Truck Driving Bans in Greece 2026 see country rules

Data verified: 2026-07-04

Is there a truck ban in Greece today?

No ban is active right now.

Greece restricts goods vehicles with a payload over 3.5 t on selected motorways and national roads, in specific directions, rather than with a nationwide all-road Sunday ban. Bans apply on Fridays and eves of public holidays in the outbound direction from major cities, typically 16:00–21:00 or 16:00–22:00, and on Sundays and at the end of holiday periods in the inbound direction, typically 15:00–21:00 or 18:00–23:00. From 1 July to 31 August the regime tightens on key holiday routes: Fridays 16:00–22:00, Saturdays 08:00–16:00 or 08:00–22:00, and Sundays 07:00–22:00. Exact roads, dates and windows are set each year by Hellenic Police traffic decisions.

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Weekly ban rules

Rule	When	Hours	Where	Vehicles	Notes
Friday and eve-of-holiday outbound ban	Fridays before weekends and days before public holidays	16:00–21:00 or 16:00–22:00 depending on the route	Selected motorways and national roads leaving major cities, mainly Athens and Thessaloniki	Goods vehicles with payload over 3.5 t	Targets the holiday departure wave. The same road can stay open in the opposite direction.
Sunday and holiday-end inbound ban	Sundays and the last day of holiday periods	15:00–21:00 or 18:00–23:00 depending on the route; 07:00–22:00 on summer Sundays	Selected motorways and national roads leading back into major cities	Goods vehicles with payload over 3.5 t	Targets the return-traffic wave into Athens, Thessaloniki and other urban areas.
Summer weekend ban	Every weekend, 1 July – 31 August	Friday 16:00–22:00; Saturday 08:00–16:00 or 08:00–22:00; Sunday 07:00–22:00	Selected roads on major summer travel corridors, direction-specific	Goods vehicles with payload over 3.5 t	The strictest period of the year. Saturday windows differ by route and date under the annual police decision.

Ban dates 2026 (holidays)

Date	Day	Holiday	Hours	Scope
2026-01-01	Thursday	New Year's Day	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes around major cities
2026-01-06	Tuesday	Epiphany	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes around major cities
2026-02-23	Monday	Clean Monday	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes, mainly inbound return traffic
2026-03-25	Wednesday	Independence Day	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes around major cities
2026-04-10	Friday	Orthodox Good Friday	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes, mainly outbound Easter departures
2026-04-12	Sunday	Orthodox Easter Sunday	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes
2026-04-13	Monday	Orthodox Easter Monday	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes, mainly inbound return traffic
2026-05-01	Friday	Labour Day	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes around major cities
2026-06-01	Monday	Holy Spirit Monday	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes, mainly inbound return traffic
2026-08-15	Saturday	Assumption Day	Summer weekend windows apply	Major summer travel corridors; peak summer holiday traffic
2026-10-28	Wednesday	Ohi Day	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes around major cities
2026-12-25	Friday	Christmas Day	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes around major cities
2026-12-26	Saturday	Synaxis of the Mother of God	Varies by route and direction	Selected routes around major cities

Seasonal bans

Summer weekend ban — 1 July – 31 August 2026, Friday 16:00–22:00; Saturday 08:00–16:00 or 08:00–22:00; Sunday 07:00–22:00

During the summer travel season the restrictions cover more routes and longer windows on the main corridors serving Greek holiday traffic. Friday bans apply on outbound roads from the cities, Sunday bans on inbound roads back to them. Saturday windows differ by route and date, so the current Hellenic Police decision must be checked before dispatch.

4 roads

Athens–Korinthos motorway
Athens–Lamia corridor
Routes to and from Thessaloniki
Routes to and from Patras and the Peloponnese

Exemptions

Fresh milk, fresh fish, fresh meat and livestock
Fresh fruit and vegetables in refrigerated vehicles
Animal by-products for inactivation, under the required veterinary conditions
Vehicles transporting oxygen for medical purposes
Emergency vehicles
Trucks transporting equipment for musical, theatrical, television or film events
Trucks transporting military material
Racing support vehicles and service trucks for racing events

Fines

Fines under the Greek Road Traffic Code, enforced through police controls on the affected routes
Driving against a direction-specific restriction brings a fine and a possible stop order
Police can halt even exempt vehicles when they order a wider traffic interruption for extraordinary weather or traffic conditions

Payload threshold, not gross weight

Greece measures its threshold in payload capacity over 3.5 t, not gross vehicle weight. Many rigid trucks and light artics that stay under a 7.5 t GVW rule elsewhere fall under the Greek regime.

Annual police decision sets the details

The exact road sections, dates and time windows are fixed each year by a Hellenic Police traffic decision published in the Government Gazette. The current decision and the daily calendar for the planned route and direction must be checked before dispatch, since windows differ between routes and between individual weekends.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a truck ban in Greece today?

No ban is active right now.

Are trucks banned every Sunday in Greece?

Not nationwide on all roads. Greece applies Sunday restrictions on selected inbound routes toward major cities during return-traffic periods, with the widest coverage on summer Sundays 07:00–22:00 between 1 July and 31 August.

What trucks are affected in Greece?

Goods vehicles with a payload over 3.5 t. This is a lower and differently measured threshold than the 7.5 t gross vehicle weight used in Germany, France or Italy, so trucks that escape bans elsewhere can be caught in Greece.

When is the Greek summer truck ban in 2026?

From 1 July to 31 August 2026, with route-specific bans on Fridays 16:00–22:00, Saturdays 08:00–16:00 or 08:00–22:00, and Sundays 07:00–22:00.

Do Greek truck bans apply on all roads?

No. The restrictions apply on specific motorways and national roads, such as the Athens–Korinthos motorway and the Athens–Lamia corridor, and often only in one direction of travel.

Are there truck bans on Greek public holidays?

Yes. Bans are activated around major public holidays such as Orthodox Easter (12 April 2026), Assumption Day (15 August 2026) and Christmas, on the eve of the holiday in the outbound direction and at the end of the holiday period in the inbound direction.

Why is the direction of travel important in Greece?

Restrictions follow holiday traffic waves: outbound from the cities before weekends and holidays, inbound to the cities after them. The same road section can be banned in one direction and open in the other at the same time.