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Comparison of European road signs

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French sign showing the difference between French and Swiss motorway sign colours, on the A411 near Geneva

Nearly all European countries operate a broadly similar system of road signs, road markings and traffic signals, but there are noticeable differences mainly in:

  • Graphic design details
  • Local regulatory significance
  • The colour-coding of directional signs
  • Local language texts (sometimes bilingual)
  • The meaning and colour-coding of horizontal road surface markings

Most European countries are party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals and the associated European agreements supplementing it. A comparison of signage, however, reveals some significant differences at a national level—alongside less minor differences at a regional level.

Standardisation

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Example of a Swiss road sign

The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals has been signed—but not necessarily ratified—by the following countries (including acceding states): Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,[1] Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

The Convention has not been signed by Iceland, Ireland or Malta, but these countries are nonetheless largely consistent with the key tenets of the system that the Convention establishes.

Graphic differences

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  • Warning signs in Ireland are yellow and diamond-shaped (as in countries using Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices-influenced traffic signs), and thus differ from the white or yellow, red-bordered, triangular signs found in the rest of Europe
  • The design of individual pictograms (tunnel, pedestrian, car, etc.), while broadly similar, often varies in detail from country to country
  • Type of arrows may be different
  • Fonts of written words

Directional and informatory signage

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The colour, shape, text style (bold, capitals etc.), or even an additional sign (pictogram, route number, etc.) of the signage give information about the road class of the indicated route.

