Toll roads can be a journey ruiner, whether its rummaging around your car for some spare change or long queues backing up from its gates – nobody has ever been thankfull to see a toll. Although many have now become more streamlined and paid online instead, now creating a new problem of forgetting to pay the Datford charge, it’s no wonder many maps have the option to avoid the roads entirely.
That option has never been more appealing than when travelling on one popular Italian route, which shamelessly takes the crown as Europe’s priciest road, with a one-way trip costing you even more than a train – and potentially even a flight. The infamous road in question? The A1, A14 route from Milan to Bari.
The route, which begins in the Italian industrial capital in the Northwest and weaves its way through the country to the bustling port city on the country’s Adriatic coast, will leave you with a bill of £56.88 – while a stress-free train fare will only set you back £45.
But it’s not just the Italians cashing in on using its motorways; data from Northgate Vehicle Hire found the French to be earning a pretty penny too. Just a whisker behind the Italian route is France’s Paris to Marseille route, following the A6 and A7.
For a standard family car, the cost in tolls alone will leave you £52.29 out of pocket with a single train ticket, again coming out £16 cheaper.
But as we know, it’s not just motorways that can charge you for using them, bridges and tunnels can also leave you with a big bill.
While the Øresundsbroen bridge may be a feat of engineering and take across the Sweden, Denmark border from Malmo to Copenhagen, you’d be mistaken thinking it would set you back just a few pounds.
Instead crossing the bridge just once will cost you a staggering £45.72 despite it’s short 4.8 mile trip and some reviews have made their views known. One angry driver on Google Reviews said: ” Absolutely Ridiculous – Never Again!
“I recently drove from Aalborg to Malmö and had to use the Øresund Bridge. I was shocked to find out it cost 510 DKK (£59) each way! That’s over 1,000 DKK (£116) just to cross a bridge — complete daylight robbery.
“There was no clear warning about how insanely expensive it would be. If I had known in advance, I would’ve 100% chosen another route or skipped the trip entirely. The bridge is nice, sure, but NOT worth this absurd toll. It felt like I was being scammed just for wanting to cross into Sweden.”
Some of Europe’s tunnel’s can also leave you feeling short changed, with the Great St Bernard tunnel between Italy and Switzerland taking home the title as Europe’s most expensive costing £26.23.