Assumption Day turns the second August weekend into a two-day standstill
Week 33 covers 17 countries with truck driving bans, but the load is not spread evenly. From Monday to Thursday there are only the routine nightly bans in the Alpine countries, which apply every night of the year and are not exceptional. The week has two exceptional full-day ban days — Saturday 15 August (Assumption Day) and Sunday 16 August — plus one holiday-eve evening on Friday 14 August. Drivers who plan around those three windows will lose very little time; drivers who ignore them can lose an entire weekend. Full details for every country and date are in the truck driving bans calendar in Europe 2026.
All restrictions listed here apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR) only. Passenger cars, coaches and buses are not affected, and several countries also exempt empty vehicles or empty containers returning to base. The practical risk for international transport is the combination of a full-day ban with limited parking: a truck that reaches a closed corridor at 08:00 on Sunday must stand until 22:00, which consumes the weekly rest period and pushes the delivery to Monday. If you need to check whether a truck ban in Europe tomorrow affects your corridor, verify the country pages before departure, not at the border.
Date-by-date breakdown
Monday 10 August to Thursday 13 August
| 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 nationwide | Very limited: urgent medical supplies, military |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads (follows Swiss rules) | Same as Switzerland — very limited |
These are routine night bans, not exceptional restrictions. They repeat every night and should already be part of your standard schedule. In Austria truck driving bans the night ban is stricter on the Alpine corridor: the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner carry an additional night ban from 22:00 to 05:00, and the A12/A13/A14 sector is the single most controlled transit axis in the region. Switzerland truck driving bans start at >3.5t, so light commercial vehicles that move freely elsewhere are already restricted there, and the same regime applies under Liechtenstein truck driving bans. Use these four quiet nights to position the vehicle before the weekend; the tachograph calculator helps confirm that the standing hours count as a valid rest period.
Friday 14 August
| 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 | Very limited |
| Czech Republic | 17:00–21:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel, mail, combined transport |
| France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishables, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| Italy | 16:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishables, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishables, live animals, fuel, humanitarian |
| Greece | 15:00/16:00–22:00 | >3.5t | Selected national highways and toll roads | Perishables, fuel, essential supplies |
| Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00; 23:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
Friday is a holiday eve, not a full-day ban. The critical windows are the afternoon closures in Italy from 16:00 and in Croatia from 15:00, plus the Czech Friday summer ban from 17:00 to 21:00. In France the ban starts at 22:00 and runs continuously into the weekend. Under Greece truck driving bans the threshold is >3.5t on the Athens–Thessaloniki axis and the Patras corridor.
Saturday 15 August — Assumption Day
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 00:00–22:00; 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 | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
| Germany (Bayern, Saarland only) | 07:00–20:00 | >7.5t | Federal roads and motorways | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| France | 00:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishables, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| Italy | 07:00–22:00 / 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Roads outside urban areas | Perishables, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Poland | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel, mail, empty vehicles |
| Hungary | 15:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| Czech Republic | 07:00–13:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishables, fuel, mail, combined transport |
| Slovakia | 07:00–19:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishables, combined transport, live animals, fuel |
| Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, ADR goods |
| Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | DN1, DN7 and selected highways | Perishables, ADR goods, TEN-T transit |
| Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways, I and II class national roads | Perishables, live animals, military, diplomatic |
| Greece | 07:00/08:00–22:00 (varies by route) | >3.5t | Selected national highways and toll roads | Perishables, fuel, essential supplies |
| Luxembourg | 00:00–24:00 (direction-specific) | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
| Portugal | 18:00–21:00 | >7.5t (holiday bans) | EN1, A1, A2 and selected routes | Non-dangerous goods largely exempt |
This is the heaviest day of the week. Austria closes its motorway network from 00:00 to 22:00, and the Alpine corridor is the real hotspot: the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner also carry the separate Saturday ban towards Italy and Germany, so the Brenner route is effectively unusable for most of the day. In Germany the Assumption Day ban is regional: it applies only in Bayern and Saarland from 07:00 to 20:00. Drivers transiting Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen or Berlin are not affected on Saturday, although the summer Ferienreiseverordnung ban (Saturdays 07:00–20:00 on selected motorways) still applies to trucks in Germany at the weekend — the rules and affected motorways are listed on the German ban page. Toll costs for the alternative federal roads can be checked with the German LKW-Maut calculator. Note the threshold difference: Poland and Bulgaria ban only vehicles above 12 tonnes, so a 10-tonne rigid may legally continue there while the same vehicle would be stopped in Austria (>7.5t) or Switzerland (>3.5t).
