The most expensive toll roads: 2025/26

Whether you drive on a toll road every day or only once in a while, the cost is probably something you notice. And while these fees are often used to fund infrastructure projects and road maintenance, many drivers say the prices are becoming harder to justify, especially with the rising cost of driving. To give you a clearer picture of what people are actually paying, we’ve looked at toll charges across 20 countries and examined individual routes in the UK. We aim to show which roads offer the best value and which ones hit drivers the hardest.

The most expensive toll roads for HGVs

Almost the entire motorway network charges fees in France, so it's no surprise this country ranks number one on our list of the most expensive toll roads across Europe, Ireland and the UK. Throughout France, tolls are collected at toll gates by cash, credit card, or an on-board unit. Driving an HGV across the A6, A7 Paris to Marseille will set drivers back the equivalent of £200.68, putting this route firmly at the top of our list.

Coming in at joint second are Denmark and Sweden, which both charge the equivalent of £191.19 in local currency for access through the Øresund Bridge, which connects the two countries. Having celebrated its 25th birthday in 2025, the Øresund Bridge is the second-longest bridge in Europe and is known as a globally renowned icon, seeing thousands of commuters each day.

Third on our list is Italy's Autostrada A1, connecting Milan to Naples. A drive across this motorway (which is Italy's longest) will set HGV motorists back the equivalent of £149.83. Known as the 'Sun Motorway', the road's foundation stone was laid in 1956.

From our analysis, the cheapest toll road is on Ireland's M4, where HGV drivers pay the equivalent of £4.29 for access. The route passes through County Meath, County Westmeath and County Kildare. The toll applies to the section of the M4 between Junction 8 (Kilcock) and Junction 10 (Kinnegad east). Although this road currently charges the lowest toll we could find, tolls are expected to increase from January 2026.

The most expensive toll roads for cars

Driving across Europe, the UK, and Ireland can be a thrilling experience; however, before you set off, do be aware that different countries charge different toll fees. For car drivers, costs are typically lower than those who require HGV access. However, according to our analysis, France, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy remain among the top three most expensive roads.

The fourth most expensive toll road in our ranking is in Greece, charging the equivalent of £33.54 on the A1 connecting Athens to Thessaloniki. The A1 is the second-longest motorway in Greece and connects the capital of Athens with the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, as well as the country's second-largest city, Thessaloniki.

The cheapest toll fee we identified across all the countries we analysed is in North Macedonia, from Demir Kapija to Gevgelija, at the equivalent of £1.43. According to Toll Guru, a few mistakes to avoid when driving this road include:

1. Don’t pay in Euro, instead use Macedonian Denars for better rates
2. Barriers control access, so you cannot enter without payment
3. Ensure to keep your toll receipt throughout your journey, or you could risk a fine

The most expensive toll roads for HGVs in the UK

Across the UK, several roads, bridges and tunnels charge a fee for HGV drivers, and we’ve ranked them from most to least expensive. At number one on our list, you will find Itchen Bridge in Southampton, which charges a fee of £40 – the most expensive toll fee on our entire list by far. Tamar Bridge and the M6 follow, with the Humber Bridge, which connects North Yorkshire to North Lincolnshire, ranking as fourth.

Plans to introduce an automated toll system on the Humber Bridge have been delayed until 2026, according to recent reports. The new automated system will use automatic number plate recognition technology to allow motorists to pay via app or automatic payment, making things easier for drivers. If you are driving an HGV throughout the UK, be sure to check the Government's guidance on the HGV levy service. The HGV levy service is for non-UK-registered HGVs, including those registered on the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, or UK overseas territories, which are not classed as UK-registered.

The most expensive toll roads for cars in the UK

The most expensive road for car drivers in the UK is in London, where drivers pay a £15 congestion charge. The congestion charge applies to drivers who wish to drive through the Congestion Charge Zone, from 7 am – 6 pm Monday to Friday, and 12 pm – 6 pm on Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays.

Second on our list is the M6 toll charge, which will set drivers back £10.50. The M6 allows drivers to pass around Birmingham, and saw 45,278 vehicles per day in 2024.

We caught up with Spencer Davi, our Sales and Marketing Director who had the following to say about this research:

"Toll charges are a real consideration for our customers, especially those running HGV fleets or making regular cross-border trips. What surprised us most was just how much variation there is, not only between countries but also within the UK itself.

For businesses managing tight margins, these costs add up quickly. We'd encourage any fleet manager or driver to factor toll routes into their planning".

Methodology

This dataset comprises 18 countries on the European continent, plus Ireland and the UK. Information on European tolls was collated from https://www.tolls.eu/, https://tollguru.com/, https://tollster.co/, and https://www.toll.shop/en. The full list of UK charges was drawn from https://www.gov.uk/uk-toll-roads. Where tolls included multiple separate classifications for HGVs, a mean average cost was calculated. Currency conversion from local currency to GBP was conducted using Google Currency Converter on 25-26th November 2025.