Truck driving bans apply in Germany on all Sundays and public holidays from 00:00 to 22:00 for vehicles above 7.5 t gross weight, plus on Saturdays from 1 July to 31 August (summer holiday travel ban, 07:00–20:00) on heavily-used motorways. Across Europe, 28 countries enforce similar rules with country-specific weight thresholds, time windows and route exceptions. A breach in Germany costs up to €570 plus 1 point on the driver's record.
Contents
- Truck driving bans in Germany: Sundays, public holidays, summer
- Truck driving bans in Europe: country overview
- Germany public holiday calendar 2026
- Germany summer holiday ban 2026: every Saturday
- All 28 countries in detail
- Special transports and dangerous goods
- Making driving bans visible in the Dispatch Module
- FAQ: Truck driving bans 2026
Truck driving bans in Germany: Sundays, public holidays, summer
Germany's truck driving ban is regulated by § 30 (3) StVO (Road Traffic Regulation) and the Holiday Travel Ordinance (FerReiseV). It applies to all trucks with a gross weight above 7.5 t as well as trucks with trailers whose combined weight exceeds 7.5 t. Three cases apply: the weekly Sunday and public-holiday ban, the seasonal summer holiday ban, and regional night driving bans.
Sunday and public holiday ban
On all Sundays and statutory public holidays, a nationwide ban applies from 00:00 to 22:00. It also applies when the holiday is recognised only in a single federal state — but only within that state's borders. Exemptions exist for perishable goods, live animals, fresh milk, fresh fish, fresh meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, and humanitarian transports. The full exemption catalogue is published by the German Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM).
Summer holiday travel ban
From 1 July to 31 August, an additional ban applies on every Saturday from 07:00 to 20:00, but only on heavily-used motorway sections — including A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A45, A61, A81, A93, A95, A96, A99 and selected federal trunk roads. On less-trafficked routes, Saturday remains open.
Regional night driving bans
Individual municipalities and noise-protection zones forbid trucks above 3.5 t during night hours (typically 22:00–06:00) on specific urban streets. Well-known examples include access roads to the Brenner Pass, several valley routes in Tyrol-adjacent areas, and noise-protection sections in larger cities. The restriction is usually signposted with traffic sign 253 plus a "22–6 h" supplementary panel.
Truck driving bans in Europe: country overview
The table below shows general weekend and public-holiday truck driving bans across 28 European countries. Route bans, special-transport rules and seasonal restrictions are listed in the detailed country blocks further down.
No general truck driving bans known in: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, North Macedonia, Norway, Cyprus. Local route restrictions, weather conditions and special-transport rules may still apply in these countries.
Germany public holiday calendar 2026
The Sunday and public-holiday ban applies on each of the days below from 00:00 to 22:00. Nationwide holidays apply across all of Germany; regional holidays apply only in the listed federal states.
Note: Reformation Day (31 Oct) and German Unity Day (3 Oct) fall on Saturdays in 2026. The Sunday-and-holiday ban still applies on these days from 00:00 to 22:00. Binding information is published by the German Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM). Federal-state abbreviations: BW = Baden-Württemberg, BY = Bavaria, BE = Berlin, BB = Brandenburg, HB = Bremen, HH = Hamburg, HE = Hesse, MV = Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, NI = Lower Saxony, NW = North Rhine-Westphalia, RP = Rhineland-Palatinate, SL = Saarland, SN = Saxony, ST = Saxony-Anhalt, SH = Schleswig-Holstein, TH = Thuringia.
Germany summer holiday ban 2026: every Saturday
In 2026, the summer holiday travel ban applies on these nine Saturdays from 07:00 to 20:00 on the heavily-used motorway sections:
The ban applies on the following motorways and federal trunk roads: A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A45, A61, A81, A93, A95, A96, A99, plus sections of B27, B31 and B96a. On less-trafficked routes, Saturday remains fully open. The legal basis is the Holiday Travel Ordinance (FerReiseV).
