Overview
St. Wenceslas Day falls on Monday, 28 September 2026. On this date a truck driving ban (Fahrverbot, zákaz jízdy) applies in Czech Republic. The ban covers goods vehicles (HGV/TIR) only. Passenger cars, coaches and motorcycles are exempt. Drivers on long international routes should check the ban before departure. A truck that is stopped by the ban must wait until the window ends, and this can break a delivery schedule.
The Czech ban starts at 13:00 and ends at 22:00. It is a short window, but it falls in the middle of the working day. Plan the route so that the truck is parked before 13:00 or has left the restricted roads.
Ban Windows on 2026-09-28
| Country | Local name | Time | Applies to | Roads | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | Den české státnosti | 13:00–22:00 | Over 7.5t (over 3.5t with trailer) | Motorways, expressways and 1st-class roads | CZK 5,000–100,000 |
Only Czech Republic enforces a holiday ban on this date. The other countries listed below have their regular weekly patterns. The St. Wenceslas Day ban does not apply in them.
Pre-holiday day (Sunday 2026-09-27)
The eve of the holiday is Sunday 27 September. In Czech Republic the regular Sunday ban of 13:00–22:00 already applies on that day, so there is no additional pre-holiday restriction. Sunday bans also apply in other countries on your route. Austria, Germany and Slovakia ban trucks from 00:00 to 22:00 on Sundays. Switzerland bans them from 00:00 to 24:00. Check the rules for each country you cross on Sunday.
Country-by-country rules & penalties
Czech Republic
Weight: over 7.5t, or over 3.5t when the vehicle has a trailer. Lighter solo vehicles are not banned.
Roads: motorways, expressways and 1st-class roads. Other roads are not covered by this ban.
Recurring pattern: Sundays and holidays 13:00–22:00. In July and August there is also a Friday ban from 17:00 to 21:00.
Pre-holiday rule: the ban runs 13:00–22:00 if the next day is a holiday.
Exemptions: perishables, live animals, fuel, mail and combined transport. Carry documents that prove the cargo type or the combined transport leg.
Penalties: CZK 5,000–100,000.
Regular ban patterns in other countries
The holiday ban does not apply in the countries below. Their regular rules still matter if you reroute or if you travel on Sunday 27 September. Weight thresholds differ. Poland and Bulgaria ban only trucks over 12t, so lighter trucks are not banned there. Switzerland and Liechtenstein have the strictest limit at over 3.5t. Most other countries use over 7.5t.
- Austria: Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00, over 7.5t, all motorways and expressways.
- Germany: Sundays and public holidays 00:00–22:00, over 7.5t, all federal roads and motorways.
- Switzerland: Sundays and holidays 00:00–24:00, night ban 22:00–05:00 daily, over 3.5t, all public roads. Liechtenstein follows the same rules.
- France: Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00, over 7.5t, all roads.
- Italy: Sundays and holidays 09:00–22:00 in winter, 07:00–22:00 in summer, over 7.5t, roads outside urban areas.
- Hungary: Sundays and holidays 06:00–22:00 (April to September), over 7.5t, all public roads.
- Slovakia: Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00, over 7.5t (over 3.5t with trailer), all roads.
- Slovenia: Sundays and holidays 08:00–21:00, over 7.5t, motorways and expressways.
- Poland: Sundays and holidays 08:00–22:00, pre-holiday Saturday 18:00–22:00, over 12t, all public roads.
- Croatia: Sundays and holidays 14:00–23:00, over 7.5t or trailers over 14m, selected main roads and motorways.
Plan Your Route
- Depart early and clear the restricted roads before 13:00 on 28 September. Do not plan to start a Czech motorway section after that time.
- Use a secured rest area for the ban period. Book or locate parking in advance with the truck parkings map. Parking places fill quickly when a ban starts.
- Check your driving time and rest period before the ban. The tachograph calculator shows if a forced stop fits your weekly schedule.
- Compare route options and costs with the trip cost calculator. If your route passes through Germany, the German LKW-Maut calculator estimates the motorway toll.
- Allow extra wait time at border crossings before and after the ban window. Queues are longer when many trucks leave at the same time.
Useful Tools for Truck Drivers
- Interactive Traffic Bans Calendar
- Live Traffic Incidents Map
- Truck Parkings Map (19,000+)
- Speed Cameras (48,000+)
- European Vignettes & Tolls
- European Holidays Calendar
- 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: 21.09.2026