ROAD TOLLS IN EUROPE

                                                                                         

While many of the highways and motorways in Europe are among the best in the world in terms of quality and traffic flow, this comes with a cost, and you will find that a lot of European countries have fees to cover the use of certain roads.

The system by which fees are paid varies between countries, and here is a guide to some which may help your holiday planning.

TOLL BOOTHS
A form of toll paying many of us would be familiar with is toll booths, where payment is made along the section of road being charged for. The price charged depends of course on which country you are in, which section of road you are using, the size of your vehicle, and in some cases, the distance you have travelled.

Countries which feature toll booths on some of their roads are:

Croatia (based on distance travelled)
France
Ireland
Italy
Norway (tolls charged for entering certain cities)
Portugal
Spain
UK (tolls charged on some bridges, tunnels and some motorways)


TOLL STICKERS
In some European countries, fees for use of highways and motorways are governed by a system of stickers, also known as Vignette, which are displayed on the windscreen. Stickers are usually available for time periods of seven days, one month or one year, although this can vary between countries. These may be inspected along the way by police and heavy fines can apply to those without stickers. In some cases of foreigners caught without appropriate stickers, cars can even be impounded to ensure the fine is paid, so it’s important to be covered!

Countries which feature the toll sticker system:

Austria – required for all motorways and expressways..
Bulgaria – required for all roads between cities.
Czech Republic – required for motorways.
Hungary – required for motorways.
Romania – required for all roads.
Slovakia – required for motorways.
Slovenia – required for freeways and expressways
Switzerland – annual sticker required for motorways


OTHER TOLLS IN EUROPE
In order to reduce traffic, some European countries have introduced a fee system for those who drive in busy places or during peak times.

These include
UK - London Congestion Charge, which is a fee for driving into the city centre of London. This can be paid by website, sms, on the phone, and also some newsagents, convenience stores and petrol stations.

Sweden – Fees apply for driving into the city of Stockholm during peak times. Charges are sent to the owner of the car, or in the case of a rental car, the supplier. This fee will then be passed on to the client.

About the author:
Car Guru writes for DriveAway Holidays, http://www.driveaway.com.au, DriveAway Holidays New Zealand, http://www.driveaway.co.nz, and the DriveAway Holidays Blog - http://driveaway2008.blogspot.com/.

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