Taking the coastal route from Milan airport to Montecantini was curious approximately how many tolls we will encounter on our drive and how much will the tolls cost?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16243 posts
In Italy It doesn't work like on the turnpike where there are so many toll booths every so many miles. Italian freeways work like parking lots at the airport.
At any freeway entrance, just before the ramp, there will be a toll gate ("Casello" in Italian). You pick up your ticket there from the dispenser machine, just like you would when you enter a parking lot. The ticket indicates the entrance where you entered the freeway. Once your ticket is with you (don't lose it) you enter the freeway system and drive to your destination.
In your case follow direction to Milano, then follow directions to Genova, then to Livorno, and before Viareggio, to Firenze. Exit at Montecatini between Lucca and Firenze.
When you exit it's time to pay. At the freeway exit, there will be another toll booth. There you hand your ticket to the attendant and pay, just as you do when you exit the parking lot at the airport.
If instead of going straight from Milan to Montecatini, you exit the freeway system along the way (for example to visit Portofino) then you pay at the exit and when you re enter you need to pick up another ticket again and drive to your destination.
If you make no stops (I.e. You don't exit and renter the freeway system the toll will be €32.10. If you exit and enter then the sum of the various segments will likely cost u a bit more than that.
Warning:
Some booths are for motorists with electronic transponders only, called Tele-pass. When you enter the freeway choose the one that says "biglietto-ticket".
When you exit choose the one with the white sign with cash logo and a black hand. That is cash with attendant. There are also booths with cash logo but no black hand (automatic pay machine), booths with blue signs with credit card logo (carte), booths with Viacard logo (a prepaid card where tolls are deducted from the balance). Unless you have a chip and pin credit card, go to the booths displaying the cash logo (with or without attendant). Credit card Pay machines take only chip and pin credit cards. Check below what toll gates look like:
http://www.autostrade.it/it/il-pedaggio/pagamento-al-casello
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your response was perfect and will be extremely helpful 😄
Posted by
Green Bay
21395 posts
Go to www.viamichelin.com. Enter start at Aeroporto di Milano-Malpensa, then enter destination at Genova Italy, then click on "Add a Destination" and enter Montecatini-Terme, then click on "Get Directions". The route you want will show up on a map with very detailed instructions, including the locations of robocam speed traps. It will show distance (384 km), estimated travel time (4 hr 28 min with no traffic) and costs (32.10 euro in tolls, 55.00 euro in fuel @1.6 euro/liter).
Regarding robocam speed traps, mind your speed. I imagine the locals have ways of fighting them, but for tourists it is pretty hard when you don't find out about it until 6 months later when the car rental company dings your credit card for the fee to inform on you, then a while later when the ticket actually shows up in your mailbox.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thank you very much for the information. It will be very helpful for our trip in March 😄
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34352 posts
2 other things -
Make sure that all drivers have an IDP - International Driving Permit - along with your state or provincial driving license. Easy to get at AAA/CAA (other organizations for residents of non-US and non-Canadian locations) and mandatory in Italy.
Become familiar with the concept of ZTLs - zones in most Italian cities that you are prohibited from driving in - very large fines will follow you if you enter in most cases.
You will do well to know the names of the exits just before where you get off the motorway. The junctions are quite far apart and if you overshoot you will have a long and expensive u-turn many miles further. I always carry an Italian motorway guide with maps and all the names of all the exits, toll information and service area facility information. A few euro at any service station or rest area.
Be sure to have the right insurance, including making allowance for the mandatory add-ons.
Get used to the Italian way of doing road signs. No east, south, north or west. They go by destinations with nearby others. Don't expect the sign to be repeated near the exit.
oops - that's 5. Sorry...