European direct corridors in figures
Reference values for important European direct-transport corridors: distance, typical pure driving time and border crossings. All figures are guide values for the direct run without transhipment; the specific route and transit time depend on loading points, traffic conditions and the statutory driving and rest periods.
Facts & figures on European road freight transport
Verifiable framework data that shapes European direct transport – with source references.
- Road freight is by far the most important mode of transport for domestic goods movement in the EU. (Source: Eurostat)
- Cabotage is limited to a maximum of 3 operations within 7 days, followed by a 4-day cooling-off period. (Source: EU Mobility Package, Reg. (EC) 1072/2009)
- Mandatory driving times: a 45-minute break after a maximum of 4.5 hours of driving; daily driving time is capped. (Source: Reg. (EC) 561/2006)
- In international road transport, the carrier's liability under CMR is generally limited to 8.33 special drawing rights per kilogram of gross weight. (Source: CMR Convention)
- The Incoterms® 2020 provide an internationally uniform framework for who bears transport, cost and risk. (Source: International Chamber of Commerce (ICC))
- Since Brexit, goods traffic between the EU and the United Kingdom is subject to customs and declaration requirements; preferential origin can avoid duties. (Source: EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement)
| Corridor | Distance | Transit time | Border crossings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam → Antwerp | 160 km | 2-3h | Hazeldonk-Breda |
| Amsterdam → Brussels | 210 km | 3-4h | Hazeldonk-Breda |
| Amsterdam → London | 540 km | 10-14h | Rotterdam-Harwich / Calais-Dover |
| Amsterdam → Paris | 510 km | 6-8h | Hazeldonk-Breda, Quievrain-Valenciennes |
| Berlin → Amsterdam | 660 km | 9-11h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Berlin → Barcelona | 1850 km | 22-26h | Saarbrücken-Forbach, Le Perthus |
| Berlin → Brussels | 780 km | 10-12h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Berlin → Copenhagen | 450 km | 7-9h | Puttgarden-Rodby (Fähre/Fehmarn) |
| Berlin → Helsinki | 1750 km | 30-38h | Puttgarden-Rodby, Stockholm-Turku Fähre |
| Berlin → London | 1100 km | 16-22h | Bad Bentheim, Calais-Dover |
| Berlin → Lyon | 1200 km | 14-17h | Saarbrücken-Forbach |
| Berlin → Madrid | 2300 km | 27-32h | Saarbrücken-Forbach, Le Perthus |
| Berlin → Milan | 1150 km | 14-17h | Kiefersfelden-Kufstein, Brenner |
| Berlin → Oslo | 1050 km | 15-19h | Flensburg-Padborg, Svinesund |
| Berlin → Paris | 1050 km | 13-15h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch, Valenciennes |
| Berlin → Prague | 350 km | 5-6h | Zinnwald-Cinovec |
| Berlin → Rotterdam | 700 km | 9-12h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Berlin → Stockholm | 870 km | 14-18h | Puttgarden-Rodby, Malmö (Öresund) |
| Berlin → Vienna | 680 km | 8-10h | Walserberg-Salzburg |
| Berlin → Warsaw | 575 km | 7-9h | Frankfurt/Oder-Slubice |
| Berlin → Zurich | 870 km | 10-12h | Konstanz-Kreuzlingen |
| Bremen → Amsterdam | 370 km | 5-6h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Bremen → Copenhagen | 480 km | 7-9h | Flensburg-Padborg |
| Bremen → Hamburg | 120 km | 2-2h | None (domestic) |
| Bremen → London | 800 km | 12-16h | Bad Bentheim, Calais-Dover |
