Road rules 2026

Speed limits and drink-driving limits in Europe

How fast you may drive and how much alcohol is allowed: the general limits for cars in 29 European countries, each row with the sources it was read from.

Checked October 24, 2026. These are the general limits: road signs always take precedence, and laws change. Before you travel, check the source linked in the row for your country.

Winter tyres, studs and chains: the rules in 29 countries →

How to read the table

Speeds are the general limits for cars without a trailer. Alcohol limits are blood alcohol in grams per litre (g/l).

Built-up areas: the default limit inside towns and villages.
Outside built-up areas: the default on ordinary roads outside built-up areas.
Expressways: roads reserved for motor vehicles below motorway standard, where the country has such a class.
Motorways: the limit on motorways.
Alcohol limit: the limit for most drivers; 0.0 means no alcohol is allowed at all. Where the law states the limit in another unit (‰, g/kg, mg/ml or mg per 100 ml), that unit is named under the value.
Novice drivers: a lower limit for new or young drivers, and who counts as one.
—: the law sets no separate limit for that kind of road, or the country has no such road class.

Limits by country

Country	Built-up areas	Outside built-up areas	Expressways	Motorways	Alcohol limit	Novice drivers	Sources
Albania	40 km/h	80 km/h	90 km/h	130 km/h	0.0 g/l No alcohol allowed	0.0 g/l Drivers whose category B licence was obtained within the last 24 months (law 58/2026).	Agency for the Support of Local Self-Government (gov.al) – consolidated Road Code, law 8378/1998, incl. law 21/2023 Official Publications Centre (QBZ) – Official Journal 2026 no. 157, law 58/2026
Notes: Any alcohol is fined; above 0.5 g/l the driver counts as drunk and is referred for criminal prosecution. Under law 58/2026 (published 22 July 2026), drivers whose category B licence is less than 24 months old may not exceed 90 km/h on motorways and main roads and 80 km/h on other roads outside built-up areas.
Austria	50 km/h	100 km/h	100 km/h	130 km/h	0.5 g/l In law: ‰	0.1 g/l Probationary licence holders during the probation period, learner drivers and the persons accompanying them.	Austrian Federal Legal Information System (RIS), Federal Chancellery – StVO § 20 oesterreich.gv.at (Austrian federal government portal) ÖAMTC (Austrian automobile club)
Notes: Some transit motorways have a night limit of 110 km/h from 22:00 to 05:00, and air-quality (IG-L) limits are shown on signs. Austria has no separate expressway limit; the open-road limit of 100 km/h applies.
Belgium	50 km/h Brussels: 30	Wallonia 90; Flanders and Brussels 70	120 km/h 2+ lanes each way, physically separated	120 km/h	0.5 g/l	No separate limit found	codedelaroute.be (consolidated legal-text database, not the Belgian Official Gazette) – Highway Code, Royal Decree of 1 December 1975 codedelaroute.be (consolidated legal-text database, not the Belgian Official Gazette) – Road Traffic Police Act of 16 March 1968
Notes: Outside built-up areas the limit is 90 km/h in Wallonia and 70 km/h in Flanders and the Brussels-Capital Region unless signed otherwise; built-up areas in Brussels are 30 km/h. Drivers of vehicles that need a C1, C, D1 or D licence have a 0.2 g/l limit.
Bosnia & Herzegovina	50 km/h	80 km/h	100 km/h	130 km/h	0.3 g/l In law: g/kg	0.0 g/l Drivers under 21 or with less than 3 years of driving experience.	IDDEEA (state agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Road Traffic Safety Act, Official Gazette of BiH 6/06 IDDEEA – amendment, Official Gazette of BiH 48/10 Ministry of the Interior of Sarajevo Canton – copy of amendment, Official Gazette of BiH 8/17 Ministry of the Interior of Sarajevo Canton – copy of amendment, Official Gazette of BiH 35/26 Paragraf Lex BiH (news)
