Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Athen Big Ring - Greece
Type of environmental zone: Zone of air protection, depending on weather conditions and activated if the pollutant values exceed, for example, >50 µg/m³ for particulate matter.
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Weight: > 2.2 t
Country of registration: Greece
Vehicle class: M1, M2, M3, N1, N2, N3
2019: Year of first registration < 1996
2020: Year of first registration < 1997
2021: Year of first registration < 1998
etc.
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Information currently unavailable
Fines: 200 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The zone covers the entire urban area.
Special features: Vehicles registered abroad (e.g. rental cars) are only affected by the driving ban if they stay over 40 days in Greece.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Traffic Division of Attika (Dievthysi Trochaias Attikis)
Th. Diliyianni 24-26, 4th floor, Athens
Exemptions: Information currently unavailable
Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Athen Small Ring – Greece
Type of environmental zone: Permanent, 30.09.2019 - 17.07.2020, Monday - Thursday 07 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday 07 a.m.-3 p.m.
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Weight: > 2.2 t
Country of registration: Greece
Vehicle type: car, motor home (M1), bus (M2, M3), van (N1), truck (N2, N3)
on even days (e.g. 02.10. or 24.11.):
Weight: ≤ 2.2 t
Country of registration: Greece
Vehicle type: car, motor home (M1), bus (M2, M3), van (N1), truck (N2, N3)
Plate number: odd (1,3,5,7,9)
on odd days (e.g. 03.10. or 25.11.):
Weight: ≤ 2.2 t
Country of registration: Greece
Vehicle type: car, motor home (M1), bus (M2, M3), van (N1), truck (N2, N3)
Plate number: even (0,2,4,6,8)
Fines: 200 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The roads that border the ring are viewed from above (north) clockwise:
Leof. Alexandras, Leof. Vas. Sofias, Messogeion, Michalakopoulou, Merkouri Spyrou, Vryaxidos, Ymittou, Ilia Iliou, Frantzi Am., Kallirrois, Tsaldari Pan., Hamosternas, Tsaldari Pan., Peiraios, Iera Odos, Leof. Konstantinoupoleos, Achilleos, Karolou, Marni.
Special features: Each year a new time period is set for the environmental zone. Usually from September to July of the following year.
Vehicles registered abroad (e.g. rental cars) are only affected by the driving ban if they stay in Greece for more than 40 days.
Electric (hybrid) vehicles, as well as LPG or CNG vehicles with at least EURO standard 4 and maximum 140 g CO₂/km may always enter the zone. This also applies to vehicles with EURO standard 5 and maximum 140 g CO₂/km as well as with EURO standard 6.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Traffic Division of Attika (Dievthysi Trochaias Attikis)
Th. Diliyianni 24-26, 4th floor, Athens
Exemptions: Information currently unavailable
Low Emission Zone
Do I need stickers or registrations?
No. Here you do not need to buy a sticker or apply for registration. You only have to follow the rules of entry.
Our Green-Zones App helps you to avoid penalties.
How do I recognize the low emission zone?
Unfortunately there are no exact street signs known. Therefore it is difficult to know when you are in the environmental zone.
Our Green-Zones App helps you to avoid penalties.
Good to know...
All current driving bans and further information are available in our Green-Zones App.
What are the exemptions in the environmental zones?
In order to reduce air pollution, stickers and registrations can only be issued to vehicles that comply with the specified emission standards. However, there are various exceptions to the sticker and registration requirement. As with all other rules in the environmental zones, these vary greatly from country to country.
E-cars in floods
Due to the flood disasters in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, the question arises whether e-cars are not roadworthy in floods compared to combustion cars, because the electrics could short-circuit in the water and sparks could fly. According to experts, this is nonsense. Electric cars even have an advantage over combustion cars.
Environmental zones: Double trouble for border crossers
Different stickers for different countries - in the border region between France and Germany this is currently particularly annoying. From the beginning of next year, Strasbourg will introduce a permanent low emission zone in which at least the French category 4 sticker will be required. German commuters will also have to prepare themselves for this.
Fog against particulate matter
In the fight against ultra-fine dust, Amsterdam Airport wants to use fog to trap the particles and make them sink to the ground. The small particles produced by the ground movement of aircraft are particularly harmful to health because they can penetrate far into the lungs. But stronger fuel regulation would also help.
Caravanning has future problems
Travelling with motorhomes and caravans is becoming more and more restricted in Europe. It is not only the increasingly strict rules in the environmental zones that worry campers, but also the forced switch to electric drive. Because the heavy trailers consume too much energy and therefore drastically reduce the range of e-cars. Dethleffs is already working on a solution - but this means considerable costs for holidaymakers.
Supercharger for all
Tesla wants to open its charging stations to all vehicles. The charging stations of the American e-car pioneer are far superior to other models in terms of both number of units and technology. Thanks to Tesla, the network of charging stations would take an enormous leap forward. It is not yet clear what the company will get out of this and how it will be technically possible to implement it.
Spain: new low emission zones, new signs
By 2023, many cities in Spain will have to introduce low emission zones by law. Both domestic and foreign vehicles are affected. A new traffic sign is now to mark the environmental zones in a uniform and clearly recognisable way.
Climate protection for the railways at last?
Because of the German government's climate targets, traffic in Germany must be significantly reduced in the coming years. Transport Minister Scheuer therefore wants a railway reform that puts climate protection first. This is urgently needed. More digitalisation and modern infrastructure are to contribute to the turnaround.
Electrification of the EU not "Fit for 55"
From 2035, there are to be no more new cars with combustion engines in the EU. In addition, CO2 emissions from transport are to be reduced by 55 percent below today's level by 2030. But many EU countries are lagging miles behind in terms of electrification. The goal seems utopian.
How much are the penalties for the environmental zones?
Entering the European environmental zones without a sticker and registration can be expensive. Here is an overview of the fines and why it pays to enter the environmental zones well informed and with the correct sticker.