No ban right now in Greece. Next ban: Sun, 5 Jul 08:00–22:00 local time.
Greece restricts goods vehicles with a payload over 3.5 t on selected motorways and national roads, in specific directions, rather than with a nationwide all-road Sunday ban. Bans apply on Fridays and eves of public holidays in the outbound direction from major cities, typically 16:00–21:00 or 16:00–22:00, and on Sundays and at the end of holiday periods in the inbound direction, typically 15:00–21:00 or 18:00–23:00. From 1 July to 31 August the regime tightens on key holiday routes: Fridays 16:00–22:00, Saturdays 08:00–16:00 or 08:00–22:00, and Sundays 07:00–22:00. Exact roads, dates and windows are set each year by Hellenic Police traffic decisions.
Next 30 days
| Date | Time (local) | Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00–16:00 | General | |
| 08:00–22:00 | General | |
| 10:00–22:00 | General | |
| 16:00–23:00 | General | |
| 15:00–22:00 | General | |
| 16:00–21:00 | General | |
| 08:00–22:00 | General | |
| 08:00–22:00 | General | |
| 10:00–22:00 | General | |
| 16:00–23:00 | General |
Rules & exemptions
| Ban | When | Time | Where | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday and eve-of-holiday outbound ban | Fridays before weekends and days before public holidays | 16:00–21:00 or 16:00–22:00 depending on the route | Selected motorways and national roads leaving major cities, mainly Athens and Thessaloniki | Goods vehicles with payload over 3.5 t. Targets the holiday departure wave. The same road can stay open in the opposite direction. |
| Sunday and holiday-end inbound ban | Sundays and the last day of holiday periods | 15:00–21:00 or 18:00–23:00 depending on the route; 07:00–22:00 on summer Sundays | Selected motorways and national roads leading back into major cities | Goods vehicles with payload over 3.5 t. Targets the return-traffic wave into Athens, Thessaloniki and other urban areas. |
| Summer weekend ban | Every weekend, 1 July – 31 August | Friday 16:00–22:00; Saturday 08:00–16:00 or 08:00–22:00; Sunday 07:00–22:00 | Selected roads on major summer travel corridors, direction-specific | Goods vehicles with payload over 3.5 t. The strictest period of the year. Saturday windows differ by route and date under the annual police decision. |
Public holidays with truck bans in Greece 2026
| Date | Holiday | Ban time | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes around major cities | |
| Epiphany | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes around major cities | |
| Clean Monday | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes, mainly inbound return traffic | |
| Independence Day | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes around major cities | |
| Orthodox Good Friday | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes, mainly outbound Easter departures | |
| Orthodox Easter Sunday | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes | |
| Orthodox Easter Monday | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes, mainly inbound return traffic | |
| Labour Day | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes around major cities | |
| Holy Spirit Monday | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes, mainly inbound return traffic | |
| Assumption Day | Summer weekend windows apply | Major summer travel corridors; peak summer holiday traffic | |
| Ohi Day | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes around major cities | |
| Christmas Day | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes around major cities | |
| Synaxis of the Mother of God | Varies by route and direction | Selected routes around major cities |
Summer weekend ban
1 July – 31 August 2026 · Friday 16:00–22:00; Saturday 08:00–16:00 or 08:00–22:00; Sunday 07:00–22:00
During the summer travel season the restrictions cover more routes and longer windows on the main corridors serving Greek holiday traffic. Friday bans apply on outbound roads from the cities, Sunday bans on inbound roads back to them. Saturday windows differ by route and date, so the current Hellenic Police decision must be checked before dispatch.
Affected road sections (4)
- Athens–Korinthos motorway
- Athens–Lamia corridor
- Routes to and from Thessaloniki
- Routes to and from Patras and the Peloponnese
Affected roads
- Athens–Korinthos motorway
- Athens–Lamia corridor
- Routes to and from Thessaloniki
- Routes to and from Patras and the Peloponnese
Exempt from the ban
Fines for violations
- Fines under the Greek Road Traffic Code, enforced through police controls on the affected routes
- Driving against a direction-specific restriction brings a fine and a possible stop order
- Police can halt even exempt vehicles when they order a wider traffic interruption for extraordinary weather or traffic conditions
Payload threshold, not gross weight
Greece measures its threshold in payload capacity over 3.5 t, not gross vehicle weight. Many rigid trucks and light artics that stay under a 7.5 t GVW rule elsewhere fall under the Greek regime.
Annual police decision sets the details
The exact road sections, dates and time windows are fixed each year by a Hellenic Police traffic decision published in the Government Gazette. The current decision and the daily calendar for the planned route and direction must be checked before dispatch, since windows differ between routes and between individual weekends.
FAQ
Are trucks banned every Sunday in Greece?
Not nationwide on all roads. Greece applies Sunday restrictions on selected inbound routes toward major cities during return-traffic periods, with the widest coverage on summer Sundays 07:00–22:00 between 1 July and 31 August.
What trucks are affected in Greece?
Goods vehicles with a payload over 3.5 t. This is a lower and differently measured threshold than the 7.5 t gross vehicle weight used in Germany, France or Italy, so trucks that escape bans elsewhere can be caught in Greece.
When is the Greek summer truck ban in 2026?
From 1 July to 31 August 2026, with route-specific bans on Fridays 16:00–22:00, Saturdays 08:00–16:00 or 08:00–22:00, and Sundays 07:00–22:00.
Do Greek truck bans apply on all roads?
No. The restrictions apply on specific motorways and national roads, such as the Athens–Korinthos motorway and the Athens–Lamia corridor, and often only in one direction of travel.
Are there truck bans on Greek public holidays?
Yes. Bans are activated around major public holidays such as Orthodox Easter (12 April 2026), Assumption Day (15 August 2026) and Christmas, on the eve of the holiday in the outbound direction and at the end of the holiday period in the inbound direction.
Why is the direction of travel important in Greece?
Restrictions follow holiday traffic waves: outbound from the cities before weekends and holidays, inbound to the cities after them. The same road section can be banned in one direction and open in the other at the same time.
Official source
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (yme.gov.gr)
- Hellenic Police annual traffic restriction decisions (astynomia.gr)
- Government Gazette (FEK) publications of the traffic restriction decisions
- OFAE, Greek Federation of Road Hauliers: driving restriction bulletins
Rules can change on short notice. Verify with the official sources above before dispatch.