Week 44: Three Holiday Peaks Across 17 Countries, With All Saints' Day as the Heaviest Day
Truck driving bans apply in 17 European countries between Monday 26 October and Sunday 1 November 2026. This week has 29 exceptional ban windows. These are full-day, weekend or holiday-specific restrictions. The routine nightly bans (22:00–05:00) that apply every night in Austria truck driving bans, Switzerland truck driving bans and Liechtenstein are not included in this number. There are three heavy ban days: Monday 26 October (Austria and Italy), Saturday 31 October (11 countries, many with pre-holiday windows) and Sunday 1 November, when 15 countries restrict goods traffic at the same time. Wednesday 28 October is a moderate day, with restrictions in the Czech Republic and Greece. The full schedule is in the truck driving bans calendar in Europe 2026.
All bans listed here apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR). Passenger vehicles and coaches are exempt, and empty containers or empty vehicles returning to base are often exempt as well. This matters for cross-border planning because one stop at a closed border can delay a delivery by 24 hours or more. The pressure is highest on the Alpine corridor: the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner motorways in Austria, Swiss transit routes and the Italian approaches. Most other countries this week only restrict traffic on the 31 October/1 November weekend.
Date-by-date breakdown
Monday 26 October — Austrian National Day
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–22:00 (plus night ban 22:00–05:00) | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Italy | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishables, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Switzerland | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
Austria closes its motorway network to trucks over 7.5t for 22 hours for Austrian National Day (Nationalfeiertag). Traffic on the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner towards Italy stops until 22:00, and the night ban starts at the same time. The calendar data also lists an 00:00–22:00 window for Italy truck driving bans. 26 October is not an Italian public holiday, so drivers should confirm this window in the official Italian Ministry calendar before departure.
Tuesday 27 October
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 16:00–22:00 | >3.5t | Selected national highways and toll roads | Perishables, fuel, essential supplies |
| Austria | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals |
| Switzerland | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
The only exceptional window is in Greece. A pre-holiday restriction from 16:00 to 22:00 applies to vehicles over 3.5t, mainly on the Athens–Thessaloniki axis and the Patras corridor.
Wednesday 28 October — Czech Independent State Day / Greek Ochi Day
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel, combined transport |
| Greece | 07:00–22:00 / 16:00–23:00 (route-dependent) | >3.5t | Selected national highways and toll roads | Perishables, fuel, essential supplies |
| Austria | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals |
| Switzerland | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
The Czech Republic road bans apply from 13:00 to 22:00 on the D1, D5 and other motorways and 1st class roads. The ban also covers vehicles over 3.5t that tow a trailer. Transit traffic between Poland and Austria via Brno should cross before midday.
Thursday 29 October and Friday 30 October
No exceptional bans apply on these two days. Only the routine night bans apply in Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein truck driving bans (22:00–05:00). Use Friday to position vehicles before the weekend closures.
Saturday 31 October — Reformation Day
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany (regional) | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen in BB, HB, HH, MV, NI, SN, ST, SH, TH only | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, ADR |
| Austria | 15:00–24:00 (plus night ban) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t or trailers >14m | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways, class I and II roads | Perishables, live animals |
| Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel, empty vehicles |
| Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00 / 23:30–24:00 (by direction) | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
| France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, livestock, fuel |
| Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals |
| Switzerland | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 22:00–05:00 (routine night ban) | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
The German ban is regional. Reformation Day is a holiday only in Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. Drivers in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse or North Rhine-Westphalia are not affected on Saturday. The 9 affected states cover the main east–west corridors (A2, A4, A7), so check the German LKW-Maut calculator when you plan a detour. Reformation Day is also a public holiday in Slovenia: the Slovenia truck ban runs 08:00–22:00 on the A1 and A2. In Austria the regular Saturday ban starts at 15:00. The country rules also list an additional Saturday 07:00–15:00 restriction on the A12 and A13 towards Italy and Germany.