All 28 countries in detail (alphabetical)
Austria
General ban for trucks above 7.5 t (combinations from 3.5 t trailer): Sundays and public holidays 00:00–22:00, plus the day before from 15:00–24:00. Daily night ban 22:00–05:00. Route bans on the A12 Inntal and A13 Brenner with destination Italy or beyond. Toll: distance-based vignette (ASFINAG/GO-Box).
Belgium
No general truck driving ban on Sundays and public holidays. Special transports face day bans 06:00 to 21:00 when width exceeds 4 m or length exceeds 30 m on certain motorways. In visibility under 200 m, on icy roads or in darkness, oversize and overweight transports are prohibited throughout Belgium. Operator: Viapass (Free-Flow toll, see Toll Systems in Europe).
Bulgaria
General ban for trucks above 12 t on Sundays and public holidays from 00:00 to 24:00. On the day before several consecutive holidays, the ban also applies 16:00–20:00; on the last day of consecutive holidays 14:00–20:00. Summer travel ban from 1 June to 15 September on Fridays 17:00–20:00 and Sundays 14:00–20:00. Additional route bans in the Petrohan Pass (November–March) and parts of Sofia.
Croatia
Ban for trucks above 7.5 t, lengths over 14 m, or vehicles slower than 40 km/h on certain state and regional road sections on public holidays 14:00–23:00, on the day before holidays 15:00–23:00. Adjacent Sundays or Fridays are included when holidays form a continuous block. Summer ban (15 June – 15 September) on main roads: Saturdays 04:00–14:00 and Sundays 12:00–23:00.
Czech Republic
Sunday and public-holiday ban for trucks above 7.5 t from 13:00–22:00 on motorways, international roads and Class I national roads. Summer travel ban from 1 July to 31 August: Fridays 17:00–21:00, Saturdays 07:00–13:00, Sundays 13:00–22:00.
Denmark
No general Sunday or public-holiday ban. Route bans for trucks above 18 t in central Copenhagen, plus dangerous-goods transports (Cat. E) on the Øresund Bridge between 06:00 and 23:00. Special transports from 2.8 m length need phone authorisation; heavy transports between 100 and 350 t or over 4.5 m wide must be cleared individually for the Storebælt Bridge.
France
General ban for trucks above 7.5 t on the day before Sundays and public holidays from 22:00, and on Sundays/holidays themselves until 22:00. When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or directly follows a Sunday, the ban runs from Saturday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00. Summer travel ban on Saturdays from 1 July to 31 August (07:00–19:00) and the following Sundays (00:00–22:00). Exception: the Corridor de Ghyvelde on the A16 between Calais and the Belgian border for ferry traffic (dangerous goods excluded). Special rules apply for perishable and live goods. Toll details: Truck tolls France.
Germany
Sunday and public-holiday ban 00:00–22:00 for trucks above 7.5 t. Plus summer travel ban on Saturdays from 1 July to 31 August (07:00–20:00). Regional night bans apply in noise-protection zones. Full breakdown including holiday and summer-date tables in the sections above. Toll system: Free Flow (Toll Collect) — see Toll Systems in Europe.
Great Britain
No general weekend driving ban. London Boroughs Transport Scheme: trucks above 18 t require a permit for Monday–Friday 21:00–07:00 and from Saturday 13:00 to Monday 07:00. Permanent ban for vehicles above 18 t on Tower Bridge. Further regional inner-city and rural restrictions apply.
Greece
Seasonal weekend ban for trucks with payload above 1.5 t: Fridays from mid-June to mid-September on motorway sections around Athens and Thessaloniki between 16:00 and 21:00 (outbound), Sundays year-round between 15:00 and 21:00/22:00 (inbound). In summer, short-notice bans may be added in Athens during high air-pollution episodes.
Hungary
Ban for trucks above 7.5 t on the day before Sundays/holidays 22:00–24:00, on Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00. Summer ban from 1 July to 31 August: Saturday 15:00 to Sunday 22:00 on all roads. The general ban does not apply to international truck traffic with Euro 3 emissions class or better between 4 November and 1 March.
