---
title: "Truck Driving Bans in Europe — Week 18, 2026-04-27 to 2026-05-03"
canonical: "https://nakordoni.eu/en/news/2026-04-27/traffic-bans-week-2026-18"
lang: "en"
type: "news"
source: "nakordoni.eu — live border queue data"
---

# Truck Driving Bans in Europe — Week 18, 2026-04-27 to 2026-05-03

27.04.2026 09:00    Service Nakordoni.eu

This article covers a past period. [Current calendar of truck driving bans in Europe →](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/traffic_bans)

## Labour Day and Constitution Day: 13 Countries Impose Full-Day Truck Bans This Week

This week, 15 European countries impose driving restrictions on goods vehicles (HGV/TIR), with exceptional full-day bans on Friday, 1 May ([Labour Day](https://nakordoni.eu/en/holidays)) affecting 13 countries, and Sunday, 3 May (Constitution Day), affecting 12 countries. **All bans apply exclusively to goods vehicles (HGV/TIR); passenger vehicles, coaches, and often empty containers are exempt.** Weight thresholds vary significantly: Poland and Bulgaria use >12t, most Alpine and Western European countries use >7.5t, while Switzerland and Liechtenstein enforce the strictest threshold at >3.5t. Understanding these distinctions is critical for planning cross-border routes and avoiding costly fines.

## Date-by-Date Breakdown

### Monday, 27 April

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key 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, military) |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads (follows Swiss rules) | Very limited |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods (ADR) |

Monday is a routine ban day with no holiday-related restrictions. Night bans apply across the Alpine corridor. **Slovenia** enforces a 14-hour daytime ban, while **Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein** enforce shorter night-only restrictions.

### Tuesday, 28 April

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key 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 |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |

Routine night bans continue across the Alpine corridor. No major exceptions apply.

### Wednesday, 29 April

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key 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 |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |

Routine restrictions continue. No exceptional bans on Wednesday.

### Thursday, 30 April

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key Exemptions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways and selected national roads (I and II class) | Perishable goods, live animals, military |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇫🇷 France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |

Thursday brings evening and selective time-window bans. **Bulgaria's** 4-hour afternoon window (16:00–20:00) applies ahead of Labour Day. **France, Hungary, and Luxembourg** enforce pre-holiday evening restrictions, while **Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein** continue night-only bans.

### Friday, 1 May — [Labour Day](https://nakordoni.eu/en/holidays)

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key Exemptions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 00:00–24:00 | >12t | Highways and selected national roads (I and II class) | Perishable goods, live animals, military |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t + trailer) | Motorways, expressways, and 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal, combined transport |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All federal roads and motorways (Bundesstraßen & Autobahnen) | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| 🇫🇷 France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, ATP cert. |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | 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, fuel, mail |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | National roads DN1, DN7, and selected highways | Perishable goods, dangerous goods (ADR), TEN-T transit |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods (ADR) |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t + trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods (06:00–22:00), combined transport, live animals, fuel |

**1 May is the heaviest ban day of the week — 13 countries impose full-day or extended restrictions on Labour Day.** **Bulgaria** enforces a complete 24-hour ban on trucks >12t. **Austria, Germany, France, Hungary, Slovakia** all enforce full 22-hour bans. **Romania and Slovenia** impose 16-hour and 14-hour restrictions respectively. **Poland's >12t threshold** (lighter than most European neighbors) means vehicles 7.5–12t can operate, but trucks exceeding 12t face a 14-hour ban. **Czech Republic** and **Italy** allow limited windows (13:00–22:00 and 09:00–22:00), offering brief opportunities for urgent freight. Plan departures carefully; perishable goods often qualify for exemptions across most countries.

### Saturday, 2 May

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key Exemptions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 15:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 16:00–20:00 | >12t | Highways and selected national roads (I and II class) | Perishable goods, live animals, military |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇫🇷 France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Very limited |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, fuel, mail |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods (ADR) |

**Saturday restrictions ease compared to Labour Day, but multiple countries enforce extended afternoon/evening bans.** **Austria** extends its Saturday routine restriction to 15:00–24:00 (9-hour window). **Croatia** enters with afternoon restrictions (15:00–23:00), affecting drivers on the Balkans corridor. **Slovenia** maintains its 14-hour daytime ban. **Poland's** 4-hour evening window (18:00–22:00) allows limited operations. **Bulgaria's** post-holiday restriction eases to 4 hours (16:00–20:00), a significant reduction after the full-day 1 May ban.

