Weekend of 26-27 September: lorry driving bans across Europe

This weekend (26-27 September) there are no national holidays in Europe. What there is are the usual weekend bans on heavy goods transport (vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, with some regional exceptions).

Country by country — Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September

🔴 Strict bans

France

• Hours: Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00
• Scope: the whole motorway network
• Exemptions: perishables, live animals, combined transport, emergencies
• Impact: anyone heading for northern France should leave on Friday or Monday

Italy

• Hours: Sunday 07:00-22:00 (summer rule, to 30 September)
• Scope: motorways and busy roads
• Exemptions: dairy, fresh meat, emergencies
• Impact: Brenner-southern Italy routes blocked on Sunday

Austria

• Hours: Saturday 15:00-24:00; Sunday 00:00-22:00
• Scope: the whole motorway network
• Also: night ban 22:00-05:00 all year on designated roads
• Impact: the Brenner is impassable; divert via Bavaria or Ljubljana

Germany

• Hours: Sunday 00:00-22:00
• Scope: the whole motorway network
• Exemptions: perishables, emergencies
• Impact: smaller — Saturday free, Sunday closed

🟡 Moderate restrictions

Spain

• Hours: no weekend ban (only section-based restrictions through the year)
• Scope: the DGT’s annual calendar (no changes for this weekend)
• Impact: free running at the weekend

Portugal

• Hours: no weekend restriction
• Impact: free running

Czechia

• Hours: Sunday 13:00-22:00
• Scope: vehicles over 7.5 t
• Impact: smaller — Sunday afternoon only

Slovakia

• Hours: Sunday 06:00-22:00
• Scope: vehicles over 7.5 t
• Impact: smaller

Belgium

• Hours: no weekend ban
• Impact: free running

Netherlands

• Hours: no weekend ban
• Also: reduced toll from 1/09 to 31/12
• Impact: free running; tolls 10-15% cheaper

Switzerland

• Hours: no weekend restriction (rules only 00:00-05:00, Monday to Friday)
• Impact: free running

🟢 No weekend restrictions

Poland, Hungary and Romania — no specific weekend ban.

Recommendations for operators

If you are setting out from the Iberian Peninsula:

1. To France:

   • Leave on Friday and cross before 22:00 on Saturday
   • Or leave early on Monday
   • Alternative: the long way round via Spain and Italy

2. To Italy:

   • Cross the Brenner and Austria before Saturday 15:00 (Austria closes then)
   • Or wait for Monday
   • Alternative: via Switzerland (more expensive in tolls)

3. To Germany and northern Europe:

   • Saturday driving is free (the ban is Sunday only)
   • Stop on Saturday night and resume on Monday

Regional alternatives:

• Iberian corridor (PT/ES/FR): only the French ban applies (Saturday 22:00); Saturday morning works
• Brenner corridor (centre and south): more complex — Austria closes Saturday 15:00, Italy Sunday 07:00
• Northern corridor (NL/Belgium/Germany): Saturday is a working day; only Sunday is blocked

Financial impact

For those who cannot keep to the hours:

• Fines: €750 to €3,750 per offence
• Vehicle impounded in serious cases
• The operator is liable, not only the driver

The coming weekends

• 3-4/10: no holidays, the same bans
• 10-11/10: a holiday in some countries (check country by country)

Tip: follow the traffic authorities’ announcements in the preceding week for any last-minute changes.