| Bremen → Rotterdam | 410 km | 5-7h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Cologne → Amsterdam | 270 km | 4-5h | Emmerich-Zevenaar |
| Cologne → Antwerp | 260 km | 3-4h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Cologne → Brussels | 220 km | 3-4h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Cologne → London | 580 km | 10-14h | Emmerich, Calais-Dover |
| Cologne → Luxembourg | 190 km | 2-3h | Trier-Wasserbillig |
| Cologne → Lyon | 730 km | 9-11h | Aachen, Valenciennes |
| Cologne → Paris | 500 km | 6-8h | Aachen, Valenciennes |
| Cologne → Rotterdam | 310 km | 4-5h | Emmerich-Zevenaar |
| Copenhagen → Malmö | 30 km | 1-1h | Öresund-Brücke |
| Copenhagen → Oslo | 600 km | 8-10h | Öresund-Brücke, Svinesund |
| Copenhagen → Stockholm | 660 km | 8-10h | Öresund-Brücke |
| Dortmund → Amsterdam | 300 km | 4-5h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Dortmund → Antwerp | 300 km | 4-5h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Dortmund → Brussels | 280 km | 4-5h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Dortmund → Paris | 560 km | 7-9h | Aachen, Valenciennes |
| Dortmund → Rotterdam | 340 km | 5-6h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Dusseldorf → Amsterdam | 230 km | 3-4h | Emmerich-Zevenaar |
| Dusseldorf → Antwerp | 240 km | 3-4h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Dusseldorf → Brussels | 220 km | 3-4h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Dusseldorf → London | 560 km | 10-14h | Emmerich, Calais-Dover |
| Dusseldorf → Paris | 500 km | 6-8h | Aachen, Valenciennes |
| Dusseldorf → Rotterdam | 280 km | 4-5h | Emmerich-Zevenaar |
| Frankfurt → Amsterdam | 440 km | 6-7h | Emmerich-Zevenaar |
| Frankfurt → Barcelona | 1350 km | 16-20h | Saarbrücken-Forbach, Le Perthus |
| Frankfurt → Brussels | 400 km | 5-6h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Frankfurt → London | 780 km | 12-16h | Emmerich-Zevenaar, Calais-Dover |
| Frankfurt → Luxembourg | 270 km | 3-4h | Trier-Wasserbillig |
| Frankfurt → Lyon | 750 km | 9-11h | Saarbrücken-Forbach |
| Frankfurt → Madrid | 1800 km | 22-26h | Saarbrücken-Forbach, Biriatou-Irun |
| Frankfurt → Milan | 840 km | 10-12h | Basel-Basel, Chiasso-Como |
| Frankfurt → Paris | 590 km | 7-9h | Saarbrücken-Forbach |
| Frankfurt → Zurich | 400 km | 5-6h | Basel-Basel |
| Hamburg → Amsterdam | 470 km | 6-8h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Hamburg → Antwerp | 560 km | 7-9h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Hamburg → Brussels | 600 km | 8-10h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch |
| Hamburg → Copenhagen | 310 km | 5-6h | Flensburg-Padborg |
| Hamburg → London | 900 km | 14-18h | Bad Bentheim, Calais-Dover |
| Hamburg → Oslo | 830 km | 12-16h | Flensburg-Padborg, Svinesund |
| Hamburg → Paris | 880 km | 11-13h | Aachen-Lichtenbusch, Valenciennes |
| Hamburg → Rotterdam | 510 km | 7-9h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Hamburg → Stockholm | 820 km | 12-16h | Flensburg-Padborg, Malmö (Öresund) |
| Hamburg → Warsaw | 840 km | 10-13h | Frankfurt/Oder-Slubice |
| Hanover → Amsterdam | 410 km | 5-7h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Hanover → Copenhagen | 530 km | 7-9h | Flensburg-Padborg |
| Hanover → Hamburg | 150 km | 2-3h | None (domestic) |
| Hanover → Rotterdam | 450 km | 6-8h | Bad Bentheim-Oldenzaal |
| Leipzig → Berlin | 190 km | 2-3h | None (domestic) |
