TOLL ROADS IN EUROPE FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS

Business travelers who travel through Europe by car should inform themselves in advance if and in which form a toll will be due. Whoever violates against this regulation will be asked to pay up. The Tourism Review gives an overview of European tolls.

A distance-based toll, a fee according to the kilometers traveled, applies in nine countries of the European Union. These are France, Greece, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. Depending on the country, drivers also have to pay in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, and White Russia when entering or leaving freeways via electronic systems.

For some countries, it does not apply to the entire freeway and highway routes. In some countries, a special type of toll for bridges, tunnels, and passes will arise. That is the case in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Denmark, or Sweden.

In eight other countries, a vignette is to be purchased in order to drive on the freeway or highway in which validity period is of different duration. This applies to Bulgaria, Austria, Romania, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, and Hungary.

Without purchasing and applying a valid vignette, you will risk receiving a fine which can often turn out to be higher. In Slovenia, up to 800 Euro can fall due. In Slovakia, a fine can reach the 50-fold price of the 10-day vignette. The authorities in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland also do not play games when it comes to toll evaders. Fines starting from 120 Euro (Austria), 165 Euro (Switzerland), and 200 Euro (Czech Republic) are to be paid.