Speed Limits in Europe: 23 Countries Side by Side

Checked 7 October 2026 against each country's ministry, police or law, and the EU's Your Europe pages · skynomad

Verdict

Most of Europe is 50 in towns, 90 outside and 130 on motorways. The exceptions are what catch drivers out.

Germany has no general motorway limit. Poland and Bulgaria allow 140. The Netherlands is 100 on motorways by day. Greek towns have been 30 since 1 January 2026. The UK counts in mph. Sweden and Norway sign almost every road.

Limits are for a car up to 3.5 tonnes in good conditions, in km/h unless marked mph. A value appears here only if an official source confirmed it when this page was checked. Where a rule is missing, we could not confirm it from an official page: follow the signs. A sign always beats the default.

Default speed limits for cars by country
Country	Towns	Outside towns	Expressway	Motorway
United Kingdom mph	30 (20 in Wales)	60	70	70
Ireland	50	80 regional roads, 100 national roads, 60 local roads	–	120
France	50	80	110	130
Belgium	50 (30 in Brussels)	70 Flanders, 90 Wallonia, 70 Brussels	120	120
Netherlands	50	80	100	100 from 06:00 to 19:00; up to 130 at other times where signed
Germany	50	100	–	No general limit; 130 advised
Austria	50	100	100 (Autostraße)	130
Switzerland	50	80	100 (Autostrasse)	120 (Autobahn)
Italy	50	90	110	130
Slovenia	50	90	110	130
Croatia	50	90	110	130
Spain	30 on one lane each way, 50 on two or more, 20 on single-level streets	90 (100 where signed)	–	120
Portugal	50	90	100	120
Poland	50	90	120 (dual carriageway)	140
Czechia	50	90	110	130
Slovakia	50	90	130	130
Hungary	50	90	110	130
Romania	50	90	120	130
Bulgaria	50	90	120	140
Greece	30 (50 on multi-lane or divided town roads)	90	110	130
Denmark	50	80	80 (up to 100 where signed)	130
Sweden	50 unless signed	70 unless signed	Signed, up to 120	Signed, up to 120
Norway	50	80	–	Signed, up to 110

Country by country

United Kingdom (mph)

Towns: 30 (20 in Wales)
Outside towns: 60
Expressway: 70
Motorway: 70
Towing: 50 on single carriageways, 60 on dual carriageways and motorways
Motorhome: Over 3.05 tonnes unladen: 50 on single carriageways, 60 on dual carriageways, 70 on motorways. The UK draws the line by unladen weight, not at 3,500 kg
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Watch out: The white sign with a black diagonal stripe means the national speed limit, 60 mph on a single carriageway and 70 on a dual carriageway for a car. It does not mean no limit.

Driving in United Kingdom: everything else →

Sources: GOV.UK - Speed limits

Ireland

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 80 regional roads, 100 national roads, 60 local roads
Expressway: –
Motorway: 120
Towing: 80
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Watch out: Ireland is in km/h; Northern Ireland is in mph. Rural local roads have been 60 km/h since 7 February 2025.

Driving in Ireland: everything else →

Sources: RSA - Advice for tourists driving in Ireland · Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Ireland

France

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 80
Expressway: 110
Motorway: 130
Rain: 110 on motorways, 100 on dual carriageways, 80 on other roads
Visibility under 50 m: 50 on every road
New drivers: Probationary licence: 110 on motorways, 100 on dual carriageways, 80 on other roads
Radar detectors: Illegal

Watch out: The rain limits apply as soon as it rains, not only in heavy rain.

Driving in France: everything else →

Sources: Service-public - Vitesse au volant (F19460)

Belgium

Towns: 50 (30 in Brussels)
Outside towns: 70 Flanders, 90 Wallonia, 70 Brussels
Expressway: 120
Motorway: 120
Motorhome: 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes: 90 on motorways
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Watch out: The default outside towns changes between regions with no sign at the border: 70 in Flanders, 90 in Wallonia.

Driving in Belgium: everything else →

Sources: Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Belgium · codedelaroute.be - Limitations de vitesse (PDF table, 2022)

Netherlands

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 80
Expressway: 100
Motorway: 100 from 06:00 to 19:00; up to 130 at other times where signed
Towing: 90 on motorways and expressways, 80 on other roads
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 80 when registered as a commercial vehicle
Radar detectors: Illegal

Watch out: By day almost every motorway is 100. The 130 on the sign applies only in the hours shown on it.

Driving in Netherlands: everything else →

Sources: wetten.overheid.nl - RVV 1990 (consolidation 2018-07-01) · Rijksoverheid - Wat is de maximumsnelheid voor auto's op de snelweg? · Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Netherlands · Politie - Zo houdt de politie snelheidscontroles

Germany

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 100
Expressway: –
Motorway: No general limit; 130 advised
Visibility under 50 m: 50
Towing: 80 outside towns, motorways included
Motorhome: 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes: 80 on ordinary roads, 100 on motorways. Over 7.5 tonnes: 60 on ordinary roads
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Watch out: Where a sign on the Autobahn shows a limit, that limit binds. 130 is only the advised speed on stretches with no sign.

Driving in Germany: everything else →

Sources: Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Germany · Polizei Nordrhein-Westfalen: driving in fog, visibility under 50 m · Bundestag WD 7 - 002/25: Straßenverkehrsrechtliche Regelungen für Wohnmobile (29 Jan 2025) · deutschland.de - Germany and the autobahn (5 Feb 2025)

Austria

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 100
Expressway: 100 (Autostraße)
Motorway: 130
Air-quality limits: A permanent 100 on parts of the A12 and A13 in Tirol, signed IG-L
Snow chains: 50 advised
Towing: Light trailer: 100. Heavy trailer: 70 outside towns, 80 on motorways
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 70 outside towns, 80 on motorways
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Watch out: Sections signed IG-L are 100, not 130, and they can be long.