| Leipzig → Budapest | 780 km | 10-12h | Walserberg, Nickelsdorf-Hegyeshalom |
| Leipzig → Prague | 290 km | 4-5h | Waidhaus-Rozvadov |
| Leipzig → Vienna | 640 km | 8-10h | Walserberg-Salzburg |
| Leipzig → Warsaw | 620 km | 8-10h | Frankfurt/Oder-Slubice |
| Madrid → Barcelona | 620 km | 7-9h | None (domestic) |
| Madrid → Lisbon | 630 km | 7-9h | Badajoz-Elvas |
| Madrid → Paris | 1270 km | 15-18h | Irun-Biriatou |
| Milan → Barcelona | 1010 km | 12-15h | Ventimiglia-Menton, Le Perthus |
| Milan → Lyon | 540 km | 6-8h | Mont-Blanc-Tunnel |
| Milan → Rome | 580 km | 7-9h | None (domestic) |
| Milan → Zurich | 300 km | 4-5h | Chiasso-Como |
| Munich → Barcelona | 1350 km | 16-20h | Bregenz, Genf, Le Perthus |
| Munich → Budapest | 680 km | 8-10h | Nickelsdorf-Hegyeshalom |
| Munich → Ljubljana | 380 km | 5-6h | Spielfeld-Sentilj |
| Munich → Lyon | 830 km | 10-12h | Bregenz-St. Margrethen, Genf |
| Munich → Milan | 590 km | 7-9h | Kiefersfelden-Kufstein, Brenner |
| Munich → Paris | 830 km | 10-12h | Saarbrücken-Forbach |
| Munich → Prague | 380 km | 5-6h | Waidhaus-Rozvadov |
| Munich → Rome | 950 km | 12-14h | Kiefersfelden-Kufstein, Brenner |
| Munich → Verona | 430 km | 6-7h | Kiefersfelden-Kufstein, Brenner |
| Munich → Vienna | 440 km | 5-7h | Walserberg-Salzburg |
| Munich → Zurich | 310 km | 4-5h | Bregenz-St. Margrethen |
| Nuremberg → Budapest | 680 km | 8-10h | Passau-Suben, Nickelsdorf-Hegyeshalom |
| Nuremberg → Milan | 660 km | 8-10h | Kiefersfelden-Kufstein, Brenner |
| Nuremberg → Munich | 170 km | 2-3h | None (domestic) |
| Nuremberg → Prague | 300 km | 4-5h | Waidhaus-Rozvadov |
| Nuremberg → Vienna | 530 km | 7-9h | Passau-Suben |
| Nuremberg → Zurich | 420 km | 5-7h | Konstanz-Kreuzlingen |
| Paris → Barcelona | 1040 km | 12-15h | Le Perthus |
| Paris → Brussels | 310 km | 4-5h | Quievrain-Valenciennes |
| Paris → London | 460 km | 7-11h | Calais-Dover |
| Paris → Lyon | 470 km | 5-7h | None (domestic) |
| Paris → Madrid | 1270 km | 15-18h | Biriatou-Irun |
| Paris → Milan | 850 km | 10-12h | Mont-Blanc-Tunnel |
| Prague → Budapest | 530 km | 7-8h | Breclav, Bratislava, Rajka-Hegyeshalom |
| Prague → Vienna | 330 km | 4-5h | Breclav-Poysbrunn |
| Prague → Warsaw | 680 km | 9-11h | Cesky Tesin-Cieszyn |
| Rotterdam → Antwerp | 100 km | 2-2h | Hazeldonk-Breda |
| Rotterdam → London | 480 km | 9-13h | Calais-Dover |
| Rotterdam → Paris | 500 km | 6-8h | Hazeldonk, Quievrain-Valenciennes |
| Stuttgart → Barcelona | 1200 km | 14-18h | Basel, Genf, Le Perthus |
| Stuttgart → Lyon | 600 km | 7-9h | Basel, Genf |
| Stuttgart → Milan | 640 km | 8-10h | Bregenz, Brenner |
| Stuttgart → Paris | 620 km | 8-10h | Saarbrücken-Forbach |
| Stuttgart → Strasbourg | 160 km | 2-3h | Kehl-Strasbourg |
| Stuttgart → Vienna | 630 km | 8-10h | Walserberg-Salzburg |
| Stuttgart → Zurich | 210 km | 3-4h | Konstanz-Kreuzlingen |
| Vienna → Budapest | 250 km | 3-4h | Nickelsdorf-Hegyeshalom |
| Vienna → Milan | 860 km | 10-12h | Brenner |
| Vienna → Prague | 330 km | 4-5h | Poysbrunn-Breclav |
| Vienna → Zurich | 750 km | 9-11h | Bregenz-St. Margrethen |
| Warsaw → Berlin | 575 km | 7-9h | Slubice-Frankfurt/Oder |
| Warsaw → Budapest | 890 km | 11-14h | Cieszyn, Bratislava, Rajka-Hegyeshalom |
| Warsaw → Prague | 680 km | 9-11h | Cieszyn-Cesky Tesin |
| Warsaw → Vienna | 800 km | 10-12h | Cieszyn, Breclav-Poysbrunn |