Notes: Since 27 May 2026, exceeding the limit by more than 40 km/h in a settlement or 60 km/h outside one counts as reckless driving, as does more than 1.5 g/kg of alcohol. Drivers of C and D vehicles and public transport, drivers whose main job is driving and driving instructors must have no alcohol.
Croatia	50 km/h	90 km/h	110 km/h	130 km/h	0.5 g/l In law: g/kg	0.0 g/l Young drivers: under 24 and holding a licence issued in Croatia.	zakon.hr (unofficial consolidation based on Narodne novine) – Road Traffic Safety Act, NN 67/08 … 145/24
Notes: Signs may allow up to 80 km/h in settlements. Category C and D drivers, driving instructors and drivers who drive category B vehicles professionally must have no alcohol.
Czechia	50 km/h	90 km/h	110 km/h	130 km/h	0.0 g/l No alcohol allowed	No separate limit found	Zákony pro lidi (AION CS) – Act 361/2000 Coll., unofficial consolidation of the Collection of Laws, version valid in 2026
Notes: Signs may raise the limit by up to 20 km/h, so up to 150 km/h on signed motorway sections; inside municipalities, motorways and expressways are 80 km/h. Any alcohol is an offence: a fine of CZK 7,000–25,000 and a driving ban of 6–18 months.
Denmark	50 km/h	80 km/h	80 km/h Motor-traffic roads; can be signed up to 100	130 km/h	0.5 g/l In law: ‰	0.2 g/l Category B drivers in the first 3 years after their first B licence, and anyone driving without a licence (since 1 July 2025).	Retsinformation (Danish Ministry of Transport) – Road Traffic Act, LBK no. 118 of 12 January 2026
Notes: Motor-traffic roads (motortrafikvej) are 80 km/h and can be signed up to 100 km/h, and lower limits can be signed on motorway sections. Above 1.2 ‰ the licence is withdrawn unconditionally.
Finland	50 km/h	80 km/h	—	120 km/h Highest signed limit in summer; 100 in winter	0.5 g/l In law: ‰	No separate limit found	Finlex open data (Finnish Ministry of Justice) – Road Traffic Act 729/2018, consolidated Finlex open data (Finnish Ministry of Justice) – Criminal Code 39/1889, consolidated version 2026/795 Fintraffic (Finnish state traffic management company), 28 October 2025 Fintraffic (Finnish state traffic management company), 24 October 2024
Notes: Without signs the limit is 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h elsewhere; higher limits are signed. In winter most 100 km/h roads drop to 80 km/h and motorways to 100 km/h; from 1.2 ‰ drink-driving is aggravated.
France	50 km/h	80 km/h 90 where the local authority has decided so	110 km/h	130 km/h	0.5 g/l	0.2 g/l Probationary licence holders (3 years, or 2 years after accompanied driving) and learners in accompanied driving.	Sécurité routière (French road safety delegation, Ministry of the Interior) Service-Public.fr (French government) Préfecture du Val-d'Oise (French government, press release of 18 June 2015)
Notes: In rain the limits drop to 110 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on dual carriageways and 80 km/h on other roads, and to 50 km/h everywhere when visibility is below 50 m. Probationary drivers may not exceed 110, 100 and 80 km/h; from 0.8 g/l drink-driving is a criminal offence.
Germany	50 km/h	100 km/h	Separated carriageways or 2+ lanes each way: no general limit, 130 recommended	No general limit 130 km/h recommended	0.5 g/l In law: ‰	0.0 g/l Drivers in the probation period (normally 2 years) and all drivers under 21.	German Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) – StVO § 3 German Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) – Motorway advisory speed ordinance § 1 German Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) – StVG § 24a German Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) – StVG § 24c German Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) – BOKraft § 8 ADAC (German automobile club)
Notes: Motorways and roads with separated carriageways or at least 2 marked lanes in each direction have no general limit for cars; 130 km/h is recommended. According to ADAC, from 0.3 ‰ driving can be a criminal offence if there are signs of impairment or after an accident; drivers of scheduled buses and trolleybuses must not drink alcohol on duty.