Country Motorways (Controlled-access highways) Expressways (Limited-access roads) Outside urban areas Local destinations Tourist signs Temporary detour
Primary routes Secondary routes Regional destinations
Albania TIRANË SHKODER KUDHES n/a n/a Qender Plazhi i Zaroshkes DURRES
Armenia ՍԵՎԱՆ
SEVAN 		ԵՐԵՎԱՆ
YEREVAN 		ԳՅՈՒՄՐԻ
GYUMRI 		n/a n/a ՀՅՈՒՐ. ԱՆԻ ՊԼԱԶԱ
HOTEL ANI PLAZA 		ՎԱՅՈՑ ՁՈՐ
VAYOTS DZOR 		Շրջանցման ուղղություն
DETOUR
Austria Salzburg Wien Villach n/a Salzkammergut[c 1] Umleitung
Belarus МІНСК ГОМЕЛЬ МАГІЛЁЎ n/a n/a вул. ФІЛІМОНАВА КАСЦЁЛ СВЯТОГА МІХАІЛА аб'езд
Belgium Brussel Kortrijk
Courtrai 		Gent
Gand 		n/a n/a Centrum
Centre
Zentrum 		Atomium Wegomlegging
Déviation
Umleitung
Bruxelles
[c 2]
Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo
Сарајево 		Banja Luka
Бања Лука 		Mostar
Мостар 		n/a n/a Centar
Центар 		Međugorje Obilazak
Обилазак
Bulgaria София
Sofia 		Русе
Ruse 		Варна
Varna 		n/a n/a Център
Centre 		Етър
Etar 		Варна
Varna
Croatia Zagreb Bjelovar Osijek n/a n/a Centar Plitvička jezera Obilazak
Zračna luka[c 3]
Czechia BRNO PRAHA VYŠKOV n/a SLOVANY Letiště Hrad Bouzov PRAHA
Denmark Aarhus n/a Skanderborg[c 4] n/a n/a Stadion Himmelbjerget Nakskov
Estonia n/a TALLINN HAAPSALU n/a n/a MUSTAMÄE Pirita klooster ÜMBERSÕIT
Finland HELSINKI
HELSINGFORS 		LAPPEENRANTA PORVOO
BORGÅ 		n/a KYMINLINNA Kirjasto Hiidenkivi TURKU
France PARIS MARSEILLE BEAUVAIS[c 5] TOULON LA CHAPELLE n/a Gare S.N.C.F. PARC NATUREL Déviation
Germany Hamburg Freiburg[c 6] Lübeck n/a n/a Bahnhof Burg Eltz Umleitung
Greece Θεσσαλονίκη
Thessaloniki 		Πάτρα
Patra 		Αθήνα
Athina 		n/a n/a Κέντρο
Centre 		Ακρόπολη
Akropolis 		Εύοσμος
Evosmos
Hungary Budapest Vác Gyöngyös n/a n/a ◉ Centrum Vár Gödöllő
Iceland n/a n/a Akureyri n/a Garðabær Flugstöð n/a Hjáleið
Ireland Áth Cliath
DUBLIN 		n/a Tulach Mhór
TULLAMORE[c 7] 		Seantrabh
SANTRY[c 8] 		n/a n/a An Bhóireann
THE BURREN 		Cúrsa Timpill
DETOUR
Italy VENEZIA UDINE BORGOSOLE n/a n/a aeroporto Colfosco deviazione
Latvia n/a RĪGA LIEPĀJA n/a n/a centrs KURZEMES ŠVEICE DAUGAVPILS
Liechtenstein  St. Gallen  Chur Schaan Vaduz n/a Bahnhof Burg Umleitung
Lithuania VILNIUS KAUNAS MARIJAMPOLĖ n/a n/a CENTRAS Kernavės archeologinė vietovė Apylanka
Montenegro Podgorica Bar Herceg Novi n/a n/a Centar Skadarsko Jezero Obilazak
Netherlands A 44 Amsterdam Den Haag Arnhem N 50 n/a n/a Centrum Nationaal Park OMLEIDING
Volg A[c 9]
Norway Nannestad Lillestrøm Trondheim n/a n/a Sykehus Kvitsand Bergen
Poland Wrocław Poznań Suwałki n/a n/a Centrum Kraków Objazd
Portugal Lisboa n/a Portalegre Fig.ra Foz[c 10] ALGARVE[c 11] centro castelo Desvio
Romania București Craiova Baia Mare n/a n/a Centru Castelul Bran Ocolire
Russia БЕЛГОРОД
BELGOROD 		МОСКВА ТЮМЕНЬ n/a ЛИПЕЦК ул. Арбат музей-усадьба Н. К. РЕРИХА объезд
Serbia Београд
Beograd 		Крагујевац
Kragujevac 		Зрењанин
Zrenjanin 		Сомбор[c 12] n/a Центар
Centar 		Студеница
Studenica 		Обилазак
Obilazak
Slovakia Košice Nitra Bratislava n/a n/a Centrum Hrad obchádzka
Slovenia Maribor Nova Gorica Medvode n/a n/a Center Postojnska jama Obvoz
Spain Villalba[c 13] Córdoba[c 14] Oviedo / Uviéu[c 15] PINTO[c 16] BADAJOZ n/a centro Navacerrada DESVÍO
Sweden GÖTEBORG STOCKHOLM FALUN n/a NORRMALM Vårdcentral Långe Erik NYKÖPING
Switzerland Basel Chiasso Moudon Ftan n/a Gare CFF Castello Umleitung
Déviation
Deviazione
Turkey İstanbul n/a Ankara n/a n/a Şehir Merkezi Dara Antik Kenti n/a
Ukraine Київ
Kyiv 		Жашків
Zhashkiv 		Рудня
Rudnia 		n/a n/a ◉ Центр Борисоглібська церква об'їзд
detour
United Kingdom Nottingham M1 n/a[c 17] Inbhir Nis
Inverness
A9[c 18] 		Tyddewi
St Davids[c 19] 		The NORTH[c 20] Village Hall Thorpe Park Diversion
  1. ^ Used to indicate locations like regions, city centres, city districts and tourist locations. In reality, there is no clearcut and consistent usage of the white on green signs; for city centres and city districts, black on white signals are often preferred if the roads leading to them are primary roads.
  2. ^ The directional signs to motorways are white on green, whereas the directional signs on motorways are white on blue. Compare sign F31 of the Belgian Road Code in green (a directional sign to a motorway, but not on a motorway) with the other directional signs in blue (especially F15, F25, F27 and F29, all of which are also used in blue on motorways): "Code de la route - Article 71. Signaux d'indication (F1-F31)". Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  3. ^ Used for services and objects like stations, hospitals etc. See: Pravilnik o turističkoj i ostaloj signalizaciji na cestama. Retrieved on 2022-08-07.
  4. ^ Directional signs that are mounted overhead on multi-lane primary roads are white on blue.
  5. ^ Used to indicate major directions
  6. ^ German traffic law does not recognise the category of "expressways", but there are certain roads commonly referred to as "autobahnähnliche Straßen" ("roads similar to motorways") which, while not being "motorways" in a legal sense, have a very similar profile to motorways. The signs on such roads are not white on blue (as on motorways), but normally black on yellow as on most other primary roads or, in exceptional cases, black on white as on local roads.
  7. ^ National primary & secondary roads. Route numbers are written in yellow.
  8. ^ Regional & local roads
  9. ^ On non-motorways only
  10. ^ Certain town names may be abbreviated, in this case for Figueira da Foz
  11. ^ Regional destinations and cardinal directions are written fully in uppercase (e.g. "ALGARVE" or "NORTE"), with the text and background colors being accordingly with the type of road
  12. ^ Town names on regional and local roads are displayed only in Cyrillic, and in the languages of national minorities where they exist.[2]
  13. ^ Next to AUTOPISTA also used for AUTOVÍA and AUTOBIA
  14. ^ Vía reservada para automóviles
  15. ^ vía rápida
  16. ^ carretera convencional
  17. ^ There is no expressway class of road in the UK
  18. ^ In Scotland, some signs are bilingual, with Scottish Gaelic text shown on top and in yellow.
  19. ^ In Wales, all signs are bilingual, with Welsh text shown on top in the same colour as English text.
  20. ^ Regional destinations consist of upper case cardinal destinations and regions (e.g. "The NORTH" or "The SOUTH WEST") and are only used on motorway and primary road signs

