Vehicles in the union - general rules for the use of national road infrastructure

Last update 26 June 2024 by the Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti

Information on road tolls

The Italian motorway network is managed directly by the State through ANAS and partially by concessionary companies operating within Italy.

ANAS directly manages 1300 km of non-toll motorways and spur routes. Events on the ANAS network are managed by Infomobility (accidents, weather conditions affecting traffic, emergencies of local and national importance and, in general, situations which have a critical effect on traffic), through the implementation and role of the IT systems used by the Compartmental Control Rooms (Sale Operative Compartimentali or SOCs), such as the TEWeb platform, Online Decrees, etc. The increasingly central role of the National Control Centre, which coordinates the functions and activities of the SOCs, makes it possible to acquire and relay traffic information, in real time, for internal and external communication, through public service radio channels, the institution’s website, the VAI system, the ANAS IT platform, ISORADIO, the VAI app, the free-phone number 800.841.148 and the National Infomobility Centre (CCISS).

The rest of the motorway network is managed by concessionary companies, operating in Italy, who collect tolls charged per section of motorway travelled.

Along the sections under concession there are toll gates, almost all of which are manned by toll booth personnel, while incorporating a high degree of automation. All concessionary companies apply different rates per class of vehicle (class A, B, 3, 4, 5, etc., according to vehicle height and number of axles), and these rates may also vary depending on the section of motorway, whether classed as mountainous terrain or otherwise.

All motorway sections and the related toll gates are open 24/24 and, on some sections, special rates are available to regular users; however, there is no differentiation based on time of travel.

All toll gates have lanes, including dedicated lanes, for different methods of payment (cash, debit card, credit card, Viacard direct debit, prepaid Viacard, automatic toll payment devices such as Telepass, SIT-MP and SET).

Usually, tolls are paid at the time of travel; alternatively, the toll can be paid, without incurring an additional charge, within 15 days following the journey. After this deadline, the driver is liable for an administrative penalty and, in the most serious cases, may be prosecuted for fraud.

Further information on the motorway network managed by ANAS can be found on the website: www.stradeanas.it while for motorways under concession see the website www.aiscat.it, under the Partner (le associate) tab, which lists all the concessionary companies.

In Italy, it is not obligatory to purchase a vignette to access the motorway infrastructure managed by the State or under concession, as the charging system is based on the distance travelled by the vehicle rather than on time of travel.

There is no restriction on traffic on the national network anywhere in Italy and no obligation to display emission labels.

Some local authorities may autonomously decide on urban traffic restrictions based on vehicle emissions. In such cases, more information can be found on the website of the relevant local authority (Municipality, Metropolitan City, Region, etc.).