Greece maintains year-round bans but modifies seasonal restrictions

Greece has published the list of truck traffic bans for 2026. While the structure of the year-round restrictions remains unchanged, the rules governing seasonal bans have been significantly modified. In practice, this means the continuation of the existing holiday model, but with all weekends during the summer period now fully covered by road transport restrictions.

In 2026, the model applied in the previous year has been maintained. The year-round restrictions still:
● are based on a closed list of specific calendar dates,
● are primarily linked to holiday periods and days of increased traffic,
● differentiate traffic directions (departures before holidays and returns after holidays),
● cover the country’s main transit corridors.

No new legal framework or permanent periods covering all weekends have been introduced. The differences compared to 2025 result solely from the calendar (including the movable date of Easter) and possible adjustments to the applicable time frames. From the perspective of transport operators, this means a continuation of the existing planning model, with only schedule updates required to reflect the new dates.

Seasonal bans: change in scope of application
The situation differs with regard to seasonal restrictions.
In 2025, summer bans applied only to selected weekends specified by exact dates. Not all weekends during the season were subject to restrictions.

In 2026, a broader mechanism has been introduced, covering the entire seasonal period. In practice, this means that within the designated time frame, restrictions will apply every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For companies operating transport services to and from Greece, this brings greater predictability during the holiday season, but at the same time eliminates “free” weekends in mid-season (resulting in reduced flexibility in weekend planning during the seasonal period).

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