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

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) 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

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

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

Wednesday, 29 April

Routine restrictions continue. No exceptional bans on Wednesday.

Thursday, 30 April

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

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

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

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

Source: nakordoni.eu — Truck Traffic Bans Calendar | Updated: 27.04.2026