Week 40: German Unity Day and a full Sunday ban in 14 countries
Week 40 brings truck driving bans in 15 countries. The calendar lists 27 exceptional ban windows, counted per country and per day. This number does not include the routine night bans (22:00–05:00) that apply every night in the Alpine countries. The heaviest days are Saturday 3 October, which is German Unity Day, and Sunday 4 October, when 14 countries restrict HGV traffic. Monday 28 September has one holiday ban, in the Czech Republic. Friday 2 October has three additional windows. Tuesday to Thursday carry only routine night bans. The full schedule is available in the truck driving bans calendar in Europe 2026.
All bans apply to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR). Passenger vehicles, coaches and, in several countries, empty containers are exempt. Weight thresholds differ by country. Most countries ban vehicles above 7.5t permissible maximum mass. Under the Switzerland truck driving bans and the Liechtenstein truck driving bans, the threshold is 3.5t. The Czech Republic and Slovakia also cover vehicles above 3.5t with a trailer. Poland and Bulgaria use a 12t threshold. A 10t truck is therefore not banned in Poland, but it is banned in neighbouring Germany. The same vehicle can be legal in one country and stopped after the next border crossing.
Not all countries are equally affected. The main hotspot is the Alpine corridor. The Austria truck driving bans add a Saturday 07:00–15:00 window on the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner motorways (towards Italy and Germany). This window links with the German holiday ban and with the Italian Saturday and Sunday bans. In Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, the bans cover only selected roads.
Date-by-date breakdown
Monday 28 September
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, mail, combined transport |
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 (night) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 (night) | >3.5t | All public roads | Very limited |
| Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 (night) | >3.5t | All roads | As Switzerland |
St. Wenceslas Day (Czech Statehood Day) triggers the only daytime ban. From 13:00 to 22:00, it covers motorways, expressways and 1st class roads. Details of this truck ban in the Czech Republic are listed on the country page.
Tuesday 29 September
| 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 | As Switzerland |
Only routine night bans apply. Daytime traffic is unrestricted across Europe.
Wednesday 30 September
| 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 | As Switzerland |
Routine night bans only. This is a good day to move loads through the Alpine corridor before the weekend.
Thursday 1 October
| 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 | As Switzerland |
1 October is Defender of Ukraine Day, one of the public holidays in Ukraine. It does not trigger a truck driving ban in any EU country covered here.
Friday 2 October
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 07:00–22:00; night 00:00–05:00, 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| Italy | 07:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Luxembourg | 23:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| 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 | As Switzerland |
The Austrian and Italian 07:00–22:00 windows do not follow the standard weekday pattern of either country. Confirm them in the calendar before departure. The Luxembourg truck driving bans start at 23:30, before the German holiday.
Saturday 3 October
| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| Austria | 00:00–05:00; 07:00–15:00 (A12/A13); 15:00–24:00 (calendar also lists 00:00–15:00 on selected sections) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| Italy | 07:00–15:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Luxembourg | 00:00–21:45; 21:30–24:00; 23:30–24:00 (by direction) | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian |
| Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways, class I and II roads | Perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic |
| Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, mail, empty return |
| France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals |
| 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 | As Switzerland |
Germany is closed to HGV traffic 00:00–22:00 on all Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen. If you reroute after 22:00, recalculate your motorway toll (LKW-Maut) with the German LKW-Maut calculator. On the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner, there is no legal window for non-exempt trucks from Saturday 07:00 to Monday 05:00. The only gap is 05:00–07:00 on Saturday morning. Luxembourg's full-day window coincides with German Unity Day.
Sunday 4 October
| 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 | As Switzerland |
| Austria | 00:00–22:00; 22:00–24:00 (night) | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 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, humanitarian |
| Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals |
| Luxembourg | 00:00–21:45 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, ATP vehicles |
| Poland | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, mail, empty return |
| 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, combined transport, live animals, fuel |
| Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | DN1, DN7, selected highways | Perishable goods, ADR, TEN-T transit |
| Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, mail |
| Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian |
This is the heaviest day of the week. Switzerland and Liechtenstein apply a full 24-hour ban from 3.5t. In Italy, 4 October is also St. Francis of Assisi's Day, and the 09:00–22:00 ban applies. Most bans end at 22:00. Plan your weekly rest period around this time and check compliance with the tachograph calculator. France is closed from Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00, as shown in our overview of the driving ban in France for 2026.
Country-by-country rules & penalties
Austria
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Autobahnen and Schnellstraßen | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 15:00–24:00, Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00; A12/A13 Saturday 07:00–15:00; 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 or from rail terminals.
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: as Switzerland | Penalties: CHF-equivalent fines
Exemptions: as Switzerland.
Germany
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen | Recurring pattern: Sundays 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; holiday eves from 22:00 | Penalties: €135–€750
Exemptions: perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments.
Italy
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all roads outside urban areas | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays, 09:00–22:00 in winter, 07:00–22:00 in summer | Penalties: €419–€1,682
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, mail, vehicles with ATP certificate.
Luxembourg
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays, with different times by direction (towards DE, FR, BE) | Penalties: €50–€500
Exemptions: perishable goods, fuel.
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, mail, combined transport.
Slovakia
Weight: >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Roads: all roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays (06:00–22:00 this week) | 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: Sundays and holidays from 08:00 (until 22:00 this week) | Penalties: €500–€2,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR.
Hungary
Weight: >7.5t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays until 22:00; this week from Saturday 22:00 | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals.
Poland
Weight: >12t | Roads: all public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays and public holidays 08:00–22:00; pre-holiday Saturday 18:00–22:00 | 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: Sundays and holidays 14:00–23:00; pre-holiday days 15:00–23:00 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000 (approx. €400–€2,000; Croatia uses the euro)
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport.
Bulgaria
Weight: >12t | Roads: highways, class I and II roads | Recurring pattern: holidays all day; day before 16:00–20:00; day after 14:00–20:00 | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000 (approx. €256–€1,023; Bulgaria uses the euro since 2026)
Exemptions: perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles.
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, international transit on TEN-T corridors.
Plan Your Route
Check timing before departure. Loads going south over the Brenner must clear the A13 before Saturday 07:00. After this time, the next legal window opens on Monday at 05:00.
Use rest areas during bans. Sunday bans in most countries end at 22:00. Use this time for your weekly rest period and reserve a truck parking space in advance, especially near the German and Austrian borders.
Plan alternative routes. Vehicles between 7.5t and 12t can move on Sunday in Poland and Bulgaria but not in neighbouring countries. Compare the options with the trip cost calculator before you change the route.
Allow buffer time near borders. Queues form on Sunday evening before 22:00 at border crossings into Germany, Austria and France. Add extra time to your delivery schedule.
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: 28.09.2026