Greece	30 km/h Since 1 January 2026; multi-lane or divided roads 50	90 km/h	110 km/h	130 km/h	0.5 g/l	No separate limit found	e-nomothesia.gr (private legal database, not the official gazette) – Road Traffic Code, law 5209/2025
Notes: Since 1 January 2026 the default in built-up areas is 30 km/h; 50 km/h applies on roads with at least 2 lanes per direction or a central island, unless signed otherwise. Unpaved roads outside built-up areas are 40 km/h.
Hungary	50 km/h	90 km/h	110 km/h	130 km/h	0.0 g/l No alcohol allowed	No separate limit found	Wolters Kluwer Jogtár (unofficial consolidated text) – Highway Code KRESZ, 1/1975 KPM-BM decree Wolters Kluwer Jogtár (unofficial consolidated text) – Criminal Code, Act C of 2012 Wolters Kluwer Jogtár (unofficial consolidated text) – Act I of 1988 on road transport
Notes: The driver's body must contain no alcohol from drinking, and a breach is fined. Above 0.5 g/l in the blood (0.25 mg/l in breath) drink-driving is a crime, punishable by up to 2 years in prison.
Iceland	50 km/h	90 km/h Paved roads; gravel roads 80	—	—	0.2 g/l In law: ‰	No separate limit found	Stjórnartíðindi via Ísland.is (Government of Iceland) – Traffic Act 77/2019 as published in 2019 Ísland.is (Government of Iceland; service provider: Icelandic Police)
Notes: Outside built-up areas the limit is 90 km/h on paved roads and 80 km/h on gravel roads; the law allows up to 110 km/h only on roads with separated directions. From 1.2 ‰ a driver is deemed unfit to drive.
Ireland	50 km/h	80 km/h Regional roads; national roads 100, local roads 60	—	120 km/h	0.5 g/l In law: mg/100 ml	0.2 g/l Learner permit holders, drivers within 2 years of their first licence, and drivers without a licence for the category.	Law Reform Commission (Revised Acts) – Road Traffic Act 2004 Law Reform Commission (Revised Acts) – Road Traffic Act 2010
Notes: Outside built-up areas the limit depends on the road: 100 km/h on national roads, 80 km/h on regional roads and 60 km/h on local roads (since 7 February 2025). A 0.2 g/l limit also applies to truck, bus and taxi drivers.
Italy	50 km/h	90 km/h	110 km/h	130 km/h	0.5 g/l	0.0 g/l Drivers under 21 and drivers in the first 3 years after obtaining a category B licence.	Normattiva (Italian State) – Highway Code (Codice della strada) art. 142 Normattiva (Italian State) – Highway Code art. 117 Normattiva (Italian State) – Highway Code art. 186 Normattiva (Italian State) – Highway Code art. 186-bis
Notes: In rain or other precipitation the limits drop to 110 km/h on motorways and 90 km/h on main extra-urban roads, and novices may not exceed 100 and 90 km/h in their first 3 years. Professional passenger and goods drivers have a 0.0 limit; above 0.8 g/l drink-driving is a criminal offence.
Luxembourg	50 km/h	90 km/h	—	130 km/h	0.5 g/l In law: ‰	0.2 g/l Drivers in the probationary period, learner drivers, accompanied-driving supervisors and any driver under 18.	Ministry of Mobility and Public Works (transports.public.lu) – speed limits Grand Ducal Police (police.public.lu) – drink-driving Ministry of Mobility and Public Works (transports.public.lu) – scale of offences
Notes: On motorways the limit drops to 110 km/h in rain or other precipitation. Residential, pedestrian and meeting zones are 20 km/h; zone 30 and cycle streets are 30 km/h.
Montenegro	50 km/h	80 km/h	100 km/h	130 km/h	0.3 g/l In law: g/kg	0.0 g/l Drivers up to age 24 and drivers with less than 12 months of driving experience.	Paragraf Lex (unofficial consolidation, status 31 March 2021) – Road Traffic Safety Act of Montenegro
Notes: Drivers under 24 and drivers with less than 12 months of experience may not exceed 70 km/h, or 100 km/h on motorways. Signs may allow up to 80 km/h in built-up areas.
