Why are there weather restrictions for extraordinary transport?
Weekend bans and holiday bans for oversized transport exist for two reasons. The first is traffic — on weekends and holidays, roads are loaded with personal vehicles, and oversized transport requires more space, slows down traffic and increases the risk of accidents. Another reason is administrative — the escort and the relevant offices often do not work on weekends, which makes it difficult to intervene in the event of a breakdown or accident.
This is one of the most important practical information for route planning because an incorrectly planned appointment can stop the transport at the border or in the middle of the route — and without the possibility of continuation until the ban expires.
Rules apply to standard cases — the conditions of the specific permit may be stricter or lenient. Always check the license requirements for each country. For precise checking according to dimensions and relation of use Permit calculator.
Western Europe
🇩🇪 Germany
Time limits are defined by the specific permit. Standard applies ban on Saturdays from 07:00 to 20:00 and all week for loads exceeding 3.0 m in width. Transports below that width can also drive on weekends according to the conditions of the permit. Holidays are treated as Sundays. More in the guide Permit for oversized transport in Germany.
🇫🇷 France
France has the strictest weekend bans in the EU. It is forbidden to drive with extraordinary transport Fridays from 22:00 to Saturdays at 22:00 and Sundays from 00:00 to midnight. In addition, the summer period (July–August) carries particularly strict prohibitions. Holidays are treated as Sundays. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport France.
🇦🇹 Austria
Weekend bans for loads wider than 3.0 m. Special rules apply to alpine tunnels (Tauernautobahn, Brenner) and alpine passes which have their own summary of prohibitions independent of the load width. More in the guide Permit for oversized transport in Austria.
🇧🇪 Belgium
Belgium has several layers of prohibitions:
- Loads >30 m long and/or >4 m wide: curfew 06:00–21:00 every day
- Loads >3.5 m on a highway with less than 3 lanes: prohibition 06:00–21:00
- Weekend ban: Saturdays from 12:00 to Sundays until 00:00
- Peaks: loads >27 m or >3.5 m or >60 t — prohibition 07:00–09:00 and 16:00–18:00
- Holidays: 1.1., Easter Monday, Ascension, Ghosts, 21.7., 15.8., 1.11., 11.11., 25.12. — from 16:00 the day before until 00:00 on holidays
More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Belgium.
🇳🇱 Netherlands
Prohibitions depend on dimensions. Specific time limits for different dimension categories are determined by the Rijkswaterstaat in the permit. On holidays, transport is limited by the decision of the road administration. More in the guide Permit for oversized transport in the Netherlands.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
By default, transport is allowed between 05:00 and 22:00. On weekends and holidays, restrictions may apply according to the conditions of the permit. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Switzerland.
🇪🇸 Spain
Day or night — according to the conditions of the specific permit. Regional differences are pronounced because each autonomous community has a specific jurisdiction. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Spain.
🇵🇹 Portugal
Transport is permitted day and night with no special weekend restrictions, except as prescribed by the specific permit. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Portugal.
🇮🇹 Italy
Usually 24/7, but it depends on the dimensions of the cargo and the specific route. The decision is made by the competent office (ANAS or Prefettura) within the permit. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Italy.
Are you planning transport through Western Europe?
Check the route and get an overview of all necessary permits through Permit calculator.
Central Europe
🇩🇪🇨🇿🇸🇰🇵🇱 Review
| Countries | Weekend ban | Peak hours / daily curfews | Holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | According to the permit | According to the permit | According to the permit |
| Slovakia | According to the permit | According to the permit | According to the permit |
| Hungary | Yes — for certain categories | Yes — under license terms | Yes — ban for certain categories |
| Poland | By license category | By license category | By license category |
🇭🇺 Hungary — special note
Hungary imposes bans on weekends and public holidays for certain categories of cargo. The conditions are specified in the permit. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Hungary.
Southeast Europe
🇸🇮 Slovenia
Driving under license conditions. Loads up to 23.1 m × 3.5 m × 4.5 m – 40 t can be driven day and night without special prohibitions. Larger loads have limits specified in the permit. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Slovenia.
🇭🇷 Croatia
Generally 24/7, no special weekend bans for standard extraordinary loads. Important warning: from June 15 to September 15, driving is prohibited on weekends — seasonal tourist ban for heavy vehicles on certain sections. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Croatia.
🇬🇷 Greece
Transportation is allowed. only during the day — night driving is not allowed without special permission. This is standard for all oversized transports, regardless of dimensions. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Greece.
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
Transportation is allowed. only during the day. Night driving is not allowed. Bulgaria has no free dimensions — a permit is required for any excess of standard measurements. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Bulgaria.
