How much do motorway vignettes cost in central Europe and the Balkans?

Since the new year, drivers in Slovakia are paying more for motorway vignettes. The price has increased by 20 per cent.

Transport Minister Andrej Doležal (Sme Rodina nom.) argues that prices have not changed for 12 years, but the costs of road repair and maintenance have significantly increased in the meantime. Moreover, another 300 kilometres of motorways have been built, he claims.

Slovakia is not the only European country that decided to make motorway vignettes more expensive.

Here's a selection of countries in the region and the prices of motorway vignettes in 2023:

• Czechia

• Austria

• Hungary

• Croatia, Italy, Poland

• Slovenia

• Germany, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece

Czech Republic: eco-friendly cars better off

Motorway vignettes in the Czech Republic are now electronic. Drivers can buy them on the edalnice.cz website, at selected filling stations, at the post office or in kiosks near the state borders.

Other websites sell Czech motorway vignettes in addition to the state website edalnice.cz. They may charge an additional fee, though.

The fastest way to buy a vignette is online: drivers fill in the vehicle registration number (EČV), the start of validity, and the vignette type. Payment can be made by payment card or bank transfer. A confirmation of payment and authorisation code for making changes will be sent to a driver's e-mail address.

In the Czech Republic there are three types of motorway vignettes: 10-day, monthly, and annual. The annual one is valid for 365 days from the specified start of validity, not from January 1.

Prices have not changed this year. The exchange rate from the beginning of January made them slightly more expensive than in Slovakia. For example, an annual (365-day) motorway vignette for a vehicle weighing up to 3.5 tons costs 1,500 Czech korunas (just over €62).

The Czech Republic, unlike Slovakia, provides discounts for ecological cars. Natural gas and biomethane (not LPG) vehicles pay only half the tariff. Drivers just need to make sure they mark it when buying a vignette online.

Electric and hydrogen cars, as well as hybrids, are fully exempt from motorway vignettes. Although it is necessary to go through a notification process with a bit of bureaucracy, this option is also available for vehicles registered in Slovakia.

Fines for driving on motorways without a vignette are higher than in Slovakia. A driver can be fined up to 5,000 Czech korunas on the spot, which is about €210. In later administrative proceedings, the fine can reach up to 20,000 Czech korunas, which is about €833.

In Slovakia, these fines do not exceed €500.

Austria: 10-day vignette cheaper than in Slovakia

Austria still has classic motorway vignettes (stickers). Drivers can also buy them at Slovak filling stations, especially near the border. Stickers are more practical than e-vignettes.

Though e-vignettes can be purchased online, their validity begins after 18 days due to the period during which drivers can withdraw from the purchase. The delay can be avoided if drivers buy the e-vignette as entrepreneurs.

There are vignettes with three different validity periods: 10-day, two-month and one-year. Their prices for 2023 are slightly higher than last year.

The shortest 10-day vignette is cheaper than the Slovak one. Drivers pay €36 more for the annual one. In Austria, however, they have a much denser motorway network.

A side note: some sections with motorway tunnels are charged extra.

If a person drives without a valid vignette in Austria, they risk a fine of €120. It can increase to €3,000 if it is not paid on the spot.

Hungary: regional annual vignette is cheaper

Electronic vignettes in Hungary can be purchased on the motorway company's website, at filling stations and at border crossings. As in Slovakia, there are three validity periods to choose from: 10-day, monthly and annual.

The prices of vignettes with a shorter validity have risen significantly, by tens of per cent. The 10-day vignette is now slightly more expensive than in Slovakia, costing 5,500 forints (less than €14). However, a driver will pay almost €124 for the annual one.

They can save money on the annual one by selecting its validity only in a specific county.

Vignettes can also be purchased from other websites, but they offer higher prices.

As for fines, how much a driver pays depends on how much time they spent driving on the motorway without any vignette. It can range from €75 for two hours to up to €352 for four or more hours.

Croats, Italians and Poles have tolls

In Croatia, drivers don't pay for the motorway in the form of a vignette, but at toll gates. The amount of the fee depends on the length of the route travelled. It is paid at the toll gate with a payment card or in cash.

Croatia switched to the euro on January 1, 2023.

The toll can also be paid electronically if the driver purchases an ETC device. Motorway tolls are then slightly lower. However, some sections are not covered by the ETC system.

Poland also charges tolls on the motorways, although only at selected sections. Drivers can pay electronically via the website or mobile application. The toll fee is not collected at the toll gate. A so-called e-ticket must be purchased before entering the tolled section.

Italians also rely on toll gates on their motorways. On average, drivers pay €9 for 100 km.

Slovenia: 7-day vignette not good for longer holiday

Slovenian motorway vignettes are sold through the website of the motorway company DARS, at its sales points, DarsGo service centres and at authorised sellers.

Vignette prices did not change in 2023. An annual one costs €110, a monthly one costs €30, and a weekly one costs €15. Slovenians have also introduced a semi-annual vignette, but only for motorbikes.

It is important to pay attention to the vignette with the shortest validity. Unlike Slovakia, the Czech Republic or Austria, it is valid for seven days, not 10 days. Therefore, it is better to buy two 7-day vignettes or a monthly vignette in case of a longer holiday in the Slovenian Adriatic area.

In addition, a drive through the Karavanky Tunnel, which connects Slovenia and Austria, costs an extra €7.80.

Fines for driving without a vignette range from €300 to €800.

Free German motorways, cheap Balkan roads

Germany still has not tolled its extensive motorway network. In the past, the Germans wanted to introduce fees for foreigners, but the European Court of Justice did not agree.

In Switzerland drivers have to pay for the motorways. Only the annual sticker is available, but it costs less than in Slovakia (40 francs, which is about €40). Drivers can buy it at filling stations, post offices, online, or at border crossings. The country plans to introduce electronic vignettes this year.

Bulgaria is very flexible regarding motorway vignettes, offering them with different periods of validity, from weekend to annual. A driver will pay €4.60 for a weekend vignette. They can be bought online or at a number of sales points. The situation is similar in Romania.

In Bulgaria, motorway vignettes are also needed for some first class roads. Extra money is also paid to cross bridges over the Danube.

Finally, those who would travel by car to Greece should get ready for toll gates and payments for kilometres travelled.

© Index