Sunday 1 November — All Saints' Day
| 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 | Very limited |
| Austria | 00:00–22:00 (plus night ban) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Germany (regional) | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen (holiday applies in BW, BY, NW, RP, SL) | Fresh food, mail, empty containers |
| France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, livestock, fuel |
| Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals |
| Slovakia | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishables (00:00–06:00), live animals, fuel |
| Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | DN1, DN7, selected highways | Perishables, ADR, TEN-T transit |
| Italy | 09:00–22:00 (data also lists from 00:00) | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishables, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Poland | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, empty vehicles |
| Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, ADR |
| Luxembourg | 00:00–21:45 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
| Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t or trailers >14m | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Portugal | 18:00–21:00 | >7.5t (holiday ban) | Selected routes (EN1, A1, A2) | Non-dangerous goods largely exempt |
This is the peak day of the week. Switzerland and Liechtenstein close all roads to vehicles over 3.5t for 24 hours. Austria, France and Hungary keep bans until 22:00. The rules for trucks on Sunday in Germany are the standard nationwide Sunday truck driving ban in Germany (Sonntagsfahrverbot) from 00:00 to 22:00, and All Saints' Day is also a holiday in BW, BY, NW, RP and SL. In Poland, the ban applies only to trucks over 12t. Most other countries use a 7.5t threshold. A 10t distribution truck can drive legally in Poland on Sunday but not in Slovakia or Hungary.
Country-by-country rules & penalties
Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Motorways and expressways | Pattern: Sat 15:00–24:00, Sun/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, rail terminal transit.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All roads | Pattern: Sun/holidays 00:00–24:00, night ban 22:00–05:00 daily | Penalties: CHF 100–10,000
Exemptions: very limited. Most cargo has no exemption.
Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen | Pattern: Sun/holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €75–€525
Exemptions: fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport.
Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Outside urban areas | Pattern: Sun/holidays 09:00–22:00 (winter) | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, fuel, newspapers, mail, ATP vehicles.
France
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads | Pattern: Sat 22:00–Sun 22:00 | Penalties: €135–€750
Exemptions: perishables, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments.
Czech Republic
Weight: >7.5t (>3.5t with trailer) | Roads: Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Pattern: Sun/holidays 13:00–22:00 | Penalties: CZK 5,000–100,000
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, fuel, mail, combined transport.
Slovakia
Weight: >7.5t (>3.5t with trailer) | Roads: All roads | Pattern: Sun/holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €150–€1,500
Exemptions: perishables and combined transport 00:00–06:00, live animals, fuel.
Slovenia
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Motorways and expressways | Pattern: Sun/holidays 08:00–21:00/22:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, ADR goods.
Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All public roads | Pattern: Sun/holidays, pre-holiday from Sat 22:00 | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, transit with valid vignette.
Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: All public roads | Pattern: Sun/holidays 08:00–22:00, pre-holiday Sat 18:00–22:00 | Penalties: PLN 500–10,000
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail, humanitarian aid, empty vehicles.
Croatia
Weight: >7.5t or trailers >14m | Roads: Selected main roads and motorways | Pattern: Sun/holidays 14:00–23:00, pre-holiday 15:00–23:00 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000 (approx. €400–€2,000)
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport.
Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads | Pattern: Sun/holidays, direction-specific | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: perishables, fuel.
Bulgaria
Weight: >12t | Roads: Highways, class I and II roads | Pattern: holidays all day, pre-holiday 16:00–20:00 | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles.
Romania
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: DN1, DN7, selected highways | Pattern: weekends and holidays on selected routes | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000
Exemptions: perishables, ADR goods, TEN-T international transit.
Greece
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: Selected national highways | Pattern: holidays and holiday eves | Penalties: €200–€2,000
Exemptions: perishables, fuel, essential supplies.
Portugal
Weight: >7.5t for holiday bans (>3.5t for dangerous goods) | Roads: EN1, A1, A2 and other routes | Pattern: holidays and eves | Penalties: €300–€3,000
Exemptions: non-dangerous goods largely exempt.
Plan Your Route
Cross the Alps by Friday evening. Between Saturday 15:00 and Sunday 22:00, the Austrian and Swiss bans block the Brenner and Gotthard routes. Arrive at the A12/A13 before Saturday morning, or wait until Monday 05:00.
Plan your rest period during the ban. A weekly rest period of 45 hours can cover most of the 31 October–1 November closure. Check compliance with the EU tachograph calculator and book secure parking before Saturday afternoon, when truck parking areas fill up quickly.
Use the weight difference. Vehicles between 7.5t and 12t are not banned in Poland or Bulgaria. In Germany on Saturday, routes through southern states are not affected by Reformation Day. Compare route options and total costs with the trip cost calculator.
Allow buffer time at borders. Queues at border crossings into Switzerland and Austria increase on Friday and Monday morning, when trucks restart after the ban.
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: 26.10.2026