Italy
General Sunday ban for trucks above 7.5 t from 09:00 to 22:00. On Sundays in June, July, August and September, the ban starts at 07:00. Plus seasonal Saturday ban from early July to late August (08:00–16:00 or 22:00 depending on the route). Dangerous goods class 1 (explosives): banned June–September from Saturday 08:00 to Sunday 24:00. As in Germany, an exemption applies for perishable and live goods. Toll: closed system (Telepass).
Latvia
No general weekend ban. Ban for trucks above 5 t on certain Riga roads and bridges Monday to Friday 07:00–10:00 and 16:00–19:00.
Liechtenstein
Sunday and public-holiday ban for trucks above 3.5 t from 00:00 to 24:00. Plus a daily night ban from 22:00 to 05:00. The model closely follows the Swiss LSVA system.
Luxembourg
For trucks above 7.5 t transit-bound Belgium/Germany → France: ban on Saturdays 21:30–24:00, Sundays and public holidays 00:00–21:45. In the reverse direction toward Germany: Saturdays and pre-holiday days from 23:30 to Sun/holiday 21:45. Trucks above 3.5 t in transit may only use signposted roads and may not cross the city of Luxembourg.
Montenegro
Seasonal ban for trucks above 5 t on the routes Podgorica–Cetinje–Budva, Podgorica–Petrovac–Bar and Podgorica–Kolašin from 15 July to 1 September: Fridays and Sundays 15:00–20:00, Saturdays 06:00–09:00.
Netherlands
No general weekend ban. Dangerous-goods transports (tanks over 3,000 l or ADR goods) are prohibited in certain tunnels — especially when visibility drops under 200 m. Oversize and overweight transports may not run during peak hours (06:00–10:00 and 15:00–20:00). Toll: Eurovignette until 2026, then Free Flow (BZM).
Poland
General ban for trucks above 12 t: before Sundays and public holidays 18:00–22:00, on Sundays/holidays 08:00–22:00. Summer travel ban from the last Friday of June to the last Sunday before the school year (early September): Fridays 18:00–22:00, Saturdays 08:00–14:00, Sundays 08:00–22:00 — on all roads. In Warsaw, transit ban for trucks above 16 t. Toll: e-TOLL (Free Flow + open).
Portugal
No general weekend ban. Trucks above 2.6 t: transit, loading and unloading bans in Lisbon (daily 08:00–10:00 and 17:00–19:00) and Porto (daily 14:00–19:00). Permanent ban in the Gardunha Tunnel (A23). Dangerous goods above 3.5 t on certain routes Fridays/Sundays and pre-holiday/holiday days 18:00–21:00.
Romania
Ban for trucks above 7.5 t on E60 (DN 1) between Otopeni–Ploiești and Ploiești–Brașov Monday to Thursday 06:00–22:00, Friday to Sunday all day. On the A2, DN7, DN39, DN22C additional Friday/Saturday/Sunday windows apply from 1 July to 31 August and on public holidays. Heat-related ban from 1 July on motorways and national roads 10:00–21:00 in regions covered by the national meteorology service's red or orange alert. In Bucharest: Zone A ban for vehicles above 5 t, Zone B above 7.5 t.
Russia
City-specific bans: trucks above 12 t in Moscow inside the MKAD ring road daily 06:00–22:00 (vehicles in international traffic exempted). Inside the Third Ring, the ban already applies to trucks above 1 t (06:00–22:00). In St. Petersburg districts, daily 00:00–24:00 for trucks above 3.5 t. In central Kazan, trucks above 5 t daily 07:00–22:00.
Serbia
Seasonal weekend ban for trucks above 7 t on certain corridors in summer. Permanent route bans for heavy transports through the Belgrade Tunnel and selected bridges. Dangerous-goods bans at weekends and overnight.
Slovakia
Ban for trucks above 7.5 t (with trailer above 3.5 t) on Sundays and public holidays 00:00–22:00 on Class I roads. Permanent ban for trucks above 12 t on Class III roads.
