Hungary truck driving bans, the holiday ban starts at 22:00 on the eve of the national holiday. Trucks heading to the Romanian, Serbian or Ukrainian borders through Hungary should cross before Thursday evening.
23 October — Friday (1956 Revolution Memorial Day, Hungary)
| 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 |
| Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads (Swiss rules) | Very limited |
Hungary has a full-day ban until 22:00 on all public roads. Hungary is the only country with a holiday ban this week. If you need a planning reference for European road bans 2026 on the M1/M5/M7 transit routes, expect queues at the Austrian and Slovak border crossings when the ban ends.
24 October — Saturday
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 15:00–24:00 (night 00:00–05:00) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways, class I and II roads | Perishable goods, 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 | 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 |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads (Swiss rules) | Very limited |
| Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00; 23:30–24:00 (by direction) | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, empty vehicles returning to base |
The key restriction is the Austrian Saturday ban from 15:00, which closes the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner corridor until Sunday 22:00. Check whether the additional A12/A13 Saturday restriction (07:00–15:00) listed in the Austrian rules applies on your date before departure. The Croatia truck ban starts at 15:00; see the Croatia truck ban page for affected roads. Poland and Bulgaria use a >12t threshold, so trucks between 7.5t and 12t are not banned there. Most other countries ban vehicles from >7.5t, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein from >3.5t.
25 October — Sunday
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–22:00 (night from 22:00) | >7.5t | 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 |
| Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen | Fresh food, mail, empty containers |
| 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 | Roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads (Swiss rules) | 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 |
| 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. Switzerland and Liechtenstein have a full 24-hour ban, and Austria, Germany, France and Hungary ban trucks until 22:00. Expect parking areas near the Brenner and the German–Austrian border crossings at Kiefersfelden and Walserberg to fill early on Saturday. For drivers asking when trucks are not allowed to drive in Slovenia, the Sunday ban runs 08:00–22:00 on motorways. After 22:00, plan your Monday restart in Germany with the German LKW-Maut calculator for motorway toll costs.
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; night ban 22:00–05:00 on A12/A13/A14 | Penalties: €150–€5,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, vehicles in direct transit to/from rail terminals.
Switzerland
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday 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.
Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays, from 22:00 on the eve of a holiday | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, vehicles in transit with a valid Hungarian motorway vignette.
Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen | Recurring pattern: Sunday and public holidays 00:00–22:00 | 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: Roads outside urban areas | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays, 09:00–22:00 in winter | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, vehicles with ATP certificate.
Czech Republic
Weight: >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Roads: Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday 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: Sunday and holidays | Penalties: €150–€1,500
Exemptions: perishable goods and combined transport (00:00–06:00), live animals, fuel.
Slovenia
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays; pre-holiday days from 14:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR.
Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday and 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.
Croatia
Weight: >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Roads: Selected main roads and motorways | Recurring pattern: Sunday and public holidays 14:00–23:00 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000 (Croatia has used the euro since 2023, so fines are issued in EUR)
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport.
Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Sunday and holidays, with different times by border direction (DE, FR, BE) | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel.
Bulgaria
Weight: >12t | Roads: Highways, class I and II roads | Recurring pattern: holidays all day; day before 16:00–20:00 | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles.
Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: DN1, DN7, 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, international transit on TEN-T corridors.
Plan Your Route
Check timing before departure. Trucks heading south through the Alps must clear the Brenner before 15:00 on Saturday. Otherwise they will wait until Sunday 22:00.
Use rest areas during bans. Plan your weekly rest period to match the Sunday ban, and book parking early near the Austrian and Swiss border crossings.
Consider less restrictive routes. Trucks between 7.5t and 12t are not banned in Poland or Bulgaria. Use the trip cost calculator to compare fuel and toll costs for alternative routes.
Allow buffer time near borders. Queues build up when bans end at 22:00 on Friday in Hungary and on Sunday across Central Europe.
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: 19.10.2026