Different typefaces in texts

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A sign with the use of Transport font in Icelandic
  • Andorra officially uses the Swiss 721 (Black Condensed) typeface, which is identical to Helvetica. However, some signs use the Caractères and Carretera Convencional typefaces.
  • Austria and Slovakia use the Tern typeface. Austria used the Austria typeface until 2010. Slovakia used the Universal Grotesk typeface from Czechoslovakia era until 2014.
  • Azerbaijan, Belarus, Greece, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine use the Arial Bold and/or Helvetica Bold typefaces in mixture with other official typefaces.
  • Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine use typefaces based on one specified in the Soviet standard GOST 10807–78.[3][4] In Russia, the modern standard is GOST R 52290–2004.[5] In Belarus, the according standard is STB 1140–2013 (formerly STB 1140–99).[6] In Ukraine, it is DSTU 4100–2002.
    • Ukraine has recently started using the Road UA [uk] typeface, as part of a signage redesign according to DSTU 4100:2021.[7][8]
  • Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, and Serbia use the SNV typeface. Liechtenstein and Switzerland used this typeface until 2003.
  • Cyprus uses the Helvetica typeface.
  • Denmark uses the Dansk Vejtavleskrift typeface. The typeface is derived from the British Transport typeface.
  • Estonia uses the Arial Narrow Bold typeface.
  • Finland uses a typeface developed in the 1960s by the former national board of roads and waterways.[9]
  • France uses the Caractères typeface.
  • Germany, Czechia and Latvia use the DIN 1451 typeface.
  • Greece uses a modified version of the British Transport typeface on most regular roads; motorway signs use a modified version of DIN 1451.
  • Hungary does not use a defined typeface as the letters are defined one-by-one in the national regulation.[10] The typeface resembles the DIN 1451 typeface closely.
  • Italy, Albania and San Marino use the Alfabeto Normale [it] typeface (with the narrow variant Alfabeto Stretto), a heavier version of the British Transport typeface.
  • Luxembourg uses the Helvetica, Caractères and SNV typefaces, often inconsistently.
  • The Netherlands uses typefaces derived from FHWA typeface: ANWB/RWS Cc (narrow), Dd (medium) and Ee (wide).
  • Norway uses the Trafikkalfabetet typeface.
  • Poland does not use a defined typeface as the letters are defined one-by-one in the national regulation.[11] There are three typefaces resembling the defined one, with two of them distributed as non-commercial freeware – Drogowskaz and Tablica drogowa typefaces. The third one, fully compliant with the regulation is only available for road sign manufacturers.
  • Spain uses the Carretera Convencional [es] (also known as CCRIGE) typeface, which is derived from the British Transport typeface, and is almost identical to the Italian Alfabeto Normale. Until 2014, Autopista (derived from FHWA series E modified) was used for motorways.
  • Sweden and Åland use the Tratex typeface. Åland formerly used the Finnish typeface in mixture with Tratex.
  • Switzerland and Liechtenstein use the ASTRA-Frutiger typeface since 2003.
  • Turkey uses two typefaces derived from the FHWA typeface. O-Serisi is used for motorways and E-Serisi is used for all other roads.
  • The United Kingdom, Iceland, Ireland, Malta and Portugal use the Transport typeface. An oblique variant of Transport is used in Ireland for Irish text.
    • Motorway typeface is used for route numbers on United Kingdom and Ireland motorways, and for exit and route numbers in Portugal.