Netherlands	50 km/h	80 km/h	100 km/h	130 km/h 100 from 06:00 to 19:00 on most motorways	0.5 g/l In law: mg/ml	0.2 g/l Drivers in the first 5 years after their first licence (7 years if a first AM or T licence was issued before age 18).	wetten.overheid.nl (Dutch Government) – Traffic Rules and Signs Regulations (RVV 1990), version from 1 July 2026 Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure) wetten.overheid.nl (Dutch Government) – Road Traffic Act 1994 Rijksoverheid (Dutch Government)
Notes: 130 km/h is the legal maximum, but most motorways are limited to 100 km/h from 06:00 to 19:00, and to 120 or 130 km/h outside those hours where signed.
Norway	50 km/h	80 km/h	—	110 km/h Highest signed limit; no statutory motorway limit	0.2 g/l In law: ‰	No separate limit found	Lovdata – Road Traffic Act (vegtrafikkloven), as amended by LOV-2026-06-19-45 Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen), 2019 Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Directorate (Vegdirektoratet) – speed limit criteria 2022
Notes: Without signs the limit is 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h elsewhere; 90, 100 and 110 km/h exist only where signed, and 110 only on selected 4-lane motorways. Above 0.5 ‰ the penalty can include prison, and above 1.2 ‰ prison is unconditional.
Poland	50 km/h	90 km/h	120 km/h Dual carriageway; single carriageway 100	140 km/h	0.2 g/l In law: ‰	0.0 g/l Drivers in the probation period after a first category B licence: 2 years, or 3 years for a licence obtained at 17 (but not past age 20). Applies to licences first obtained from September 2026.	Sejm of the Republic of Poland (ISAP / ELI API) – Road Traffic Act, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1251 Sejm of the Republic of Poland (ISAP / ELI API) – Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1676 (Act on Drivers, art. 91) Sejm of the Republic of Poland (ISAP / ELI API) – Act on Upbringing in Sobriety, Dz.U. 2023 poz. 2151
Notes: Built-up areas are 50 km/h around the clock; outside them, dual carriageways with at least 2 lanes in each direction are 100 km/h and single-carriageway expressways 100 km/h. From 0.2 to 0.5 ‰ is a petty offence, above 0.5 ‰ a crime.
Portugal	50 km/h	90 km/h	100 km/h	120 km/h	0.5 g/l	0.2 g/l Drivers in the probationary regime: the first 3 years of a first driving licence.	Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa (PGDL, unofficial consolidation) – Highway Code (DL 114/94), 28th version by Lei 24/2025
Notes: Motorways have a minimum speed of 50 km/h, and coexistence zones are 20 km/h. A 0.2 g/l limit also applies to drivers of emergency vehicles, children's transport, taxis, ride-hailing (TVDE), heavy vehicles and dangerous goods.
Romania	50 km/h	90 km/h	120 km/h	130 km/h	0.0 g/l No alcohol allowed	No separate limit found	e-juridic.manager.ro (Rentrop & Straton, unofficial consolidation) – Road Code (OUG 195/2002) art. 49 e-juridic.manager.ro (unofficial consolidation) – Road Code art. 50 e-juridic.manager.ro (unofficial consolidation) – Road Code art. 102 Senate of Romania – law as adopted by Parliament, file L508/2021 (expressways 120 km/h) legeaz.net (unofficial text) – Criminal Code art. 336
Notes: E-roads outside localities are 100 km/h, and drivers with less than 1 year of experience must stay 20 km/h below the limits outside localities. Any alcohol is an offence (fine and 90-day licence suspension); above 0.8 g/l in the blood it is a crime.
Serbia	50 km/h	80 km/h	100 km/h	130 km/h	0.2 g/l In law: mg/ml	0.0 g/l Probationary licence holders (2 years for a first licence obtained at 19 or older, otherwise until age 21) and the persons supervising them.	Paragraf Lex (unofficial consolidation of the Official Gazette) – Road Traffic Safety Act, Sl. glasnik RS 41/2009 … 19/2025