Driving in Austria: everything else →

Sources: RIS: StVO 1960 § 20 (in force since 24.04.2026) · oesterreich.gv.at: Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkungen (updated 12.01.2026) · Land Tirol: Beschränkungen nach IG-Luft (100 km/h)

Switzerland

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 80
Expressway: 100 (Autostrasse)
Motorway: 120 (Autobahn)
Studded tyres: 80 at most
Towing: 80. 100 on Autobahn and Autostrasse if the trailer weighs 3.5 tonnes or less and is approved for 100
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 80. 100 on Autobahn and Autostrasse
Radar detectors: Illegal, even to carry

Watch out: Autostrasse and Autobahn both need the vignette, but the limits differ: 100 and 120.

Driving in Switzerland: everything else →

Sources: Kanton Bern Tiefbauamt: Arbeitshilfe Abweichende Höchstgeschwindigkeiten (01.01.2026), quoting Art. 4a and 5 VRV · BAZG: Radarwarngeräte verboten

Italy

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 110
Motorway: 130
Rain or snow: 110 on motorways, 90 on main roads
Three-lane motorways: 150 where signed
New drivers: First three years on an Italian licence: 100 on motorways, 90 on main roads
Towing: 70 outside towns, 80 on motorways
Motorhome: 3.5 to 12 tonnes: 80 outside towns, 100 on motorways
Radar detectors: Illegal

Watch out: The lower limits apply in any rain or snow, not only in heavy rain.

Driving in Italy: everything else →

Sources: Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Italy · Provincia di Biella: art. 142 CdS (version in force from 10 Nov 2021) · Regione FVG Motorizzazione civile: limitazioni per i neopatentati (updated 18 Mar 2025) · ACI: Codice della strada art. 45 · Camera dei deputati: dossier 'Il nuovo decreto ministeriale sull'autovelox' (20 June 2024)

Slovenia

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 110
Motorway: 130
Visibility under 50 m or snow chains: 50
Towing: 90 outside towns, 100 on motorways and expressways
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 80 outside towns
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Driving in Slovenia: everything else →

Sources: Uradni list RS 123/2021: ZPrCP-F (arts. 46, 47)

Croatia

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 110
Motorway: 130
Towing: Unbraked trailer: 80
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 80 outside towns
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Watch out: Expressways (brza cesta) are 110, not 130. The EU page groups them with motorways; the Croatian law does not.

Driving in Croatia: everything else →

Sources: Narodne novine 67/2008: Zakon o sigurnosti prometa na cestama (original text)

Spain

Towns: 30 on one lane each way, 50 on two or more, 20 on single-level streets
Outside towns: 90 (100 where signed)
Expressway: –
Motorway: 120
Towing: 80 on ordinary roads, 90 on motorways
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 80 on ordinary roads, 90 on motorways
Radar detectors: Illegal

Watch out: Most town streets with one lane each way are 30, not 50.

Driving in Spain: everything else →

Sources: Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Spain · BOE: Real Decreto 1514/2018 (speed limits, in force 29 Jan 2019) · BOE: Reglamento General de Circulación, consolidated text (art. 18.3 detectors) · INAP La Administración al Día: RD 970/2020 urban limits

Portugal

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 100
Motorway: 120
Towing: 70 outside towns, 100 on motorways
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Driving in Portugal: everything else →

Sources: Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Portugal · Código da Estrada republished in annex to Decreto-Lei 265-A/2001 (madeira.gov.pt copy)

Poland

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 120 (dual carriageway)
Motorway: 140
Towing: 70 outside towns, 80 on motorways
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 70 outside towns, 80 on motorways
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Watch out: Towns are 50 day and night. The old 60 at night ended on 1 June 2021.

Driving in Poland: everything else →

Sources: Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Poland · GDDKiA (gov.pl) – Limity prędkości na autostradach i drogach ekspresowych (14.06.2022) · Policja Gorzów Wlkp. – changes from 1 June 2021

Czechia

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 110
Motorway: 130
Through towns: 80 on expressways inside built-up areas
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 80
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Driving in Czechia: everything else →

Sources: Policie ČR – Základní pravidla silničního provozu v ČR (leaflet) · Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Czechia

Slovakia

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 130
Motorway: 130
Minimum on motorways: 80
Towing: 90
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 90
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Driving in Slovakia: everything else →

Sources: Slov-Lex: zákon 8/2009 Z. z. o cestnej premávke · Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Slovakia

Hungary

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 110
Motorway: 130
Towing: 70 outside towns, 80 on motorways
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes: 70 outside towns, 80 on motorways
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Driving in Hungary: everything else →

Sources: Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Hungary · ORFK / police.hu – Autópálya Kisokos 2019

Romania

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 120
Motorway: 130
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Watch out: Expressways are 120. The EU page still groups them with motorways at 130.

Driving in Romania: everything else →

Sources: Your Europe (European Commission): road rules and safety, Romania · Senatul României – law amending OUG 195/2002 (L508/2021), drumuri expres 120 km/h · IGPR Direcția Rutieră – Managementul vitezei (2015), via EC road-safety site

Bulgaria

Towns: 50
Outside towns: 90
Expressway: 120
Motorway: 140
Towing: 80 outside towns, 100 on motorways and expressways
Motorhome: Over 3.5 tonnes (C1): 80 outside towns, 100 on motorways and expressways
Radar detectors: Not confirmed

Driving in Bulgaria: everything else →

Sources: Закон за движението по пътищата, чл. 21 (copy published by a Bulgarian court, justice.bg)