If you don't take tolls into account from the outset on your holiday trip, you can be in for a nasty surprise – the costs are often not insignificant.
There are a wide variety of options for travelling on holiday: Many prefer to travel by bus, train or plane – and then possibly take a rental car at their holiday destination. Others prefer to travel with their own motorhome or caravan, although parking outside the holiday season can often be a problem here. But even if you don't drive a motorhome or have a caravan hanging on the back: A trip to other European countries can be quite expensive. Because in addition to the cost of fuel, you should definitely take into account the tolls.
There is a distance-based toll in 16 European countries – a vignette in eight countries
According to ADAC, there is a route-based toll in 16 European countries – including France, Spain, Italy and Greece. Depending on the country, payment is made when entering or exiting a toll station. Croatia also has a route-based toll – but it will switch to the e-vignette from 2024.
Tolls – as here in Italy – should definitely be taken into account by holidaymakers by car. (Symbolic image) © Bihlmayerfotografie/Imago
In eight European countries, drivers need a vignette. An e-vignette is required in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. Sticker vignettes are available for Switzerland and Austria (but a digital vignette is also available here). The automobile club has converted some of the prices into euros (so they can vary depending on the exchange rate) and summarized them in a list:
| Land | Price day/month/year |
|---|---|
| Bulgaria | €7 (7 days) / €14 (1 month) / €45 (1 year) |
| Austria | €9.90 (10 days) / €29 (2 months) / €96.40 (1 year) |
| Romania | €3 (7 days) / €7 (1 month) / €28 (1 year) |
| Switzerland | - / - / 45 € (1 year) |
| Slovakia | €12 (10 days) / €17 (1 month) / €60 (1 year) |
| Slovenia | €15 (7 days) / €30 (1 month) / €110 (1 year) |
| Czechia | €13 (10 days) / €18 (1 month) / €61 (1 year) |
| Hungary | €15 (10 days) / €25 (1 month) / €130 (1 year) |
Tolls in other European countries: Beware of additional costs
Important to know: Especially in Austria, additional fees are due for passes and tunnels. Here, too, a lot of extra costs can come together. Not having a vignette to save money is certainly not a good idea – the fines are sometimes very high. In Switzerland, for example, according to the ADAC, a fine of around 175 euros is due – the cost of the vignette is on top of that. And in Slovenia, too, at least 150 euros are due – as long as you pay immediately. Otherwise, it can also be significantly more expensive: up to 800 euros fine are possible here.
Also Read
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In general, you should definitely pay parking tickets on vacation. It doesn't matter whether it's a parking ticket or a ticket for a speeding violation. This is because penalties from EU countries can now also be enforced in Germany. But even in a non-EU country, you should pay, at least if you want to go there again – because the penalties sometimes only expire after several years. And the next time you enter the country, there can be a lot of trouble.