Notes: Probationary drivers may not exceed 110 km/h on motorways, 90 km/h on expressways and 90% of the limit elsewhere, and may not drive between 23:00 and 06:00. Zero alcohol also applies to vehicles with more than 8 passenger seats or over 3,500 kg, public transport, dangerous goods, motorcycles and driving instructors.
Slovakia	50 km/h	90 km/h	90 km/h Unless signs allow more	130 km/h	0.0 g/l No alcohol allowed	No separate limit found	Slov-Lex (Slovak Ministry of Justice) – Act 8/2009 Coll., version effective from 1 October 2026 Slov-Lex (Slovak Ministry of Justice) – Offences Act 372/1990 Coll., version effective from 1 September 2026
Notes: Expressways have no statutory limit of their own, so 90 km/h applies unless signs allow more; many sections are signed higher. Any detected alcohol is an offence: a fine of EUR 150–800 and a driving ban of up to 3 years.
Slovenia	50 km/h	90 km/h	110 km/h	130 km/h	0.5 g/l In law: g/kg	0.0 g/l Novice drivers (voznik začetnik) as defined in the Drivers Act.	PISRS (Slovenian Government Legislation Office) – Road Traffic Rules Act ZPrCP, unofficial consolidated text, in use from 11 March 2026 Your Europe (European Commission)
Notes: Below 0.5 g/kg a driver can still be penalised if showing signs of impairment. Professional drivers, drivers of category C and D vehicles, public-transport and dangerous-goods drivers, learners and drivers carrying groups of children must have no alcohol.
Spain	50 km/h 2+ lanes each way; one lane each way 30, single-surface streets 20	90 km/h	120 km/h	120 km/h	0.5 g/l	0.3 g/l Drivers in the first 2 years after obtaining their licence.	Boletín Oficial del Estado – General Traffic Regulation (RD 1428/2003), consolidated text updated 26 June 2026
Notes: Most town streets with one lane in each direction are limited to 30 km/h. Professional drivers (vehicles over 3,500 kg, buses, school and dangerous-goods transport, emergency services, taxis) have a 0.3 g/l limit.
Sweden	50 km/h	70 km/h	—	110 km/h Up to 120 where signed	0.2 g/l In law: ‰	No separate limit found	Sveriges riksdag – Traffic Ordinance (trafikförordningen 1998:1276), consolidated to SFS 2026:1052 Sveriges riksdag – Act on penalties for certain traffic offences (1951:649)
Notes: Outside built-up areas the base speed is 70 km/h, and individual roads are signed 80, 90, 100 or 110 km/h; motorways are 110 km/h by law, and Trafikverket can set 120 km/h on specific sections. From 1.0 ‰ drink-driving is aggravated, with up to 2 years in prison.
Switzerland	50 km/h	80 km/h	100 km/h	120 km/h	0.5 g/l In law: ‰	0.1 g/l Holders of a probationary licence, learner drivers, the persons accompanying them and driving instructors.	Fedlex (Swiss Confederation) – Traffic Rules Ordinance (VRV), SR 741.11, version of 1 October 2026 Fedlex (Swiss Confederation) – Ordinance on alcohol limits in road traffic, SR 741.13 TCS (Touring Club Switzerland)
Notes: The 0.1 limit also applies to professional and licensed passenger transport, vehicles over 3.5 t, dangerous-goods transport and driving instructors. From 0.8 ‰ drink-driving counts as qualified (serious).
United Kingdom	30 mph (48 km/h) Wales: 20 mph (32 km/h)	60 mph (96 km/h)	70 mph (112 km/h)	70 mph (112 km/h)	0.8 g/l Scotland: 0.5 In law: mg/100 ml	No separate limit found	GOV.UK (UK Government) – speed limits GOV.UK (UK Government) – drink-drive limit
Notes: Speed limits are set in miles per hour; the km/h values are GOV.UK's own conversions. The drink-drive limit is 80 mg per 100 ml of blood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 50 mg in Scotland.

Using this data

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Where the limits come from

Every row links the sources it rests on: laws, government agencies and police first, automobile clubs where they confirm a detail. Where a source is an unofficial consolidation of the law, it is named as such. Values that could not be confirmed, or that are only proposals, are left out. The table covers cars without a trailer; vans, trucks, buses and cars towing a trailer can have lower limits.