### Sunday, 3 May — Constitution Day

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Key Exemptions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Very limited |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t + trailer) | Motorways, expressways, and 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal, combined transport |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All federal roads and motorways | Fresh food, mail, empty containers, combined transport |
| 🇫🇷 France | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, transit with valid vignette |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, ATP cert. |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | 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, fuel, mail |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | National roads DN1, DN7, and selected highways | Perishable goods, dangerous goods (ADR), TEN-T transit |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods (ADR) |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t + trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods (06:00–22:00), combined transport, live animals, fuel |

**Sunday, 3 May marks the second major ban day — 12 countries impose full-day or near-full-day restrictions.** **Austria, Germany, France, Hungary, Slovakia** enforce 22-hour bans; **Switzerland and Liechtenstein** enforce full 24-hour bans. **Poland and Romania** impose 14-hour restrictions. **Croatia** shifts to early afternoon (14:00–23:00). This constitutes a double-holiday weekend: 1 May (Labour Day) → 3 May (Constitution Day), limiting transport operations for 48+ hours across Central and Western Europe.

## Country-by-Country Rules & Penalties

### 🇦🇹 Austria

**Weight:** >7.5t | **Roads:** All motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & public holidays 00:00–22:00; Saturdays 15:00–24:00. A12 Inntal & A13 Brenner: additional Saturday 07:00–15:00 ban (towards IT/DE); daily night ban 22:00–05:00. | **Penalties:** €150–€5,000

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, vehicles in direct transit to/from rail terminals, dangerous goods (ADR).

### 🇩🇪 Germany

**Weight:** >7.5t | **Roads:** All federal roads and motorways (Bundesstraßen & Autobahnen) | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & public holidays 00:00–22:00. Summer ban (Ferienreiseverordnung) July–August: Saturdays 07:00–20:00 on selected motorways. | **Penalties:** €75–€525

**Exemptions:** Fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport, dangerous goods (ADR).

### 🇫🇷 France

**Weight:** >7.5t | **Roads:** All roads nationwide | **Recurring pattern:** Saturdays 22:00–Sunday 22:00 (all weekends); holiday eves 22:00–24:00. Extended bans on Grands Départs (summer holiday periods). | **Penalties:** €135–€750

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments, dangerous goods (ADR).

### 🇮🇹 Italy

**Weight:** >7.5t | **Roads:** All roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & holidays vary by season: winter 09:00–22:00, summer 07:00–22:00. Pre-holidays often 14:00–22:00 or 16:00–22:00. | **Penalties:** €419–€1,682

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, vehicles with ATP certificate (refrigerated transport).

### 🇭🇺 Hungary

**Weight:** >7.5t | **Roads:** All public roads | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & holidays 06:00–22:00 (April–September). Pre-holiday Saturday: 22:00–Sunday 22:00. | **Penalties:** HUF 30,000–300,000 (~€80–€800)

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, live animals, vehicles in transit with valid Hungarian motorway vignette, fuel.

### 🇨🇿 Czech Republic

**Weight:** >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | **Roads:** Motorways, expressways, and 1st class roads | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & holidays 13:00–22:00; Fridays 17:00–21:00 (July–August). | **Penalties:** CZK 5,000–100,000 (~€170–€3,400)

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal deliveries, combined transport, dangerous goods (ADR).

### 🇸🇰 Slovakia

**Weight:** >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | **Roads:** All roads | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00. Saturday pre-holiday ban when followed by holiday. | **Penalties:** €150–€1,500

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods (general exemption 00:00–06:00 on Sundays for combined transport). Live animals, fuel, dangerous goods (ADR).

### 🇸🇮 Slovenia

**Weight:** >7.5t | **Roads:** Motorways and expressways | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & holidays 08:00–21:00 (extended to 22:00 on major holidays). | **Penalties:** €500–€2,000

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR, combined transport.

### 🇨🇭 Switzerland

**Weight:** >3.5t | **Roads:** All public roads nationwide | **Recurring pattern:** Full Sunday & holiday ban 00:00–24:00 (full day). Daily night ban 22:00–05:00. One of Europe's strictest regimes. | **Penalties:** CHF 100–10,000 (~€110–€11,000)

**Exemptions:** Extremely limited: urgent medical supplies, military, humanitarian. **Most cargo has NO exemption** — perishable goods, fuel, and combined transport do NOT qualify.

