What are vignettes?
If we look at tolls in Europe, they vary widely. Not all roads are tolled, but in many countries you have to pay tolls. In some cases you pay at toll booths, in others you buy vignettes. There are different vignette rates in Europe, and they come in one of two forms:
- Electronic vignettes are valid, in particular, in the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Moldova, or Slovakia, i.e. where there is an electronic toll collection system for toll roads. You pay in the electronic system by linking the vignette to the registration number of the vehicle you are driving. If you purchase an electronic road vignette, the confirmation is a document with the transaction details, vehicle registration numbers and the validity period of the vignette. You will receive the paid electronic vignette by email. You must have it with you when you travel and even keep it for 2 years from the date of purchase. When driving on toll roads, the presence of the e-vignette is checked by roadside cameras. Driving without an e-vignette is subject to a fine.
In which European countries is a vignette required?
In Europe, although some countries have free roads, it also happens that vignettes are only required for vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tons (e.g. Estonia ), also more than 3 tons (e.g. Lithuania and Latvia ), or even more than 12 tons (e.g. Luxembourg , Sweden , the Netherlands ). Of course, even if you drive a passenger car, in most countries you will still have to pay for the journey, although often at toll booths on separate sections. As for vignettes, Europe is also demanding in this regard. They are required, in particular, in Austria , Bulgaria , the Czech Republic , Romania , Slovenia , Switzerland , Moldova , Hungary and Slovakia .
Types of road vignettes
If we consider electronic and classic vignettes, in Europe they are mainly divided by validity period. As a driver of a passenger car, you may encounter the following vignettes depending on the country:
- weekend,
- weekly,
- 10-day
- monthly,
- 2 months
- 3 months
- half a year,
- annual.
Where to buy vignettes and e-vignettes?
If you are going abroad, you will not have any problems buying vignettes. In Europe, depending on the country, there are many places where you can buy them. If it is a traditional vignette that is attached to the windscreen, you can buy it at gas stations, post offices, motorway management companies and even supermarkets, among other places. You will also find vignettes at border crossings.
You can buy electronic motorway vignettes online on official websites:
| Country | Official site for purchasing vignettes |
|---|---|
| Austria | shop.asfinag.at – online sale of electronic vignettes in Austria |
| Hungary | ematicra.nemzetiutdij.hu – online sale of electronic vignettes in Hungary |
| Switzerland | https://via.admin.ch/shop/ online sale of electronic vignettes in Switzerland |
| Moldova | evinieta.gov.md online sale of electronic vignettes in Moldova |
| Bulgaria | web.bgtoll.bg – online sale of electronic vignettes in Bulgaria |
| Romania | roviniete.ro – online sale of electronic vignettes in Romania |
| Slovenia | evinjeta.dars.si – sale of electronic vignettes in Slovenia |
| Czech Republic | edalnice.cz – information and sale of vignettes on motorways in the Czech Republic |
| Slovakia | eznamka.sk – sale of electronic vignettes in Slovakia |
| Lithuania | pirkti.keliumokestis.lt – online sale of electronic vignettes in Lithuania for vehicles weighing over 3 tons |
| Estonia | teetasu.ee Electronic vignette for vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons in Estonia |
| Latvia | lvvignette.eu – information about e-vignettes for Latvia for vehicles weighing over 3 tons |
| Netherlands | eurovignettes.eu for vehicles weighing over 12 tons, an electronic toll payment system called Eurovignette has been developed, which also operates in Luxembourg and Sweden |
| Luxembourg | eurovignettes.eu for vehicles weighing over 12 tons, an electronic toll payment system called Eurovignette has been developed, which also operates in the Netherlands and Sweden |
| Sweden | eurovignettes.eu for vehicles weighing over 12 tons, an electronic toll payment system called Eurovignette has been developed, which also operates in the Netherlands and Luxembourg |
| Belgium | Satellic.be has developed an electronic toll payment system in Belgium for vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons |
Tolls in other European countries
- Belgium – free for vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons, except for the Lifkenhoek – Antwerp tunnel.
