How Are Tolls Paid in Europe? – A Complete Guide for Drivers

When traveling by car through Europe, the way road tolls are paid can vary significantly from one country to another. In some countries, you need to purchase a vignette before entering a motorway, while in others, tolls are charged according to the section of road you use. In some countries, passenger cars can use motorways without paying a general road toll. This information can also be useful for tourists visiting Serbia who are planning to rent a car in Belgrade and then travel by car through the countries of the region and the rest of Europe.

There are also countries that combine several systems. Austria, for example, uses a vignette for most motorways and expressways, while certain sections require an additional toll. Portugal has both traditional toll roads and motorways where toll collection is entirely electronic.

For a driver from Serbia, it is therefore not enough to know simply whether a particular country “charges for motorways.” It is important to know which system is used, whether you pay in advance or during the journey, whether a vignette is required, and whether payment is made at a toll station, online, or using an electronic device.

Three Main Toll Systems

There are generally three main toll systems for passenger cars in Europe.

A vignette means that you purchase the right to use a specific road network for a certain period of time. In most countries, vignettes are now electronic and linked to the vehicle's registration number.

A vignette is a time-based permit to use certain roads. It is purchased for a specific period and is usually electronically linked to the vehicle's registration number.

Distance- or section-based tolls mean that you pay for the specific section of road you have used. Traditionally, this is done at toll stations, although more and more countries are introducing electronic toll collection without requiring vehicles to stop.

The third option is countries without a general motorway toll for passenger cars. However, even in these countries, individual bridges, tunnels, or specific road sections may still require payment.

Tolls and Vignettes in Europe – Country-by-Country Overview

Note

The table shows the main toll system for passenger vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. This does not mean that every kilometre of motorway in a country is tolled. Many countries have parallel free roads, while individual bridges, tunnels, or special sections may have separate tolls.

In countries using vignettes, the electronic vignette is usually linked to the vehicle's registration number, meaning that the driver does not receive a sticker that has to be placed on the windshield.

Austria is a special case because, in addition to the vignette, certain sections are subject to an additional toll known as a section toll. Digital vignettes and section tolls can be purchased through the official ASFINAG system.

Switzerland also uses a vignette, but its system differs from that of most neighbouring countries: there is an annual vignette, available either as a traditional sticker or as an electronic vignette.

Electronic Vignettes – The Most Common System in Central Europe

Electronic vignettes are used in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, while Moldova has a separate e-vignette system intended for foreign-registered vehicles.

For these systems, the process is generally:

select the vehicle category → select the validity period → select the country of registration → enter the registration number → pay → receive confirmation.

With electronic vignettes, there is no physical sticker to place on the windshield. Enforcement is carried out through automatic number-plate recognition or by checking the vehicle in an electronic database.

This is why it is extremely important to enter the registration number and country of registration correctly when purchasing a vignette. A single incorrect character can mean that the vignette is not properly linked to the vehicle.

Toll Stations

In the second major group of countries, you do not purchase a vignette. Instead, you pay when you use the motorway.

This system is very common in Southern and Western Europe, including Italy, France, Croatia, Greece, and Serbia.

In a traditional system, you may receive a ticket when entering the motorway and then pay when exiting, with the amount depending on the section of road used.

Depending on the country, payment may be made by:

• cash;
• payment card;
• electronic toll device;
• automatic toll collection based on the vehicle's registration number.

Electronic Toll Collection Without Stopping

More and more European countries are introducing electronic systems that allow tolls to be collected without traditional stops at toll booths.

In such systems, a vehicle may have an electronic device, such as a TAG, which registers its passage through the toll station. The toll is then automatically deducted from an electronic account or charged to a registered payment card, depending on the system.

For drivers from Serbia, the possibility of using one TAG device in several countries in the region is particularly interesting. Within the regional electronic toll collection system, Serbian TAG devices can be used for toll payments in Serbia and North Macedonia, while the broader Toll4All system allows a TAG device to be linked to a payment card and used in several countries in the region. According to current information, the service is available in Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Croatia, while further expansion to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece is planned.

The advantage of such a system is that drivers do not need to purchase separate devices for every country or wait in queues at toll stations. Once the TAG device and payment card have been registered, tolls are collected automatically. Another advantage of systems connecting countries in the region is that they can eliminate the need to exchange currencies and manually pay each toll.

This system is often associated with the Open Balkan initiative, under which Serbia and North Macedonia enabled the use of a shared TAG device for electronic toll collection as early as 2023. Today, the system is broader and operates through the regional Toll4All concept, so it is important to distinguish the Open Balkan initiative itself from the specific electronic toll collection system.

Portugal Has a Special System

Portugal is an important example because it has two different toll collection methods.

Some motorways have traditional toll stations, while on certain sections tolls are collected exclusively electronically.

On these roads, there is no traditional barrier where you can stop and pay in cash. Instead, the vehicle passes beneath an electronic system that records its registration number.

For foreign-registered vehicles, there are systems that allow electronic toll payment, which is why it is particularly important to familiarize yourself with the payment method used on your planned route before travelling.

Germany – No General Toll for Cars

Germany is well known for not having a general vignette or general motorway toll for passenger vehicles.

However, this does not mean that every road and every structure is completely free of charge. Certain tunnels, structures, or special sections may have their own tolls.

The toll system for heavy goods vehicles is also different from the system applicable to passenger cars.

Which European Countries Have No General Toll for Cars?

When people mention a country where motorways are free for passenger cars, Germany is usually the first country that comes to mind. However, Germany is not the only European country where there is no general charge for passenger cars using motorways.

Among the countries with significant motorway or expressway networks that do not have a general toll or vignette for passenger cars are:

• 🇩🇪 Germany
• 🇧🇪 Belgium
• 🇩🇰 Denmark
• 🇪🇪 Estonia
• 🇫🇮 Finland
• 🇬🇪 Georgia
• 🇱🇻 Latvia
• 🇱🇹 Lithuania
• 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands
• 🇸🇪 Sweden
• 🇺🇦 Ukraine

In these countries, passenger cars generally do not pay a road-use charge for using the motorway network. However, “free motorways” does not mean that every road and every structure is free. Individual bridges, tunnels, or special road sections may have separate tolls.

Denmark, for example, has no general motorway toll, but major bridges are charged separately. Sweden has specific charges for certain bridges and urban areas, while the Netherlands also has individual structures with separate tolls.

What Should You Check Before Your Trip?

Before setting off on a road trip through Europe, you should check four things.

1. Is a vignette required?

If it is, purchase it before entering a road covered by the requirement.

2. Is the vignette electronic?

With an electronic vignette, the most important thing is to enter the registration number and country of registration correctly.

3. Are tolls paid at toll stations?

If so, check whether cash, payment cards, or electronic devices are accepted.

4. Are there additional tolls?

Even if you have a valid vignette, a particular tunnel, bridge, or special road section may require an additional toll.

That is why it is best to check your specific route, rather than simply looking at the toll system for the country as a whole.

In Short – What You Need to Remember

Vignette – you pay for the right to use certain roads for a specific period.

Toll – you pay for using a specific section of road.

Special toll – you pay for a particular bridge, tunnel, or other infrastructure.

Some countries use only one of these systems, while others combine two or more.

For a driver from Serbia, therefore, the important question is not simply “Do I have to pay for motorways in this country?”. You need to check whether you need a vignette, where to buy it, whether it is electronic, how tolls are paid, and whether there are additional charges along your route.

In the next section, we will take a closer look at the countries that are most relevant to drivers from Serbia – Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece, including specific prices, payment methods, official websites, and practical travel tips.