Overview
Assumption Day falls on Saturday, 15 August 2026. On this date a truck driving ban (German: Fahrverbot; Polish: zakaz ruchu) applies in Austria, Germany, France, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia. The truck driving ban covers goods vehicles (HGV/TIR) above each country's weight threshold. Passenger cars, coaches and buses, and motorcycles are exempt, and several countries also exempt empty containers returning to base. Two countries mark a different holiday on the same date: Romania observes the Dormition of the Theotokos, and Slovenia observes the Unification of Prekmurje Slovenes with the Mother Nation. The result is the same for drivers — the road is closed to heavy goods traffic.
The date matters most on the Alpine corridor. Austria restricts all motorways and expressways, and the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner routes carry an additional Saturday ban from 07:00 to 15:00 plus a nightly ban from 22:00 to 05:00. Traffic from Germany to Italy passes through this corridor, so a single missed departure slot can cost a full day. For UA-EU freight, Poland is the critical transit country, and its threshold differs from the rest of the region.
Ban Windows on 2026-08-15
| Country | Local name | Time | Applies to | Roads | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Maria Himmelfahrt | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | €150–€5,000 |
| Germany | Mariä Himmelfahrt | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All federal roads and motorways | €120 driver / €570 operator |
| France | Assomption | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | €135–€750 |
| Greece | Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου | 07:00–22:00 | >3.5t | Selected national highways and toll roads | €200–€2,000 |
| Croatia | Velika Gospa | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t or trailers >14m | Selected main roads and motorways | HRK 3,000–15,000 |
| Italy | Ferragosto o Assunzione | 07:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | €419–€1,682 |
| Luxembourg | Léiffrawëschdag | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads | €50–€500 |
| Poland | Wniebowzięcie Najświętszej Maryi Panny | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | PLN 500–10,000 |
| Portugal | Assunção de Nossa Senhora | 18:00–21:00 | >3.5t dangerous goods / >7.5t holiday | EN1, A1, A2 and others | €300–€3,000 |
| Romania | Adormirea Maicii Domnului / Sfânta Maria Mare | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | DN1, DN7 and selected highways | RON 3,000–9,000 |
| Slovenia | Marijino vnebovzetje | 08:00–21:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | €500–€2,000 |
Weight thresholds are not uniform. Poland bans only vehicles above 12 tonnes, so lighter trucks may drive normally there. Greece and Portugal start at 3.5 tonnes for their respective categories. Most other countries use 7.5 tonnes. Switzerland, which does not observe this ban, is the strictest neighbour with a 3.5-tonne threshold. Always check the threshold before assuming a light vehicle is free to move.
Pre-holiday day (Friday 2026-08-14)
The eve is a Friday, so several summer patterns are already active. Poland applies its summer Friday restriction from 18:00 to 22:00 (June–September). The Czech Republic applies a Friday ban from 17:00 to 21:00 in July and August. Croatia applies pre-holiday restrictions from 15:00 to 23:00, Slovenia from 14:00, and Bulgaria on the holiday eve from 16:00 to 20:00. Hungary's eve restriction starts on Saturday from 22:00 and therefore does not affect Friday. France applies a holiday-eve ban from 22:00 to 24:00.
Country-by-country rules & penalties
Austria
Above 7.5t on all motorways and expressways, 00:00–22:00. Recurring: Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00, plus a nightly ban 22:00–05:00. The A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner add a Saturday ban 07:00–15:00. Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, direct rail-terminal transit. Penalties €150–€5,000.
Germany
Above 7.5t on all federal roads and motorways, 00:00–22:00. Important: Assumption Day is a regional holiday and the ban applies only in Bavaria and Saarland. Separately, the summer holiday travel regulation (Ferienreiseverordnung, July–August) bans trucks on selected motorways on Saturdays 07:00–20:00. Exemptions: fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport. Penalties: €120 driver, €570 operator, maximum €690 combined under §30 StVO.
