All you need to know about Italian toll roads (autostrada): how they piece of work, what to expect, a listing of Italian motorways/ highways, tips

If you are planning on driving in Italy, it is handy to know that the best and fastest roads in Italy are cost roads or, every bit we call them in Italian: autostrade.

Autostrade criss-cross the state from north to south and east to w.

They are well kept, easy to use and fast.

They are, however, also pricey and, if y'all are not used to them, they may get out you unsure about how to use them.

If traveling long distances, Italian toll roads are excellent.

Today, I share all you lot need to know near motorways in Italy: I will embrace what they are, how to know what to pay, how to pay and what to expect during your journey.

If you are traveling on a upkeep, at the end of this commodity, you volition besides find a department detailing how to avoid Italian toll roads.

Italian toll roads: what they are

Italian highways / motorways / freeways are called autostrada (singular) / autostrade (plural).

They usually have ii lanes each style and they are managed by companies such as Anas, Societa' Autostrade and others which accuse for their use and maintenance.

Italian toll roads are marked by light-green signs with white lettering, which makes them easy to spot and recognize.

They have an entrance booth and exit booth: you collect an entry ticket as you go onto information technology and pay when leaving.

All info about paying for Italian highways is beneath!

List of Italian autostrade/ toll roads

Italy toll roads are called autostrade.


They are indicated by street signs with a green background and white writing and are marked by names that include the alphabetic character A (for Autostrade and a number); occasionally, they also take a name or nickname, such as 'autostrada del sole' (A1) or Autostrada del Brennero (A22)

This is the current list of the main Italian cost roads:

Autostrada N. Showtime /end Name / Also known as
A1 Milan – Naples Autostrada del Sole
A2 Salerno – Reggio Calabria Autostrada del Mediterraneo
A3 Napoli/Naples – Salerno
A4 Torino/Turin -Trieste Serenissima
A5 Torino/Turin-Aosta Autostrada del Monte Bianco
A6 Torino/Turin – Savona Autostrada Verdemare
A7 Milano/Milan – Genova/Genoa Autostrada dei Giovi
A8 Milano/Milan-Varese Autostrada dei Laghi
A9 Lainate-Como Autostrada dei Laghi
A10 Genova/Genoa- Ventimiglia Autostrada dei Fiori
A11 Firenze/Florence-Pisa Autostrada Firenze Mare
A12 Genova/Genoa-Rosignano-Civitavecchia-Roma/Rome Autostrada Azzurra
A13 Bologna- Padova
A14 Bologna -Taranto
A15 Parma – La Spezia Autocamionale della Cisa
A16 Napoli/Naples -Canosa
A18 Messina – Catania
A19 Palermo- Catania
A20 Messina – Palermo
A21 Torino/Turin-Brescia
A22 Brennero – Modena Autostrada del Brennero
A23 Palmanova-Tarvisio
A24 Roma/Rome- L'Aquila-Teramo Autostrada dei Parchi
A25 Torano – Pescara Autostrada dei Parchi
A26 Genova/Genoa- Gravellona
A27 Belluno-Venezia/Venice
A28 Portugruaro – Conegliana
A29 Palermo – Mazara
A30 Caserta – Salerno
A31 Vicenza -Thiene Autostrada della Val d'Astico
A32 Torino/Turin – Bardonecchia Autostrada del Frejus
A33 Asti – Cuneo
A34 Villesse – Gorizia
A35 Brescia – Milano Autostrada BreBeMi
A36 Cassano Magnago – Lentate sul Seveso

As well every bit these main Italian cost roads, there are more Italian highways operating every bit connections betwixt large ones, or band roads around bigger cities.

These additional roads usually have names such as raccordo or bretella.

Who can utilize Italian autostrade


Italian autostrade are fast roads and are therefore just open up to vehicles able to meet minimum speed standards.

This ways tin can drive on Italian motorways if you travel:

  • By car, campervan or car + trailer (such as a roulotte)
  • By motorcycle over 150cc
  • Trucks

Yous need a full driving license to drive on Italian price roads and, peradventure, an international driving permit. Make sure y'all check all requirements before getting on the road as checks exercise happen.

Typical Italian toll road with two lanes, photographed from inside a car

How Italian toll roads piece of work

In the vast majority of cases, Italian price roads charge you by distance traveled: to calculate this, they take toll booths when y'all enter the superhighway and go out.

