---
title: "Truck Driving Bans in Europe — Week 21, 2026-05-18 to 2026-05-24"
canonical: "https://nakordoni.eu/en/news/2026-05-18/traffic-bans-week-2026-21"
lang: "en"
type: "news"
source: "nakordoni.eu — live border queue data"
---

# Truck Driving Bans in Europe — Week 21, 2026-05-18 to 2026-05-24

18.05.2026 09:00    [Mira Kurhanska](https://nakordoni.eu/en/p/authors)     Editor: [Andrii Kurhanskyi](https://nakordoni.eu/en/p/authors)    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)

(image: Aerial view of highway, traffic jam, green forest, Netherlands)Shutterstock / contributor 301539971 (shutterstock-standard)

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## 15 Countries, 4 Full-Day Truck Bans This Week — Pentecost Sunday the Critical Hotspot

Week 21 (18–24 May 2026) brings routine nightly restrictions across Central Europe, but only **four exceptional full-day or holiday-specific truck bans** — all concentrated on **Sunday 24 May (Pentecost)**. This Sunday is the single most disruptive day for HGV drivers, with **11 countries** imposing full or extended bans, including the Alpine corridor (A12 Inntal, A13 Brenner) and key transit routes like Germany’s A7 and France’s A10. All bans apply to **goods vehicles (HGV/TIR)**; passenger vehicles, coaches, and often empty containers are exempt. Drivers planning cross-border routes must note: Poland uses a **>12t threshold** (lighter trucks not banned), while most other countries use **>7.5t** — Switzerland and Liechtenstein even ban trucks over **3.5t**.

## Date-by-date breakdown

### Monday 18 May 2026

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |

Routine night bans only. No exceptional restrictions.

### Tuesday 19 May 2026

| 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 | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |

Routine night bans only. No exceptional restrictions.

### Wednesday 20 May 2026

| 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 | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |

Routine night bans only. No exceptional restrictions.

### Thursday 21 May 2026

| 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 | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |

Routine night bans only. No exceptional restrictions.

### Friday 22 May 2026

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 07:00–22:00; 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 | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |

**Austria extends its ban to 07:00–22:00** on all motorways and expressways, including the critical A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner routes. Drivers must plan departures before 07:00 or after 22:00.

### Saturday 23 May 2026

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–05:00; 07:00–15:00; 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 | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇫🇷 France | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 15:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, vehicles with vignette |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–05:00; 22:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 21:30–24:00; 23:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 18:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |

**Austria imposes a double ban window (07:00–15:00 and 15:00–24:00)**, effectively blocking the A13 Brenner route for most of the day. Bulgaria, Croatia, and Poland also introduce pre-holiday restrictions ahead of Pentecost.

### Sunday 24 May 2026 — Pentecost

| Country | Time | Applies to | Roads | Exemptions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 00:00–22:00; 22:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All public roads nationwide | Urgent medical supplies, military |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 13:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways, and 1st class roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All federal roads and motorways | Fresh food, mail, empty containers |
| 🇫🇷 France | 00:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads nationwide | Perishable goods, livestock, fuel |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 14:00–23:00 | >7.5t (or trailers >14m) | Selected main roads and motorways | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 00:00–24:00 | >7.5t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, vehicles with vignette |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 09:00–22:00 | >7.5t | All roads outside urban areas | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 00:00–24:00 | >3.5t | All roads | Same as Switzerland |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 00:00–24:00; 00:00–21:45; 23:30–24:00 | >7.5t | All roads | Perishable goods, fuel |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 08:00–22:00 | >12t | All public roads | Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 06:00–22:00 | >7.5t | National roads DN1, DN7, and selected highways | Perishable goods, dangerous goods with ADR |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 08:00–22:00 | >7.5t | Motorways and expressways | Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 00:00–22:00 | >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | All roads | Perishable goods, live animals, fuel |

**Pentecost Sunday is the most disruptive day of the week**, with **11 countries** imposing full or extended bans. Switzerland and Liechtenstein enforce **24-hour bans**, while Austria, Germany, and France block key transit routes for most of the day. The A13 Brenner (Austria-Italy) and A12 Inntal (Austria-Germany) are particularly critical — drivers must plan alternative routes or schedule departures outside ban windows.

## Country-by-country rules & penalties

### 🇦🇹 Austria

Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All motorways and expressways (Autobahnen & Schnellstraßen) | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 15:00–24:00, Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €150–€5,000

Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, combined transport, vehicles in direct transit to/from rail terminals. Special note: A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner have additional Saturday bans (07:00–15:00 towards IT/DE).

### 🇩🇪 Germany

Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All federal roads and motorways (Bundesstraßen & Autobahnen) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & public holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €75–€525

Exemptions: Fresh food, mail, empty containers returning to base, combined transport. Summer ban (Jul–Aug) adds Saturdays 07:00–20:00 on selected motorways.