In Albania, Armenia, Andorra, Belarus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland. France, Greece (partly), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Monaco, Russia, San Marino and Sweden, destinations on direction signs are written in capital letters. In Ireland, they are written in all-capital letters in English and in mixed-case letters in Irish. In Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Greece (partly), Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine both capital and lowercase are used. In Spain, destinations reached by motorway are written in capital and lowercase, while those reached by other roads are written in capital letters. In the United Kingdom and Portugal, regional destinations names and cardinal directions are written in capital letters, while the remaining destinations names are written in capital and lowercase.

Differences in meanings

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Irish rural speed limit sign on a local road
  • Sometimes similar signs have minor differences in meanings, following the local traffic codes.
  • All European countries use the SI system (distances in kilometres or metres; speeds in kilometres per hour; heights, widths and lengths in metres; weights in tonnes) with the exception of the United Kingdom, where distances and speeds are still indicated in imperial measurements (miles or yards and miles per hour). Since 2016, on width and height limit signs both metric and imperial measurements are used (metres and feet & inches), however older signs still show imperial-only measurements.[citation needed] Weight limits have been expressed in metric tonnes since 1981, but signs continued to use an upper case "T" until 2011.

Road surface markings

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  • Longitudinal lines (lanes and margins) and symbols on the carriageway are always white (but in Norway a yellow line separates two-way traffic and in Ireland edge lines are yellow). Temporary markings are yellow in Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, but red/orange in Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Russia, and white in the United Kingdom.
  • A stop line is always represented by a white thick traversal continuous line, but a give way line may be represented by a white thick dashed line as rectangles (Germany, France, Spain) or by a double-dashed line (United Kingdom) or by a white line of triangles (Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland). In Ireland, give way markings are represented by a single dashed line; on one way streets and entrances to roundabouts it is instead represented by a combination of a single solid line and a single dashed line.
  • A disc (time-limited) parking place is identified by white lines in Germany and by blue lines in Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Switzerland. A chargeable parking place is identified by white lines in Germany, France, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, and Switzerland and by blue lines in Italy, Spain and Russia. A parking place reserved for disabled people is bordered in white in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom; in yellow in Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland; and in blue in France. Other reserved parking places (bus, taxis) are bordered with yellow lines in Italy, Liechtenstein, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, but with white lines in Germany.
  • The prohibition of roadside parking can be indicated by a yellow continuous line (Spain, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom), by a yellow dashed line (Austria,[15] the Netherlands and France), by a yellow dashed line with X's (Liechtenstein and Switzerland), a white continuous line (Italy), or else by black-and-white (the Netherlands) or a black-and-yellow (the Netherlands and Italy) kerb markings. Only in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland does a double yellow line (as well as a white zig-zag line in the vicinity of pedestrian crossings) mean "no parking at any time".
  • The prohibition of stopping / waiting can be indicated by a yellow continuous line (Austria, the Netherlands, France, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Russia), and in (certain cities of) the United Kingdom by a red continuous line (with double red lines extending the meaning to "no stopping at any time). In the United Kingdom, a yellow zig-zag line near hospitals, police stations, and schools means "no stopping".