Sunday 16 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 | Very limited |
| Austria | 00:00–22:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, combined transport |
| Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Federal roads and motorways (nationwide) | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishables, livestock, fuel |
| Italy | 07:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Roads outside urban areas | Perishables, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Poland | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, fuel, empty vehicles |
| Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishables, live animals, transit with vignette |
| Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishables, fuel, mail, combined transport |
| Slovakia | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishables 00:00–06:00, combined transport, fuel |
| Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishables, live animals, ADR goods |
| Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishables, live animals, fuel |
| Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | DN1, DN7 and selected highways | Perishables, ADR, TEN-T transit |
| Greece | 08:00–23:00 (varies by route) | >3.5t | Selected national highways and toll roads | Perishables, fuel |
| Luxembourg | 00:00–21:45 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishables, fuel |
Sunday is the standard European ban day. Switzerland and Liechtenstein are closed for the full 24 hours with almost no cargo exemptions, so no westbound Alpine transit is possible at all. Germany, Hungary and Slovakia release traffic at 22:00, Czech motorways only close from 13:00, which makes the Sunday morning the best window for eastbound movement through Bohemia. For comparison, the Netherlands has no general weekend truck driving ban, but Dutch cities operate low-emission zones — an area that's got limitations for any driver entering with an older vehicle.
Country-by-country rules and penalties
Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 15:00–24:00, Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €150–€5,000. Special: A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner have an extra Saturday ban 07:00–15:00 towards Italy and Germany, plus a night ban 22:00–05:00 on A12/A13/A14.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, vehicles in direct transit to or from rail terminals.
Switzerland
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays 00:00–24:00, daily night ban 22:00–05:00 | Penalties: CHF 100–10,000. One of the strictest regimes in Europe.
Exemptions: very limited — urgent medical supplies and military transport; most cargo has no exemption.
Liechtenstein
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: identical to Switzerland | Penalties: CHF equivalent fines.
Exemptions: same as Switzerland — very limited.
Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: federal roads and motorways | Recurring pattern: Sundays and public holidays 00:00–22:00, plus the summer Ferienreiseverordnung on Saturdays 07:00–20:00 (July–August) | Penalties: €75–€525.
Exemptions: fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport.
France
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 22:00 to Sundays 22:00, plus 22:00–24:00 on every holiday eve | Penalties: €135–€750 (4th class).
Exemptions: perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments.
Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: outside urban areas | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays 07:00–22:00 in summer, pre-holidays 14:00–22:00 or 16:00–22:00 | Penalties: €419–€1,682.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, ATP-certified vehicles.
Hungary
In Hungary the weight limit is >7.5t on all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays 06:00–22:00 (April–September), pre-holiday Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00 | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, transit vehicles with a valid Hungarian motorway vignette.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic bans vehicles >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) on motorways, expressways and 1st class roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays 13:00–22:00, Fridays 17:00–21:00 in July and August | Penalties: CZK 5,000–100,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal deliveries, combined transport.
Slovakia
Slovakia applies >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) on all roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00, Saturday ban before a holiday | Penalties: €150–€1,500.
Exemptions: general exemption 00:00–06:00 for perishables and combined transport; live animals and fuel.
Slovenia
Slovenia restricts vehicles >7.5t on motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays 08:00–21:00, pre-holiday from 14:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR.
Poland
Weight: >12t on all public roads — a higher threshold than most of Europe | Recurring pattern: Sundays and public holidays 08:00–22:00, pre-holiday Saturday 18:00–22:00, plus summer Fridays 18:00–22:00 and Saturdays 08:00–14:00 (June–September) | 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 | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays 14:00–23:00, pre-holidays 15:00–23:00 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg bans vehicles >7.5t on all roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays, with direction-specific windows on the border corridors towards Germany, France and Belgium | Penalties: €50–€500.
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria applies a >12t threshold on highways and I and II class national roads | Recurring pattern: public holidays all day, the day before 16:00–20:00, the day after 14:00–20:00 | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, military and diplomatic vehicles.
Romania
Romania restricts vehicles >7.5t on DN1, DN7 and selected highways | Recurring pattern: weekends and public holidays on selected routes, with additional Friday restrictions in summer | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, ADR dangerous goods, international transit on TEN-T corridors.
Greece
Weight: >3.5t | Roads: selected national highways and toll roads | Recurring pattern: public holidays and holiday eves, mainly on the Athens–Thessaloniki axis and the Patras corridor | Penalties: €200–€2,000.
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel, essential supplies.
Portugal
In Portugal the general restriction targets dangerous goods above 3.5t, while holiday bans apply from >7.5t on EN1, A1, A2 and selected routes | Recurring pattern: holidays and eves, typically 18:00–21:00 | Penalties: €300–€3,000.
Exemptions: non-dangerous goods are largely exempt; perishables and fuel are exempt from the dangerous-goods restrictions.
Plan Your Route
Check the timing before departure, not at the border. Ban windows are set in local time, and Greece, Italy and Luxembourg use different times on different routes. Confirm the exact window for the specific road you intend to use.
Book a parking place in advance for Saturday and Sunday. With Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia closed at the same time, service areas on the A1, A4 and A8 fill up several hours before the ban begins. Plan the stop so the ban hours overlap with your weekly rest period.
Route around the Alpine corridor if possible. A12 and A13 Brenner are the real bottleneck this week. Where a delivery allows it, a northern route through Germany after 22:00 on Sunday, or a Polish route using the higher 12-tonne threshold, produces significant savings compared with waiting.
Allow buffer time near border crossings. Queues build up immediately after 22:00 when several countries release traffic at once. Add at least one hour of reserve to any Sunday-evening border crossing, and estimate the financial impact of the detour with the trip cost calculator before you commit to a route.
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: 10.08.2026