### 🇱🇺 Luxembourg

**Weight:** >7.5t | **Roads:** All roads | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & holidays. Direction-specific bans on border corridors (towards Germany, France, Belgium). | **Penalties:** €50–€500

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, fuel, combined transport, dangerous goods (ADR).

### 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

**Weight:** >3.5t | **Roads:** All roads (follows Swiss rules) | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & holidays 00:00–24:00. Daily night ban 22:00–05:00. Transit through LI enforces Swiss truck ban regime. | **Penalties:** CHF equivalent fines

**Exemptions:** Same as Switzerland — very limited (urgent medical, military only).

### 🇵🇱 Poland

**Weight:** >12t | **Roads:** All public roads | **Recurring pattern:** Sundays & public holidays 08:00–22:00. Pre-holiday Saturday 18:00–22:00. Summer (June–September): Friday 18:00–22:00, Saturday 08:00–14:00 additional. **Critical:** Poland's >12t threshold means lighter trucks (7.5–12t) are NOT banned on Sundays/holidays. | **Penalties:** PLN 500–10,000 (~€120–€2,400)

**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 & public holidays 14:00–23:00. Pre-holiday days 15:00–23:00. Good Friday and Holy Saturday also restricted 15:00–23:00. | **Penalties:** HRK 3,000–15,000 (~€400–€2,000)

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport, dangerous goods (ADR).

### 🇧🇬 Bulgaria

**Weight:** >12t | **Roads:** Highways and selected national roads (I and II class) | **Recurring pattern:** Public holidays all day. Day before holidays 16:00–20:00. Day after holidays 14:00–20:00. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar (may differ from Western Easter). | **Penalties:** BGN 500–2,000 (~€255–€1,020)

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles.

### 🇷🇴 Romania

**Weight:** >7.5t | **Roads:** National roads DN1, DN7, and selected highways | **Recurring pattern:** Weekends & public holidays on selected routes. Summer: Fridays additional restrictions. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar. Good Friday (Vinerea Mare) is public holiday since 2018. | **Penalties:** RON 3,000–9,000 (~€640–€1,920)

**Exemptions:** Perishable goods, dangerous goods with valid ADR, vehicles in international transit on TEN-T corridors.

## Plan Your Route: Best Practices for Week 18

- **Check timing before departure:** The Alpine corridor (Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Slovenia) enforces daily night bans (22:00–05:00) and extended daytime restrictions on weekends/holidays. Plan to cross these borders during permitted hours or use rest areas strategically.
- **Use rest areas during bans:** If caught in a ban window, park at designated truck parkings. [Nakordoni lists 19,000+ safe parking spots](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/parkings) across Europe, with real-time availability.
- **Route through lower-restriction countries:** Poland's >12t threshold (vs. >7.5t in Western Europe) means lighter trucks can operate Sundays. Czech Republic and Italy allow narrow operating windows (13:00–22:00 and 09:00–22:00, respectively) on holidays. Consider these routes if your HGV permits.
- **Allow extra buffer time near borders:** Pre-holiday evenings (30 April, 2 May afternoon) see compressed ban windows across multiple countries. Departing 1–2 hours earlier can mean the difference between a legal crossing and a costly fine.
- **Check for exemptions:** Perishable goods (refrigerated/ATP), fuel, livestock, and combined transport often qualify for exemptions. Verify your cargo documentation against each country's rules before crossing.

## Useful Tools for Truck Drivers

- [Interactive Traffic Bans Calendar](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/traffic_bans) — full ban schedule with country and date filters
- [Live Traffic Incidents Map](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/traffic) — real-time road closures, congestion, and accident reports
- [Truck Parkings Map (19,000+)](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/parkings) — find safe, legal parking during ban hours
- [Speed Cameras (48,000+)](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/speed_cameras) — radar and camera locations across 15 countries
- [European Vignettes & Tolls](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_car_drivers/vignettes) — e-vignette prices and validity for 9 countries
- [Truck Drivers Portal](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers) — all logistics tools in one place
- [European Holidays Calendar](https://nakordoni.eu/en/holidays) — public holidays affecting truck bans (Labour Day, Constitution Day, Easter, etc.)

Source: [nakordoni.eu — Truck Traffic Bans Calendar](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/traffic_bans) | Updated: 27.04.2026

[Original source](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/traffic_bans?utm_source=nakordoni.eu)

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