However, this is not the only public holiday with truck traffic bans in August. The Hungarian authorities have decided to shorten the upcoming restrictions.
The Hungarian transport association MKFE has announced that the weekend driving ban for trucks over 7.5 tonnes will be shortened this Saturday and Sunday (3 and 4 August). It will be in force during the following hours:
- Saturday, 3 August, from 22:00 until Sunday, 4 August 2024, at 22:00.
Below is a calendar of festive traffic bans in European countries:
1 August
Switzerland: from 00:00 to 24:00, the Swiss National Holiday is celebrated. The bans apply to trucks over 3.5 tonnes.
4 August
Croatia: from 12:00 to 23:00. The ban applies to trucks and convoys over 7.5 tonnes and trucks and semi-trailers over 14 metres in length.
5 August
Croatia: from 14:00 to 23:00. On this date, Croatians celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
14 August
Croatia: from 15:00 to 23:00.
France: from 22:00 to 24:00. The ban applies to trucks and vehicle combinations with a gross vehicle weight of more than 7.5 tonnes.
Luxembourg: from 23:30 to 24:00 towards Germany and from 21:30 to 24:00 towards France. Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 7.5 tonnes with or without trailers are banned.
Poland: from 18:00 to 22:00, vehicles and combinations of vehicles with a permissible total weight exceeding 12 tonnes may not drive on the roads.
15 August
Austria: from 00:00 to 22:00. The prohibition applies to tractors with trailers with a tractor or trailer weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes, and trucks and articulated vehicles with a weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes.
Croatia: from 14:00 to 23:00.
France: from 00:00 to 22:00.
19 August
Hungary: from 22:00 to 24:00. Truck traffic bans in Hungary apply to heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes.
20 August
Hungary: from 00:00 to 22:00. Hungarians celebrate St Stephen’s Day on this day.
29 August
Slovakia: from 00:00 to 22:00.
Summer traffic bans
In addition to holiday and weekend traffic restrictions during the summer, several European countries also apply additional holiday traffic bans (Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy). Details on this can be found in our earlier article.
As the German holiday traffic ban only covers certain motorways and roads (and this year Germany has added several roads to the list of banned roads), every year, to help find alternative routes, the German transport association BGL prepares a map for truck drivers and hauliers. Its digital version is freely scalable, allowing it to be used on mobile devices. It is available free of charge on the BGL website.