Starting May 1 of next year, Belgium plans to require a road vignette for all drivers on Belgian highways and regional roads. “Yet another one,” the exasperated drivers must be thinking as they prepare to set off on vacation by car, because the myriad systems for road and environmental vignettes and low-emission zones (LEZ) across Europe have become impossible to keep track of.
Precisely because regulations in Europe are fragmented in this area and there are still no harmonized European rules, the mobility organization Touring is launching a tool to help drivers navigate the maze of options.
‘Administrative tangle’
Touring itself refers to an ‘administrative tangle,’ and that’s no exaggeration. In addition to toll roads, France also has Crit’Air stickers. These are mandatory in cities like Paris, Lyon, Lille, and Rouen, but aren’t required for through traffic around Montpellier, Grenoble, or Strasbourg.
On top of that, there’s political uncertainty: France is considering abolishing the environmental zones, but the decision isn’t final yet, so the rules remain in effect for now.
Germany, on the other hand, has 35 separate environmental zones, or ‘Umweltzonen,’ plus standalone diesel bans in specific cities such as Frankfurt, Munich, and Stuttgart.
Switzerland does not have a fixed vignette for environmental zones – except temporarily in Geneva during smog alerts – but it does have a separate, mandatory road vignette for highways.
Spain and Italy have toll roads and environmental zones that vary by city. In Spain, every city with more than 50,000 residents generally has its own ZBE and sticker system (4 categories), although some cities accept foreign vignettes. Italy also has many local ZTLs (Zona a Traffico Limitato) and environmental zones – now in more than 100 Italian cities.
And some countries, such as Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic, do not have any LEZs for passenger cars at all, but they do require a toll vignette.
A single, targeted check tool
With European roads set to get even busier in the coming weeks due to the peak season for road trips abroad, Touring is launching a new online tool to help drivers figure out where and what they need to pay, depending on their vehicle.
With this tool, drivers can check before departure whether they need to purchase a vignette, register their vehicle, or consider an environmental zone along their route or at their destination.
“As long as Europe does not harmonize these rules, drivers will continue to face a multitude of different systems,” says Touring. “Checking before departure can prevent a fine, a detour, or being unable to enter certain zones.”
The mobility organization recommends conducting this check a few days before departure, especially if a physical sticker needs to be ordered and mailed.
Additional costs
Touring isn’t the first to offer such a tool; its competitor, VAB, publishes similar overviews. What’s new is that Touring now bundles this information into a single, targeted check tool based on the vehicle and travel route, rather than requiring users to look up information separately for each country.
Note that when purchasing through Touring or VAB, you’ll often pay a service or administrative fee in addition to the official price. Depending on the country and the type of vignette, this surcharge can range from a few euros to about €10, and in some cases even higher.
The tool is therefore especially useful for getting an overview, but when it comes to the actual purchase, it’s sometimes worth going to the official website yourself.
