There is no EU-wide regulation on traffic bans for commercial vehicles, so each country sets its own rules, and some do not impose any restrictions at all. This situation creates challenges for transport companies, which must consider these bans when planning trips. To assist traffic offices, DHL publishes a comprehensive list of the main European traffic bans on its website, noting that there may be additional local restrictions.
As mentioned, some European countries do not have general traffic bans for trucks. These countries include Albania, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, and Sweden. However, even in these countries, there may be specific regional regulations or restrictions for the transport of dangerous goods.
Other countries impose traffic bans for commercial vehicles on Sundays, weekends, or national holidays. The main ones are:
Germany: Ban on trucks over 7.5 tons from midnight to 10:00 PM on Sundays and holidays, with additional bans in July and August on Saturdays from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on selected routes.
France: Ban on trucks over 7.5 tons from midnight to 10:00 PM on Sundays and holidays, and from 10:00 PM to midnight on Saturdays and the day before holidays. From mid-July to the end of August, also on Saturdays from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Greece: Ban on trucks over 1.5 tons from 3:00 PM to 9:00/10:00 PM on Sundays and holidays, with possible regional restrictions.
Croatia: From June 15 to September 15, Saturdays from 4:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Sundays and holidays from noon to 11:00 PM on main routes.
Poland: From June 28 to August 25, Fridays from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Saturdays from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Sundays from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Similar bans also exist in Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. For information on Italian bans, you can download our free PDF of the annual calendar. The complete text for Europe can be consulted on DHL’s website.