Slovenia
Ban for trucks above 7.5 t on Sundays and public holidays 08:00–21:00, on Good Friday 14:00–21:00. Seasonal summer ban from the last weekend of June to the first weekend of September: Saturdays 08:00–13:00 and Sundays/holidays/non-working days 08:00–21:00 on the same main routes. Permanent ban at the Sečovlje, Sočerga, Vinica, Rigonce and Gibina border crossings and in poor weather.
Spain
No nationwide Sunday ban, but timed bans for trucks above 7.5 t on many national roads. Dangerous-goods transports are banned on Sundays and public holidays 08:00–24:00, and on the day before a public holiday (not Saturday) 16:00–24:00. Toll: closed system (Via-T).
Sweden
Sweden's bans are based primarily on width (3.10 m incl. cargo). On certain main roads, bans apply Monday to Thursday 15:00–20:00, Monday to Friday 06:00–09:00, Fridays 15:00–24:00, the day before Sundays/holidays 10:00–18:00, and Sundays/public holidays 12:00–20:00.
Switzerland
General ban for trucks above 3.5 t (combinations above 5 t) on Sundays and public holidays 00:00–24:00. Daily night ban 22:00–05:00. Regional public-holiday bans vary by canton. Toll: LSVA-3 (distance-based).
Turkey
Sunday and public-holiday bans for all trucks on many main roads. On the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, daily bans 06:00–10:00 and 16:00–22:00. Dangerous-goods transports banned daily 06:00–02:00. On the E5 between Edirne and Istanbul: 07:00–10:00 inbound, 17:00–22:00 outbound. Permanent ban on the Bosporus Bridge.
Special transports and dangerous goods: additional bans
For dangerous-goods transports (ADR) and special transports, stricter bans apply than for standard trucks in almost every European country. Typical additional rules:
- Visibility and weather clauses: Below 200 m visibility, in icy conditions, or after dark, oversize and heavy transports are prohibited in Belgium, the Netherlands and Bulgaria regardless.
- Designated routes: Dangerous-goods transports may only use approved routes in Croatia, Spain and Portugal.
- Tunnel bans: Tanks above 3,000 l are prohibited from certain tunnels in the Netherlands; on the Øresund Bridge, rules vary by dangerous-goods category.
- Heat-related bans: Romania and Belarus issue heat bans on motorways at 25 °C or red-code alerts respectively.
For heavy transports and permit requirements, the rule is straightforward: obtain destination- and transit-country permits before the tour starts. The carrier is liable; for the CMR waybill and international transport responsibilities, see our overview of Incoterms 2020.
Making driving bans visible in the Dispatch Module: time blockers for trucks
Anyone dispatching cross-border tours regularly can't keep the 28-country matrix in their head — the chance of accidentally combining a Saturday in mid-August with a Milan → Hamburg tour and hitting the German summer ban is high. The cost of a breach is concrete: €570 in Germany, up to €750 in France, €5,000 ceiling in Austria — per breach, per vehicle, plus waiting time at checkpoints.
IMPARGO is a cloud-based Transport Management Platform (TMS) from Germany. In its Dispatch Module — the visual dispatch board / calendar — dispatchers set time blockers on individual trucks, for example for all Sundays of 2026, German Unity Day on 3 October, or the nine summer-ban Saturdays between 4 July and 29 August. When an order is later created that lands inside a blocked window, the dispatch view shows the clash on the timeline immediately — and the dispatcher can reschedule the order or reassign it to another truck before it goes out.
Time blocker for truck driving bans in the IMPARGO Dispatch Module
Concrete example: you set a time blocker on truck DE-AB-1234 for Saturday 18 July 2026 (German summer ban day). A week earlier, on 11 July, an order Lyon → Hamburg is scheduled that needs the truck right through to Sunday. When you open the dispatch view for 18 July, you see the order sitting on top of the blocker — and can either push the tour out by a day or reassign the load to another truck before the trip leaves the yard.
FAQ: Truck driving bans 2026
Last updated: May 2026. Truck driving bans change frequently, so the information here is provided without guarantee. For day-current updates and short-notice regional bans, please consult the relevant national transport authority.