Traffic signs comparisons for all countries

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Direct comparison tables between different categories of traffic signs in every country are illustrated in several gallery articles listed below:

Category Priority Warning Prohibitory Mandatory Special regulations Indication De-restrictions Built-up area limits Checkpoint
Description Stop Curve No motor vehicles Turn right Pedestrian crossing Taxi stand End of cycle path Entrance Toll charge
Examples
Austria


Greece


Turkey


Ireland


Portugal


Sweden


Netherlands


Poland


Slovenia


Belgium


Spain


United Kingdom


Bulgaria


Croatia


Latvia


Lithuania


Hungary


Italy


Bosnia and Herzegovina


Russia


Switzerland


Denmark


France


Romania


Germany


Iceland


Serbia

See also

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Sources

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  • European Standard for Traffic Signs - EN 12899-1:2001 Fixed, Vertical Road Traffic Signs – Part 1: Fixed Signs, Requirements

References

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  1. ^ Erkut Kırmızıoğlu (2010). Analysis of comprehension of traffic signs: a pilot study in Ankara, Turkey (Master of Science thesis). Middle East Technical University. hdl:11511/20158.
  2. ^ "Технички приручник за спровођење одредаба Правилника о саобраћајној сигнализацији" (PDF) (in Serbian). 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  3. ^ "Межгосударственный стандарт ГОСТ 10807-78 "Знаки дорожные. Общие технические условия" (утв. постановлением Госстандарта СССР 30.08.1978 N 2401) (с изменениями и дополнениями) (не действует) | ГАРАНТ". base.garant.ru. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Скачать ГОСТ 10807-78 Знаки дорожные. Общие технические условия". meganorm.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  5. ^ "ГОСТ Р 52290-2004 Технические средства организации дорожного движения. Знаки дорожные. Общие технические требования (с Поправками, с Изменениями N 1, 2, 3)". docs.cntd.ru. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  6. ^ ">СТБ 1140-2013 Технические средства организации дорожного движения. Знаки дорожные. Общие технические условия" (PDF). meganorm.ru (in Russian and Belarusian). Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  7. ^ Bovtko, Sergiy (11 June 2020). "Нові дорожні знаки. Навіщо вони з'явилися і що буде далі?" (in Ukrainian). Auto RIA. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  8. ^ "ДСТУ 4100:2021 Безпека дорожнього руху" (PDF). zakon.isu.net.ua (in Ukrainian). 14 September 2022.
  9. ^ Österman, Tuomas; Miettinen, Saija; Ronkainen, Kaisa (2005). "Opastusmerkkien luettavuus" [Readability of guidance signs] (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Tiehallinto. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  10. ^ "KÖZÚTI JELZŐTÁBLÁK (Y) A FELIRATOK BETŰI, SZÁMJEGYEI ÉS ÍRÁSJELEI". Magyar Közút (in Hungarian). Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  11. ^ Obwieszczenie Ministra Infrastruktury z dnia 9 września 2019 r. w sprawie ogłoszenia jednolitego tekstu rozporządzenia Ministra Infrastruktury w sprawie szczegółowych warunków technicznych dla znaków i sygnałów drogowych oraz urządzeń bezpieczeństwa ruchu drogowego i warunków ich umieszczania na drogach [Announcement of the Minister of Infrastructure of 9 September 2019 on the publication of the uniform text of the Minister of Infrastructure regulation on detailed technical conditions for road signs and signals as well as road safety devices and conditions for their placement on roads], Dz. U., 2019, No. 2311
  12. ^ "Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 3 – Regulatory Signs" (PDF). gov.uk. Department for Transport. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  13. ^ "The rural speed limit sign" (PDF). Department of Transport.
  14. ^ "S.I. No. 618/2024 - Road Traffic (Signs) (Speed limits) Regulations 2024". Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  15. ^ "Halte- und Parkverbot". Fahrschule Fürböck (in German). Retrieved 9 December 2021.
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