- Belarus – electronic toll collection is based on the Belarusian BelToll system. You can register for it at www.beltoll.by. The deposit for the on-board device is 20 euros. The toll is from 0.04 to 0.012 euros per kilometer.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina – roads are free. You only pay for the section of the A1 motorway Sarajevo – Zenica (from 3 to 15 PLN).
- Croatia – tolls vary depending on the section of the road. Motorway tolls are paid in cash or by card in euros or Croatian kroner.
- Montenegro – free, except for the Sozina Tunnel and the Kamenari – Lepetane ferry crossing.
- Denmark – free, except for the STOREBAELT bridge crossing (18 km, connecting Zealand with Fiona, 35 euros) and ORESUND (16 km, connecting Denmark with Sweden, 50 euros).
- Estonia – free.
- Finland – free.
- France – the prices for motorways are very high here, tunnels, bridges and viaducts are also tolled. The cost depends on the motorway and the type of vehicle. You can pay by card or cash. On average, you will have to pay about 9 euros per 100 km.
- Greece – you pay at the entrance, the cost is up to 3 euros per section. The Rion-Antirion bridge and the Akteo tunnel are also tolled. Remember that not everywhere in Greece you can pay by card, so have cash with you.
- Spain – toll, the cost depends on the category of vehicle and the section of the motorway. On average, a 100 km journey costs about 10 euros. It is worth bearing in mind that in Spain, every toll section of the autobahn has a free alternative in the form of a motorway.
- Netherlands – free. However, you will pay for the Kiel Tunnel (Gravendel – Dordrecht) and the Westerskjeld (connects the island of Zeeland to the mainland between Baarland and Terneuzen).
- Lithuania – free for passenger vehicles.
- Latvia – free for passenger cars up to 3 tons.
- Liechtenstein – free.
- Luxembourg – free.
- Macedonia – toll, depending on the motorway and vehicle category.
- Germany – free for passenger cars.
- Norway – paid through the electronic Autopass system. In addition, there is a toll for the 3-kilometer tunnel connecting Oslo from west to east. You can get more information at www.autopass.no. There is also an environmental fee (Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim) and for cars equipped with studded tires (Oslo and Trondheim).
- Portugal – toll. The cost of the trip depends on the section of the road and the vehicle. You can pay in cash or by card. On some sections there is an electronic payment system (Easy Toll, TollCard).
- Russia – free, entrance and environmental fees apply, depending on the vehicle category,
- Serbia – tolls, depending on the motorway and vehicle category, average up to 6 euros per 100 km. Tolls are paid in euros or dinars.
- Sweden – free, except for the ORESUND bridges (a 4-kilometer tunnel and 7.8-kilometer bridge, connecting Sweden with Denmark) and SVINESUND (connecting Sweden with Norway). Entrance to the center of Stockholm and Gothenburg is paid (from Monday to Friday, up to 22 Swedish kronor).
- Turkey – paid through the HGS electronic system. You can pay with a vignette (5 TRY, for one vehicle) or an HGS card (15 TRY, for multiple vehicles). The vignette can be purchased at post offices and gas stations. You can later top it up with the minimum amount according to the vehicle category (30 – 81.50 TRY).
- Ukraine – free.
- At the border you have to pay an environmental tax (approximately 10 euros per 1000 cc of engine).
- Italy – tolls, depending on the motorway and vehicle. Average prices for the autobahn in Italy are 8-9 euros per 100 km. You pay by card or cash.
- UK – Free. Some bridges and tunnels are tolled, as is a new section of the M6 motorway (north of Birmingham). In addition, London has a Low Emission Zone (LEZ). If your vehicle does not meet the emissions standards, you will have to pay a tax of up to £12.50 per day to enter the LEZ. Vehicles that meet the standards must register with Transport for London free of charge.
As you can see, the vignette toll is not valid everywhere. In Europe, there are very different systems for paying for motorways. In many countries, tolls are paid at toll booths, in other countries, travel is free, in others, there are vignettes – classic stickers or electronic vignettes (e-vignettes).