Europe operates four truck toll systems: Free Flow (also called open road tolling — Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Bulgaria), vignette (Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia), closed systems (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal) and open systems (Norway, parts of Poland). Most countries charge from 3.5 t — Germany since 1 July 2024, the Netherlands from 1 July 2026 under the new Vrachtwagenheffing. An EETS toll box covers 12+ countries with one device.
The 4 toll system types in Europe at a glance
A toll system is the method a country uses to charge for road use. The four systems in operation across Europe differ in two key ways: whether the toll is distance-based or a flat fee, and whether a technical device (OBU) is required in the truck. The table below summarises the differences for hauliers and dispatchers.
Free Flow: How the system works and which countries use it
The Free Flow toll system is the most modern method of toll collection in Europe. Stationary sensors – typically mounted on existing road signs or gantry bridges – capture passing trucks fully automatically. An On-Board-Unit (OBU) in the cab transmits vehicle data to the sensors, which calculate the chargeable distance travelled and the amount due. The truck does not need to stop – hence the name "Free Flow".
Germany was one of the first European markets to roll out Free Flow nationally in 2005 with Toll Collect. The system applies to all trucks above 3.5 t (lowered from 7.5 t on 1 July 2024) on federal motorways and federal trunk roads. Belgium (Viapass), Hungary (HU-GO) and Bulgaria also use Free Flow. The factors that determine the toll amount vary by country: in Germany, axle load and Euro emission class are decisive, plus the CO₂ emission class added on 1 July 2024.
What is open road tolling?
Open road tolling (ORT) is another name for Free Flow: trucks pay tolls automatically via an On-Board-Unit while driving at full motorway speed, with no gates, booths or stops. Sensors on overhead gantries read the OBU, calculate the distance on tolled roads, and bill the operator monthly. Germany's LKW-Maut, Belgium's Viapass, Hungary's HU-GO and Bulgaria's BG TOLL all run on open road tolling.
Vignette system: flat fee based on time
In the vignette system, the truck operator pays a flat fee for a fixed period – typically day, week, month or year. The distance driven does not matter. Vignettes are either physical stickers on the windscreen or digital (e-vignette) linked to the licence plate.
Switzerland operates a special model with the LSVA: for trucks above 3.5 t it is distance-based, so not a classic vignette system. Genuine truck vignettes apply in Austria (GO-Box, mandatory for vehicles above 3.5 t), Czech Republic (MYTO CZ) and Slovakia. For light commercial vehicles up to 3.5 t, passenger-car vignettes are accepted in many countries.
The Eurovignette is a shared time-based system for trucks above 12 t, currently used in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Sweden — though the Netherlands exits on 30 June 2026 and switches to per-km Vrachtwagenheffing. A weekly Eurovignette for Euro 6 trucks costs from €9, an annual one from €1,250.
Closed system: take a ticket on entry, pay on exit
The closed toll system works like a multi-storey car park. On entering the motorway, the driver pulls a ticket or the OBU records the entry. On leaving, the precise distance driven is billed – including vehicle category and the specific stretch.
This system dominates southern Europe: France (TIS-PL operated by ASFA members), Italy (Telepass), Spain (Via-T) and Portugal (Via Verde). The OBU is not strictly mandatory, but it dramatically speeds up toll-station passage. Without a Telepass / Via-T device, the truck must stop manually at every station and pay cash or card – a substantial time factor for dispatchers when planning routes.
Open system: payment per toll station
In the open toll system, fixed toll stations sit at specific points on the network. The truck pays a pre-set fee each time it passes a station – regardless of how far it travels. The system is simple to operate, but unfavourable for long-haul traffic because several stations may be passed on a single tour.
Norway uses the open system consistently with the AutoPASS OBU. In Poland, the open system applies on individual motorway concession sections (A1, A2, A4) – running in parallel with the state-operated e-TOLL Free Flow system. Dispatchers operating in Poland must account for both systems.
EETS: one toll box for all of Europe
The European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) is an EU initiative codified by Directive 2004/52/EC and tightened by the 2019 recast (Directive (EU) 2019/520), with one aim: a single on-board device should settle tolls in multiple European countries. With an EETS box, the obligation to install a separate OBU per country disappears.
A fully functional EETS box now covers 12 or more countries depending on the provider — typically Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary, plus the Liefkenshoek Tunnel and the Storebælt and Øresund bridges. The Netherlands joins from 1 July 2026 (Vrachtwagenheffing). Major providers include DKV, AS24, Eurowag, Telepass Europe and Toll4Europe.
Economically, an EETS box pays off mainly for hauliers with cross-border traffic above roughly 50,000 km of chargeable distance per truck per year. The service fee per EETS box typically ranges from €0.50 to €1 per chargeable day and country, on top of the toll itself. Telematics platforms such as Webfleet or Trimble integrate seamlessly with EETS boxes, so toll costs, GPS position and vehicle diagnostics flow into a single platform.
Toll systems by country: overview
The table below shows which toll system applies for trucks above 3.5 t or 7.5 t in the main European countries. Click a country for a detailed price guide.
Which toll system is cheapest? Cost optimisation through route planning
There is no general answer to which toll system is cheapest – it depends on the specific route, vehicle type and emissions class. For example, a 40-ton Euro 6 articulated truck driving from Munich to Milan can pay anywhere between €180 and €270 in tolls depending on the route – the difference comes from choosing the Brenner Pass (AT) vs the Reschen Pass (CH/IT) and the routing within Italy itself.
Manual toll calculation across several toll systems is no longer realistic. IMPARGO is a cloud-based TMS platform from Germany. The Planner Module — see the standalone truck toll calculator for Europe — calculates toll costs country by country for any European route – Free Flow, vignette, closed and open systems all sit in the same calculation – with a configurable VAT toggle (with or without VAT) and a transparent per-country breakdown, so dispatchers can see exactly what the German LKW-Maut, the Austrian GO-Box stretch, the Swiss LSVA and e.g. the Italian Telepass share each contribute. Dispatchers can compare route variants side by side – for example Brenner Pass vs Reschen Pass – and decide themselves which combination of toll, transit time and routing fits best; there is no automatic pick by a black-box algorithm. Routing itself accounts for axle load, emissions class, driving and rest times, truck restrictions and height clearances. Order execution is completed by the driver app, a receiver portal with ETA updates and a subcontractor module for external assignment.
