Austria 2026 driving bans: Saturday 15:00 to Sunday 22:00, plus a nightly ban

Austria has one of the most complex restriction regimes in Europe, because it combines:

1. A weekend ban (Saturday 15:00 → Sunday 22:00)
2. A daily night ban (22:00 → 05:00) on designated roads
3. Goods-type restrictions in Tyrol, the region bordering Italy

The 2026 calendar

Standard weekend ban

Day	Hours	Roads	Weight threshold
Saturday	15:00 → 24:00	All motorways	over 7.5 t
Sunday	00:00 → 22:00	All motorways	over 7.5 t

Duration: 31 continuous hours (Saturday 15:00 → Sunday 22:00).

Night ban (every day)

Hours	Roads	Threshold	Applies
22:00 → 05:00	Designated roads (mostly Tyrol)	over 7.5 t	Every day, weekends included

Roads affected:

• A12 (Brenner)
• A13 (Inn valley)
• A5, A6 (northern Tyrol)
• National roads (B165, B171 and others)

Public holidays with an extended ban

Date	Holiday	Hours	Duration
1 January	New Year	00:00-22:00	22h
6 January	Epiphany	00:00-22:00	22h
Easter (moveable)	Thursday to Monday	15:00 (Thu)-22:00 (Mon)	79h
1 May	Labour Day	00:00-22:00	22h
15 August	Assumption	00:00-22:00	22h
26 October	Austrian National Day	00:00-22:00	22h
1 November	All Saints	00:00-22:00	22h
8 December	Immaculate Conception	00:00-22:00	22h
25 December	Christmas	00:00-22:00	22h
26 December	St Stephen’s Day	00:00-22:00	22h

Sectoral restrictions in Tyrol

In Tyrol, on top of the traffic ban, there are restrictions by type of goods:

Banned goods (Friday 15:00 → Sunday 22:00)

Goods	Banned	Exception
Cereals, animal feed	Yes	No
Round timber	Yes	Prior authorisation
Minerals, stone	Yes	No
Chemical fertilisers	Yes	No
Cement	Yes	No
Liquefied gases	Yes	Emergencies only

Reason: environmental protection — cutting heavy freight congestion during peak tourist traffic.

Exemptions from the ban

Transports exempt from the ban (but still subject to the night ban):

• Perishable foodstuffs (with documentation)
• Medicines and medical equipment
• Emergency, security and fire services
• Construction materials after approval (rare)
• Heating fuel (winter)

Note: even with an exemption, the 22:00-05:00 night ban still applies. It requires a special authorisation from the Austrian authorities.

The Brenner corridor — a complex picture

Saturday to Sunday

Austria: Saturday 15:00 to Sunday 22:00 (full ban) Italy: Sunday 07:00 to 22:00 (until 30 September); 09:00-22:00 after that

Workable window:

• Cross before Saturday 15:00 (when Austria closes)
• Or cross early on Monday (everything open)

Distance from the Iberian Peninsula to the Brenner: around 2,500 km (32-36h of driving plus rests) Feasibility with one driver: very tight; it calls for two drivers or a Monday departure.

Alternatives to the Brenner

Route	Length	Restrictions	Toll cost
Brenner (A12)	+2,500 km	Sat 15:00-Sun 22:00 AT + Sun 07:00-22:00 IT	~€120
Mont Blanc (A40)	+2,550 km	Fri 17:00-Mon 10:00 FR + night ban	~€80 + roadworks
Gotthard (A2)	+2,700 km	None at weekends	~€50 + Swiss toll
Ljubljana (A2/A6)	+2,600 km	None at weekends	~€40

Recommendation: for the Brenner, crossing at the weekend is not worth it. Leaving on Monday is better.

Planning from the Iberian Peninsula

Scenario 1: Monday departure

• Leave Monday at 04:00
• Wednesday: arrive in Vienna or Munich
• Thursday: rest or reload
• The following Saturday-Sunday: rest, if the return is needed

Advantage: the route is fully open, no pressure, a proper rest.

Scenario 2: Friday arrival — alternative route

If you must reach Vienna on Friday:

• Friday: the Brenner is still open until 15:00 (cross before)
• Rest: Friday night (divert through Bavaria if you cannot make it)

Risk: very tight; it needs the timing to be exact.

Scenario 3: diversion through Switzerland

If the schedule does not work:

• Wednesday: reach Switzerland
• Thursday: rest and Gotthard toll
• Friday: leave the Gotthard and enter Austria with no restrictions

Extra cost: about €50 in tolls and 200 km more.

Fines and penalties

Offence	Fine	Notes
Driving during the ban	€300	Base
Repeat offence	€600	Within 12 months
False documentation	€1,000	Fraud
Vehicle impounded	Up to €5,000	Serious offence (three or more)

Liability: both the operator and the driver.

Useful contacts

Body	Role	Link
ASFINAG	Tolls and infrastructure	https://www.asfinag.at/
BGL	Driving ban calendar	https://www.bgl-ev.de/
Tirol Verkehr	Regional information for Tyrol	https://www.tirol.gv.at/
Polizei Österreich	Enforcement	Dial 133 in an emergency

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Final tip: Austria is the bottleneck of the central European route. If the trip falls at the weekend, leaving on Monday is not really an option — it is how you avoid the offence and the fine.