Motorway tolls in Italy: how they are worked out, toll booths, Telepass

What to do before joining the motorway

In Italy tolls apply on almost the entire motorway network. In practice you have 2 options: take a ticket at the entry toll booth and pay at the exit, or fit an electronic toll device such as Telepass and drive through the dedicated lanes without stopping. According to Telepass there are more than 500 toll booths.

In short, before you set off:

• decide how you will pay (cash or card at the booth, or Telepass);
• if you use Telepass, check that your car’s number plate is up to date in the contract;
• if you want to know the cost in advance, use a calculator, entering the entry toll booth, exit toll booth and vehicle type;
• keep any non-payment reports and settle them straight away.

How the toll is calculated

The calculation criteria are set by sector legislation, that is national laws and CIPE resolutions, incorporated into the concession agreements between the State and the operating companies, as Autostrade per l’Italia explains.

Tolls work on either a closed system or an open system.

The closed system

This is used on most Italian motorways. The amount is directly proportional to the distance driven: according to Telepass the unit rate is multiplied by the kilometres driven. The unit rate depends on:

• the vehicle class;
• the type of section: there is a lowland rate and a mountain rate (known as the altura rate);
• the operating company that runs that section.

Watch out for a little known detail: according to Moveo by Telepass the kilometres counted also include junctions and link roads.

Vehicle classes

The toll varies according to the height and number of axles of the vehicle, following the classes set out by Autostrade per l’Italia. Cars, motorcycles, scooters, vans and motorhomes with no more than 2 axles fall into classes A and B: these are the vehicles for which the Moveo calculator gives an estimate, which Telepass says is highly reliable but with a small margin of error.

Rounding

Rounding is automatic and leaves the operator no leeway. It is governed by Interministerial Decree number 10440/28/133 of 12 November 2001 of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Economy and Finance:

• if the final figure is 5 cents or more, it is rounded up to the next 10 cents: a toll of €2.45 or €2.48 becomes €2.50;
• if the final figure is below 5 cents, it is rounded down to the 10 cents below: a toll of €2.42 becomes €2.40.

The only exception is the Tangenziale di Napoli, where rounding is to 5 cents, up or down.

The open system

On some sections you pay a fixed rate, which does not depend on the kilometres but only on the vehicle class. Here you do not take a ticket, so the actual route is unknown and the calculation is based on a flat length set with the approval of the granting authority.

The examples given do not entirely match. Telepass lists the Milano Laghi, the Milan, Turin and Naples ring roads, the A12 Roma Tarquinia, the A1 Roma Nord branch and the A3 from Naples to Salerno. Autostrade per l’Italia cites the A8 Milano Laghi, the A12 Roma Civitavecchia and some individual stations. The 2 sources therefore describe the open section of the A12 with different end points: check the road signs.

How to pay at the toll booth

Choosing the right lane

According to Autostrade per l’Italia the payment method signs follow national standards for colours, logos and symbols, with 5 types of sign placed above the canopy, along the 3,020 km of its network. For safety you should move into the lane for your chosen method while still in the approach lanes to the toll plaza, not at the last moment.

Paying with a ticket

On entry you take a ticket, which records where you joined. On exit you hand it over or insert it and pay the amount shown in the lane that matches your payment method.

Paying with Telepass

The device should be placed near the rear view mirror before you enter the lane. According to Telepass you use the yellow lanes marked with the T logo: at the beep the barrier lifts by itself. The service is valid across the whole Italian motorway network, Sicily included, and you pay the standard rate for the section with no extra charge for using the device. The amount is debited from your account after 3 months.

Autostrade per l’Italia points out that with electronic tolling payment is deferred and debited periodically, that there may be savings for particular categories such as motorcycles, and that for assistance you must contact the provider you signed the contract with. Telepass also mentions discounts on many partner sections.

How much Telepass costs

Electronic tolling is included in all Telepass plans: Base, Plus, Pay Per Use, Next and Pay X. Here are the costs Telepass gives for the main ones.

Telepass Base

According to the Telepass Base page:

• the device is delivered to your home for €5.73 and works straight away;
• you can link one device for €3.90 a month including VAT;
• the Roadside Assistance in Italy only option costs €2.00 a month;
• with Telepass Twin you get a second device on the same contract, with Roadside Assistance in Italy only included, for €2.88 a month.

