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Driving bans in Europe

When lorries cannot drive, country by country. Weight thresholds, times, the most used exemptions and a direct link to the official portal where the yearly calendar is published.

Read this before you plan. Driving ban calendars are set every year and can change during the year, including by regional decision. This page is a starting point, not an official document: always confirm with the source given for each country before you set off.
CountryApplies toMain periodsUpdated
AustriaGoods over 7.5 t (including combinations)
  • Saturdays: 15:00 → 24:00
  • Sundays and public holidays: 00:00 → 22:00
  • General night ban: 22:00 → 05:00 on designated roads
21/10/2026
BelgiumNo general ban; specific rules for ADR, abnormal loads and urban zones
  • Heavy goods vehicles in general: No national weekend ban
  • Dangerous goods (ADR): Restrictions in tunnels and on designated routes
08/09/2026
CzechiaGoods vehicles over 7.5 t
  • Sundays and public holidays: 13:00 → 22:00
  • Summer — Fridays: 17:00 → 21:00
  • Summer — Saturdays: 07:00 → 13:00
23/10/2026
FranceGoods vehicles over 7.5 t
  • Weekend: Saturday 22:00 → Sunday 22:00
  • Public holidays: Eve 22:00 → holiday 22:00
  • Summer and heavy-traffic dates: Extra restrictions published by arrêté
23/10/2026
GermanyGoods over 7.5 t and vehicles with a trailer behind a lorry
  • Sundays and public holidays: 00:00 → 22:00
  • Holiday ban (Ferienreiseverordnung): 1 July to 31 August, Saturdays 07:00 → 20:00
23/10/2026
HungaryGoods vehicles over 7.5 t
  • Weekend (winter): Saturday 22:00 → Sunday 22:00
  • Weekend (summer): Saturday 15:00 → Sunday 22:00
  • Public holidays: Eve in the evening → holiday 22:00
23/10/2026
ItalyGoods over 7.5 t
  • Sundays and public holidays (January to May, October to December): Usually 09:00 → 22:00
  • Sundays and public holidays (June to September): Usually 07:00 → 22:00
  • Heavy-traffic dates: Saturdays and the eve of public holidays in August
20/10/2026
NetherlandsNo general ban; urban restrictions by emission class and vehicle size
  • Heavy goods vehicles in general: No national weekend ban
  • Urban delivery: Time windows set by each municipality
26/09/2026
PolandGoods vehicles over 12 t
  • Public holidays: Eve 18:00 → holiday 22:00
  • Summer period: Fridays 18:00 → 22:00; Saturdays 08:00 → 14:00; Sundays 08:00 → 22:00
23/10/2026
PortugalDangerous goods (ADR) and abnormal loads; lorries in general only on specific roads and works
  • Goods vehicles in general: No national weekend ban
  • Dangerous goods (ADR): Restrictions at weekends, on public holidays and in peak periods
  • Abnormal loads: Movement subject to a permit and to the times set in it
15/09/2026
SpainGoods over 7.5 t on designated roads; separate rules for ADR and abnormal loads
  • Sundays and public holidays: Usually between 08:00/09:00 and 24:00, depending on the road
  • Eve of public holidays and weekend getaways: One-off restrictions on busy corridors
  • Dangerous goods (ADR): Wider restrictions than the general ones
02/10/2026
SwitzerlandGoods vehicles over 3.5 t
  • Night ban: Every day, 22:00 → 05:00
  • Sundays and public holidays: All day
23/10/2026

How to read these rules

The weight threshold changes everything

Most countries apply the ban above 7.5 t. Poland uses 12 t. Switzerland goes down to 3.5 t. The same vehicle can be banned in one country and free in the next.

A ban is not a rest period

Being parked because of a ban only counts as rest if it is recorded as rest on the tachograph and meets the minimum duration. Plan the two together.

Exemptions need proof

Perishable goods, live animals and combined transport are the most common exemptions — but they almost always depend on paperwork on board proving what the load is.