🇷🇴 Romania
Day or night — no special weekend bans. They are an exception public holidays — then transport is only possible from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Romania.
Scandinavia and the Nordics
🇸🇪 Sweden
Prohibitions by day groups:
- Monday–Thursday: prohibition 06:00–09:00 and 15:00–20:00
- Friday: prohibition 06:00–09:00 and 15:00–00:00
- Saturday and holidays: ban 10:00–18:00
- Sunday and holidays: prohibition 12:00–20:00
More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Sweden.
🇳🇴 Norway
Transportation is allowed. only during the day. Morning and afternoon rush hour bans apply (Monday–Thursday), on Fridays a special ban from 3:00 PM to midnight. Weekend ban: from 6:00 AM on Saturday to 12:00 AM on Sunday. On the eve of holidays, a ban from 3:00 PM. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Norway.
🇩🇰 Denmark
Transportation from dawn to dusk. Loads wider than 5 m are allowed to drive only at night. No special weekend restrictions, but daylight restrictions apply. Police escort is not provided in Denmark. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Denmark.
🇫🇮 Finland
According to the terms of the permit. No standard weekend bans, but special restrictions may be included in the permit depending on dimensions. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Finland.
Transport through Scandinavia?
Connections to Scandinavia go through Denmark or Finland — check all permits in one query.
Baltic States
🇪🇪 Estonia / 🇱🇻 Latvia / 🇱🇹 Lithuania
All three Baltic states do not have standard weekend bans for extraordinary transport. The conditions are defined by the specific permit. Estonia and Lithuania have somewhat wider free dimensions than the EU average. Guides: Estonia | Latvia | Lithuania.
Outside the EU — Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Belarus, Ukraine
🇷🇸 Serbia
Serbia has precisely defined weekend bans:
- Fridays from 3:00 PM to 12:00 PM — prohibition
- Sundays from 3:00 PM to 12:00 PM — prohibition
- The day before the holiday from 15:00 to 24:00 — prohibition
- The last day of the holiday from 15:00 to 24:00 — prohibition
Outside of these prohibitions, transport is permitted day and night. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Serbia.
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Transport is allowed 24/7, special times may be set for certain routes within the permit. BiH is not EU — customs procedure at the border. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Bosnia and Herzegovina.
🇲🇪 Montenegro
Transport 24/7, with possible special times for certain routes according to the conditions of the permit. Montenegro is not EU. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Montenegro.
🇧🇾 Belarus
Transport is allowed 24/7, even if the authorities specify specific times in the permit — practice shows that transport takes place continuously. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport of Belarus.
🇺🇦 Ukraine
Transport is allowed 24/7 according to the conditions of the permit. The ban applies in adverse weather conditions: fog, snow, ice and in summer at temperatures above 28°C. The state of war may affect the availability of routes. More in the guide Permit for extraordinary transport Ukraine.
Practical tips for planning transport appointments
1. Always plan ahead
Even when the weekend ban is not formally valid, traffic conditions on weekends and holidays can be unfavorable due to the density of personal traffic. Scheduling cargo arrival on weekdays reduces the risk of delays.
2. Holidays do not behave uniformly
A public holiday that is not a working day in one country may be a working day in a neighbouring country. Transport that passes through three countries on three different public holidays needs to be coordinated especially carefully.
3. Rush hour is especially dangerous in urban areas
France, Belgium and Switzerland have morning and afternoon rush hour bans within urban areas for oversized loads. Passage through cities must be planned for the night or non-working hours.
4. The summer period requires special attention
Croatia (June 15–September 15), France (July–August) and Greece have increased restrictions in summer. This is the period that requires the longest planning periods.
5. Permission is always superior to this review
The terms of a specific permit are the authority. This overview provides typical rules, but each permit may have specific terms that are stricter or more lenient than the standard.
FAQ — Weekend ban on oversized transport
It depends on the country and the dimensions of the load. In some countries (BiH, Baltic States, Portugal) there are no weekend bans. In others (France, Norway, Serbia) the prohibitions are precisely defined. Always check the specific country — and the license conditions are always the authority.
France stands out as the country with the strictest time restrictions — a weekend ban for all categories of extraordinary transport, plus summer bans in July and August. Belgium and Greece are also known for strict time frames.
The transport may be stopped by the police and must wait on the spot until the ban expires. In addition, fines follow. In countries like Germany, the costs of police intervention can be invoiced up to 3 years after the event.
No — weekend bans for oversized transport only apply to vehicles and combinations that exceed standard dimensions and weights. Standard freight transport has its own set of weekend bans that are not the subject of this guide.