The same page also shows a monthly fee of €0.88 instead of €1.83 until 30 June, then €3.90, without stating the year. The information is not entirely consistent: the stable reference remains €3.90 a month, but it is worth checking the price when you sign up.

The device also pays for partner car parks, entry to Milan’s Area C and the ferry across the Strait of Messina in partnership with Caronte and Tourist.

Pay per Use and Grab&Go

According to Telepass, Pay per Use has no monthly fee. The costs are:

• €20 activation;
• €1 per day on days you use the toll service;
• €1 per day on days you use the other included services.

It is the most sensible plan if you only use the motorway on a few days. Telepass Grab&Go is also presented as a pay per use option with no monthly fee, valid for motorways in Italy, blue bay parking in partner municipalities, ZTLs and partner car parks.

Telepass Sempre Più

According to Telepass, the offer waived the fee for the first 12 months for new customers signing up by 13 October 2026. After the first year the fee is €5.90 a month. The 3% cashback on in app services, up to a maximum of €20 a month, remains valid for those signing up by 31 March 2027. The offer includes the European device.

Telepass for travel in Europe

The European device lets you pay motorway tolls in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Croatia: handy if you are driving in from Spain. According to Telepass each country’s fee is charged only once per calendar month, however many times you pass through, and is not charged in months when you do not use the device abroad. You can sign up at Telepass partner outlets.

Telepass Ricaricabile

According to the Autostrade per l’Italia manual, Telepass Ricaricabile has no monthly fee, does not require a bank account, is topped up when needed and shows the toll amount on a display.

What happens if you do not pay the toll

According to the Autostrade per l’Italia FAQ page, if the toll due under art. 176 paragraph 11 of the Highway Code is not paid, in full or in part, a non-payment report (RMPP) is issued. It shows the report number, the vehicle’s number plate and class, date, time, exit toll booth and, if available, the entry one, the amount and how to pay.

You can settle it:

• with the Autostrade per l’Italia app, at no extra cost, by credit, debit or prepaid card;
• on autostrade.it, in the Servizi al Cliente, Mancato pagamento section, without registering and at no extra cost;
• at more than 40,000 Mooney outlets (bars, tobacconists, newsagents), quoting the report number; check the Mooney website for any charges.

These methods apply to Autostrade per l’Italia, Società Autostrada Tirrenica, Raccordo Autostradale Valle d’Aosta and Tangenziale di Napoli. If you do not have the report number, you can settle the journey by filling in the web form on the website. The group’s toll debt recovery is handled by Youverse, the services company formerly called EssediEsse.

Exceptions and refunds for roadworks and queues

For journeys made from 1 June 2026 the new method set out in ART Resolution 132, Measure 8 applies, as Autostrade per l’Italia explains on its toll cashback page. The partial or full refund covers the sections run by Autostrade per l’Italia, Raccordo Autostradale Valle d’Aosta, Società Autostrada Tirrenica and Tangenziale di Napoli.

For roadworks the journey must take place entirely on the network of just one of these companies, and you qualify as follows:

• journeys up to 30 km: always, regardless of the delay;
• journeys between 30 and 50 km: with a delay of 10 minutes or more;
• journeys over 50 km: with a delay of 15 minutes or more.

The amount is worked out with a formula that takes into account the features of the roadworks and the delay suffered.

With traffic at a standstill the refund is a percentage of the toll:

• 50% from 60 to 119 minutes;
• 75% from 120 to 179 minutes;
• 100% from 180 minutes onwards.

Checklist before you travel

• Calculate the toll by entering the entry and exit toll booths and the vehicle class.
• Choose your payment method and, at the toll plaza, spot the right lane early from the signs above the canopy.
• With Telepass: device near the mirror, yellow lanes with the T logo, number plate up to date in the contract.
• If you often drive in France, Spain, Portugal or Croatia too, consider the European device.
• If you rarely use the motorway, compare Pay per Use (€20 activation, €1 per day) with the Telepass Base fee.
• If you receive a non-payment report, settle it online at no extra cost.
• After queues or roadworks on the networks listed, check whether you are entitled to cashback.