European truck tolls are rising across the board in 2026. CO2 surcharges are expanding, the Netherlands is switching from vignette to per-kilometer charging, Poland hiked rates by 40%, and Romania is launching a brand-new distance-based system.
Moving oversized cargo across Europe means dealing with 15+ separate permitting systems. There is no unified EU permit for abnormal loads. This guide covers permit requirements for 15 European countries.
Most European countries ban trucks (typically over 7.5t) from driving on Sundays and public holidays. Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland and others enforce strict weekend bans with fines ranging from EUR 45 to EUR 750+.
A driver fires up Google Maps, follows the blue line, and twenty minutes later the truck is wedged under a 3.5-meter bridge. Google Maps was built for cars. It has no idea what a truck is.