Getting around: cars, transfers and passes
Road tolls and vignettes: how motorway charges work by country
Do I need a vignette or a toll payment to drive here, and where do I pay safely?
Applies to: National law variesRules last checked:
On this page
In short
Europe uses two main systems on motorways: a time-based vignette you buy before you drive (often electronic now), and tolls paid per section, at a booth or electronically. Which applies depends on the country, sometimes on the road, and the rules for cars differ from those for heavy vehicles.
Buy only from the official operator. Several authorities warn about fake shops and messages that imitate them. Prices and periods change; we show none.
Countries confirmed from the operator’s own site
| Country | System | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Digital vignette; the sticker is offered for the last time in 2026 and from 2027 only the digital vignette is available. Check whether particular sections are charged separately. | ASFINAG |
| Switzerland | Motorway vignette, sold as a sticker and as an e-vignette | Federal Office for Customs and Border Security |
| Czechia | Electronic vignette from the official e-shop (vehicles up to 3.5 t) | State Fund for Transport Infrastructure |
| Slovakia | Electronic vignette; the site calls itself the only official sale point | National Motorway Company |
| Slovenia | Electronic vignette (e-vinjeta) webshop | DARS |
| Bulgaria | Electronic vignette and toll system (BG TOLL) | Road Infrastructure Agency |
| Italy | Toll motorways: on the Autostrade per l’Italia network, electronic payment (Telepass), cards, prepaid Viacard and cash; other concessionaires operate other motorways | Autostrade per l’Italia |
Other countries in our catalogue — including Hungary, whose operator page we could not read here — may charge tolls or road fees that this guide does not cover. Check the national operator’s official site before you drive.
Buy only from the official operator
ASFINAG warns of phishing by fake SMS messages, fake emails and dubious online shops that try to obtain customer data, and directs customers to its official shop. Slovenia’s and Bulgaria’s operators likewise provide their own official webshops and portals, and the Czech and Slovak sites present themselves as the official e-shops.
Fake shops exist, and a purchase from an unofficial seller may not be valid for your vehicle; buy from the official operator and check the plate number you enter. If you are renting, ask the rental company whether the car already has a valid vignette or a toll device.
Check before you buy
- Open the official operator page for each country on your route.
- Confirm your vehicle class and the period you need.
- Buy on the official domain, and check the plate number you enter.
- For a rental car, ask what is already included.
- Keep the confirmation until the trip is over.
Sources
- Vignette — ASFINAG (Austria) — ASFINAG
- Electronic vignette purchase (Via portal) — Switzerland — Federal Office for Customs and Border Security
- Official e-shop for the Czech vignette — State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (Czechia)
- Slovak electronic vignette — official sale — National Motorway Company (Slovakia)
- E-vignette webshop (Slovenia) — DARS
- BG TOLL — electronic vignette and toll (Bulgaria) — Road Infrastructure Agency (Bulgaria)
- Autostrade per l’Italia — tolls and payment — Autostrade per l’Italia
General information to help you understand your options — not legal advice, and not a promise that any payment or refund is due to you. Your rights depend on the facts of your journey and the law that applies; check the official sources above and the carrier’s own terms.