France
Above 7.5t on all roads nationwide, 00:00–22:00. Recurring: Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00. Extended bans apply on peak summer departure weekends. Exemptions: perishables, livestock, fuel, humanitarian transport. Penalties €135–€750.
Greece
Above 3.5t on selected national highways and toll roads, 07:00–22:00, focused on the Athens–Thessaloniki axis and the Patras corridor. Exemptions: perishables, fuel, essential supplies. Penalties €200–€2,000.
Croatia
Above 7.5t, or trailers longer than 14m, on selected main roads and motorways, 14:00–23:00. Recurring: Sundays and holidays 14:00–23:00. Exemptions: perishables, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport. Penalties HRK 3,000–15,000.
Italy
Above 7.5t on all roads outside urban areas, 07:00–22:00. Recurring: Sundays and holidays 09:00–22:00 in winter and 07:00–22:00 in summer, with pre-holiday windows of 14:00–22:00 or 16:00–22:00. Exemptions: perishables, live animals, fuel, mail, ATP-certified vehicles. Penalties €419–€1,682.
Luxembourg
Above 7.5t on all roads, 00:00–22:00. Times differ by border direction towards Germany, France and Belgium. Exemptions: perishables, fuel. Penalties €50–€500.
Poland
Above 12t on all public roads, 08:00–22:00. Recurring: Sundays and holidays 08:00–22:00, pre-holiday Saturday 18:00–22:00, plus summer Friday 18:00–22:00 and Saturday 08:00–14:00. Exemptions are broad: perishables, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail, humanitarian transport and empty return runs. Penalties PLN 500–10,000.
Portugal
Above 3.5t for dangerous goods and above 7.5t on the holiday, 18:00–21:00, on EN1, A1, A2 and other routes. The restriction is mainly focused on dangerous goods, and non-dangerous loads are largely exempt. Penalties €300–€3,000.
Romania
Above 7.5t on DN1, DN7 and selected highways, 06:00–22:00. Recurring: weekends and holidays on selected routes, with additional summer Friday restrictions. Exemptions: perishables, ADR dangerous goods, TEN-T international transit. Penalties RON 3,000–9,000.
Slovenia
Above 7.5t on motorways and expressways, 08:00–21:00, with pre-holiday restrictions from 14:00. Exemptions: perishables, live animals, ADR-valid dangerous goods. Penalties €500–€2,000.
Plan Your Route
First, depart before 00:00 on 15 August 2026 where the ban starts at midnight, or clear Austria, Germany, France and Luxembourg during the previous night. Check your remaining driving time and rest period before committing to a long night run; the EU tachograph calculator confirms whether the schedule is legal.
Second, book overnight parking in advance. TEN-T and secured rest areas along the Alpine corridor fill early on ban days, and a truck parked on a hard shoulder is exposed to both fines and theft.
Third, consider rerouting through countries where the Assumption Day ban does not apply, but only after checking their regular patterns. Switzerland and Liechtenstein ban vehicles above 3.5t on Sundays and holidays 00:00–24:00 and every night 22:00–05:00. Hungary restricts vehicles above 7.5t on Sundays and holidays 06:00–22:00 from April to September. Slovakia restricts above 7.5t (or above 3.5t with a trailer) on Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00. The Czech Republic restricts motorways, expressways and 1st-class roads on Sundays and holidays 13:00–22:00. Bulgaria restricts vehicles above 12t all day on holidays.
Fourth, allow extra buffer time at every border crossing, because queues build up as trucks release at 22:00. Rerouting adds distance and toll costs, so compare options with the trip cost calculator and, for German motorway toll (LKW-Maut), the German LKW-Maut calculator before changing your plan.
Useful Tools for Truck Drivers
- Interactive Traffic Bans Calendar
- Live Traffic Incidents Map
- Truck Parkings Map (19,000+)
- Speed Cameras (48,000+)
- European Vignettes & Tolls
- European Holidays Calendar
- 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: 08.08.2026