Italy toll roads for UK drivers: how to pay

Italy toll roads (autostrade) mostly work on a ticket: you take one when you join and hand it back when you leave, paying for the route you drove, by card, cash or an electronic tag. A few stretches charge a fixed amount with no ticket at all.

Each rule below was read on 6 November 2026 on the website of the motorway operator Autostrade per l'Italia, with GOV.UK travel advice for Italy for the city rules. Italian tolls are set in euros, so the amounts carry their value in pounds where that helps.

The practical points for a British driver are the lane and the deadline. Pick the lane that matches how you pay before you reach the barrier, and if a toll goes unpaid, the operator allows 15 days to settle it without extra charge.

On the closed system, which the operator says covers the majority of the network, you take a ticket on entering and return it on exiting, so the toll follows the route you covered. On an open system the toll is a fixed amount whatever your route, and there is no ticket to take. The operator names the A8 Milan to Laghi and the A12 Rome to Civitavecchia as examples.

The signs above each gate show how it takes payment. The operator asks drivers to take the entry or exit lane that matches the way they pay, starting on the lanes leading to the toll booth, so decide before you are in the queue.

Autostrade per l'Italia says that where the blue board shows the card pictures, you can pay with Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards, and with Fast Pay, Maestro and Vpay debit cards, without a PIN and without extra costs.

A footnote in Italian on the operator's card page says all automatic exit lanes have contactless readers (our translation). The no-extra-costs promise is the operator's own.

For cash, you can pay at both manned and automated booths. If an automated booth has no change, it issues a credit receipt, which you claim through the operator's procedure.

One method has gone. The prepaid Viacard has been discontinued, and the operator calls its magnetic-stripe technology outdated. A card already bought keeps working until 31 December 2029.

Cards and cash are both accepted at the booths, so a tag is one more way to pay. The operator's page on electronic toll collection says devices from several operators work in the dedicated lanes, and lists the benefits: the T-marked lanes avoid queues, the toll is collected automatically by recurring charges, and a correctly positioned device is detected on entry and exit without the driver doing anything.

The same page says one device can pay in several European countries through the European Electronic Toll Service, and that for help you contact the operator you signed the contract with. We name no provider and sell no tag.

Do not confuse a tag with the rechargeable Telepass. The operator says sales of the new Telepass Ricaricabile devices stopped on 25 October 2021, and that the product is operational in Campania and Sicily.

Autostrade per l'Italia works the toll out as the unit rate multiplied by the kilometres travelled, adds VAT of 22%, then rounds to the nearest 10 euro cents. The unit rate depends on the vehicle class, on whether the stretch is flat or mountain, and on which concessionaire manages it. The kilometres counted include junctions, link roads and the stretches before and after the toll plaza.

As an illustration, 100 km on flat ground in class B comes to €8.05 at the rate above, which the rounding rule lifts to €8.10 (about £7). This is our arithmetic from the published rate, not a quote: real tolls add the junction kilometres, and mountain stretches cost more. The operator's toll classes page sets out the classes, and notes that only scooters above 120cc are allowed on motorways.

The rounding rule is simple. A final figure under 5 cents is rounded down to the 10 cents below, and 5 cents or more is rounded up. The operator gives the examples of €1.13 becoming €1.10 and €1.16 becoming €1.20.

If an unpaid toll ticket shows 'Entry NOT DETECTED' or 'Lost ticket', the operator says the journey could not be linked to an entry booth. The toll is then calculated on the entire journey starting from the furthest toll booth, under Article 176(16) of the Highway Code.

You can self-certify your entry toll booth online and ask for a recalculation, and you may attach documents proving where you joined. If you have already paid the full amount at the booth, you can claim a refund once the self-certification form is complete.

When a toll is not paid, the operator says a receipt certifying the non-payment is issued, at manned and automatic booths alike. It records the plate, the class, the transit data and the amount due. The number plate is also photographed, so the toll can be charged to the vehicle's owner later.

A toll can be paid online from 24 hours after the transit, and without charge within 15 days from the date of issue. After that, administration fees are added. The operator's pages count the 15 days from the date of issue in one place and from the transit in another, so do not leave it late.

If the debt stays unpaid, the operator says it may be recovered by force at greater cost to the debtor, and the papers may go to the Traffic Police. The sanction it cites is a sum of €87 to €344 (about £73 to £290) and the deduction of 2 points from the driving licence of the actual offender.

Licences, speed limits and city rules are in our guide to driving in Italy, and our driving abroad guide covers what applies in every country. GOV.UK travel advice for Italy is where to look for changes before you leave.

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  Lane: Choose it before the barrier: the operator asks drivers to take the lane that matches how they pay.
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  Payment: A card from the accepted list, or cash in banknotes of €5 to €100 (about £4 to £83); the operator says all automatic exit lanes have contactless readers.
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  Ticket: Keep the one you take on entering: a lost ticket means the toll is worked out from the furthest booth.
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  Unpaid toll: Pay online from 24 hours after the transit, and within 15 days of issue to avoid administration fees.
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  City centres: GOV.UK says you need a pass to drive into the historic centre of many Italian cities in a private or hire car. See our Italy driving guide on ZTL zones.

• How is an Italian motorway toll worked out?

  Autostrade per l’Italia multiplies a unit rate by the kilometres travelled, adds 22% VAT and rounds to the nearest 10 euro cents. The rate depends on the vehicle class, flat or mountain stretches and the concessionaire.

• Do I take a ticket on every Italian motorway?

  No. On the closed system, the majority, you take a ticket on entering and return it on exiting. On open systems such as the A8 Milan to Laghi and the A12 Rome to Civitavecchia, the toll is a fixed amount and no ticket is taken.

• Which card can I use at an Italian toll booth?

  Autostrade per l’Italia lists Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards, and Fast Pay, Maestro and Vpay debit cards, accepted without a PIN and without extra costs.

• What cash does an Italian toll booth accept?

  Automated booths accept banknotes from €5 to €100 (about £4 to £83) and coins from 5 cents to €2 (about £2). If there is no change, a credit receipt is issued.

• Which lane should I use if I have no tag?

  Use a blue lane for cards, or a lane with the cash symbol. Yellow gates marked ‘reserved for customers’ are only for holders of a Telepass device.

• Can I still use a prepaid Viacard in Italy?

  Only if you already own one. Autostrade per l’Italia has discontinued Viacards, and cards already bought can be used until 31 December 2029.

• What if I lose my toll ticket in Italy?

  The toll is calculated on the entire journey from the furthest toll booth. You can self-certify your entry booth on the operator’s website and ask for a recalculation, or a refund if you already paid in full.

• How long do I have to pay an unpaid toll in Italy?

  The operator says an unpaid toll can be paid without charge within 15 days from the date of issue, and online from 24 hours after the transit. After that, administration fees are added.

• What is the penalty for not paying an Italian toll?

  Beyond the administration fees, the operator cites a sanction of €87 to €344 (about £73 to £290) and the deduction of 2 points from the driving licence of the actual offender, if the case goes to the Traffic Police.