### 🇫🇷 France

Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Saturdays 22:00–Sun 22:00 (all weekends) | Penalties: €135–€750

Exemptions: Perishable goods, livestock, fuel, humanitarian shipments. Holiday eves: 22:00–24:00 before each public holiday.

### 🇮🇹 Italy

Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads outside urban areas (extraurbane) | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 09:00–22:00 (winter), 07:00–22:00 (summer) | Penalties: €419–€1,682

Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, newspapers, postal deliveries, vehicles with ATP certificate. Pre-holidays often 14:00–22:00 or 16:00–22:00.

### 🇭🇺 Hungary

Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 06:00–22:00 (April–September) | Penalties: HUF 30,000–300,000

Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, vehicles in transit with valid Hungarian motorway vignette. Pre-holiday Saturday ban: 22:00–Sun 22:00.

### 🇨🇿 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 | Penalties: CZK 5,000–100,000

Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, postal deliveries, combined transport. Pre-holiday day: 13:00–22:00 if next day is holiday.

### 🇸🇰 Slovakia

Weight: >7.5t (or >3.5t with trailer) | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 00:00–22:00 | Penalties: €150–€1,500

Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel. General exemption 00:00–06:00 for perishable goods and combined transport.

### 🇸🇮 Slovenia

Weight: >7.5t | Roads: Motorways and expressways | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays 08:00–21:00 | Penalties: €500–€2,000

Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, dangerous goods with valid ADR. Pre-holiday day: from 14:00.

### 🇨🇭 Switzerland

Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All public roads nationwide | Recurring pattern: Sundays & 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.

### 🇱🇺 Luxembourg

Weight: >7.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & holidays, direction-specific bans on border corridors | Penalties: €50–€500

Exemptions: Perishable goods, fuel. Different times for different border directions (DE, FR, BE).

### 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

Weight: >3.5t | Roads: All roads | Recurring pattern: Same as Switzerland (Sundays & holidays 00:00–24:00, night ban 22:00–05:00) | Penalties: CHF equivalent fines

Exemptions: Same as Switzerland — very limited.

### 🇵🇱 Poland

Weight: >12t | Roads: All public roads | Recurring pattern: Sundays & 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. Summer: Fri 18:00–22:00, Sat 08:00–14:00 additional (Jun–Sep).

### 🇭🇷 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 | Penalties: HRK 3,000–15,000

Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, fuel, humanitarian transport. Good Friday and Holy Saturday also restricted 15:00–23:00.

### 🇧🇬 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 | Penalties: BGN 500–2,000

Exemptions: Perishable goods, live animals, military, diplomatic vehicles. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar.

### 🇷🇴 Romania

Weight: >7.5t | Roads: National roads DN1, DN7, and selected highways | Recurring pattern: Weekends & public holidays, selected routes | Penalties: RON 3,000–9,000

Exemptions: Perishable goods, dangerous goods with valid ADR, vehicles in international transit on TEN-T corridors. Uses Orthodox Easter calendar.

## Plan Your Route

1. **Check timing before departure**: Sunday 24 May is the most critical day — plan departures before 06:00 or after 22:00 to avoid the worst of the bans. Use [nakordoni.eu’s interactive calendar](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/traffic_bans) to filter by country and date. 2. **Use rest areas during bans**: Austria’s A12 and A13 routes have strict bans — use nearby truck parkings (e.g., Brennersee, Vomp) during restricted hours. Our [Truck Parkings Map](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/parkings) lists 19,000+ locations. 3. **Alternative routes**: For Italy-bound cargo, consider Slovenia’s A1 motorway (less restrictive than Austria’s A13 Brenner) or plan a detour through Hungary if timing allows. 4. **Buffer time near borders**: Switzerland’s 24-hour Sunday ban means no transit through the country — plan fuel stops and rest breaks in Germany or Austria before crossing.

## Useful Tools for Truck Drivers

- [Interactive Traffic Bans Calendar](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/traffic_bans) — full ban schedule with filters by country, date, and weight threshold
- [Live Traffic Incidents Map](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/traffic) — real-time road closures, delays, and border wait times
- [Truck Parkings Map (19,000+)](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/parkings) — find secure parking during ban hours
- [Speed Cameras (48,000+)](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/speed_cameras) — radar and camera locations across Europe
- [European Vignettes & Tolls](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_car_drivers/vignettes) — e-vignette prices for 9 countries (Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, etc.)
- [Truck Drivers Portal](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers) — all tools in one place
- [European Holidays Calendar](https://nakordoni.eu/en/holidays) — public holidays affecting truck bans (e.g., [Pentecost](https://nakordoni.eu/en/holidays))

Source: [nakordoni.eu — Truck Traffic Bans Calendar](https://nakordoni.eu/en/for_truck_drivers/traffic_bans) | Updated: 18.05.2026

This report is compiled automatically from our monitoring data; the analysis is written with the help of artificial intelligence. The editor is responsible for corrections.

Translated automatically from the Ukrainian original and checked by our editorial team. The Ukrainian version is authoritative.

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

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Updated 10.10.2026 07:25