It works similar this.

Entering italian autostrada

As yous approach the booth, yous will need to get in lane: you will have to cull either a Telepass lane or a 'biglietto' lane.

Most likely, y'all want the 'biglietto' lane.

Telepass is for pass holders – unless your car rental company told you specifically that they accept the toll box in the car, yous are not one of them!

Check hither >> our tips for renting a car in Italian republic.


Biglietto lanes – biglietto in Italian ways ticket and this is the lane y'all desire.

Yous become in lane, stay in your car, line upwardly. The automobile will exist on your left (driver's side).

You lot will see a ticket sticking out: take it, and put it safely away: you lot will demand it when exiting.

If y'all do not see a ticket sticking out, yous can printing the big red button beside the words 'biglietto': it should come out in no time.

Need to know: the ticket is the proof yous entered the motorway in a sure location. Should y'all lose it, they will charge you from the very kickoff of the highway as if you take used it all. This could add together up to several hundred kilometers, then make sure you practice not lose your ticket, or the cost volition hurt!

Rod sign announcing toll booth on italian motorway

Exiting the motorway

Motorway/ highway / Autostrade exits are called 'uscite'.

When you meet your announced, motion onto the right lane and prepare to turn.

In Italy, lanes piece of work slightly differently than in US and getting in lane is ordinarily not enough. You ofttimes have to take an bodily 'slight' right' to leave the motorway.

As you exit the highway, yous will observe a 2nd cost berth where you will pay your toll.

How to pay Italian highway tolls (pedaggio)

In Italian republic, you pay your autostrada toll when exiting the highway, either by cash, carte or Telepass.

When you make it at your exit, y'all will notice some other cost berth.

Unremarkably, you will be prompted to get in lane and the options given are the following.

Telepass – this is the lane for cars equipped with a telepass price box. Unless you know for sure you lot have one, this is non the lane for yous.

If you lot practice have Telepass, just slow down, allow fourth dimension for the machine to read your box and keep going.

Carte (cards) – use this lane if you want to pay your cost by credit or debit menu.

Photo explanation with lane and payment options on Italian toll roads

To apply this lane, you lot demand to drive upwardly to the berth; the machine volition be on your left (drivers' side).


You demand to:

Insert your ticket into the automobile – usually, a large green pointer flashes indicating where to put it
bank check the amount due on the brandish


Inserts your cards in the dedicated slot – another large light-green arrow usually shows the right place
to retrieve your card. Wait for the 'grazie' (cheers) message and you are costless to go.

Tip! Simply utilize this lane if yous know for sure your card works in Italian republic! Getting to the booth and having to opposite equally your menu gets rejected may be proof dangerous or incommunicable if there is a queue, so it is something to avoid at all costs!

Cash (unmanned) – this is ordinarily indicated by a white street sign with a cartoon of coins and notes.


If you become into one of these lanes, you volition deal with a car.

Yous need to:

  • Insert your ticket into the automobile – commonly, a large light-green arrow points at the correct slot
  • Cheque the corporeality due on the auto display
  • Pay with either cash or notes
  • Call back your alter (if any)
  • Wait for the cheers message / bar to go up
  • Go

Top tip! I recommend you bulldoze as close to the machine as possible. Unless you have long arms, inserting your ticket and retrieving change can testify tricky if you lot are too far abroad and stepping out of the vehicle is not allowed. Been there, done that, and then delight follow my advice and go as close to your left as you tin!

Cash (manned) – this is usually marked by a white sign with a blackness drawing of a manus, coins and notes.

If you get onto this lane, yous will have a real-life person to requite you change.

If you get to a line with a person operating the toll berth, things are even more straightforward: you will take to handle your ticket to them, wait for the display to show the amount due and pay.

Getting gas on Italian toll roads

Italian price roads have regular gas stations.

They are called area di servizio and area, ordinarily equipped with gas pumps, and a café/ restaurant, and restrooms.

Bigger ones may have more extensive meal options, an bodily restaurant, a convenience store and even a pocket-size kids' playground.

However, this is not a given and yous may also only find very bones gas facilities. It is practiced not to have expectations that are as well high!

Small kids playground in gas station along Italian toll roads

To get gas, y'all will probably have the choice of going cocky service or served (servito).

Good to know! If coming from the US, it may be handy to know that the colour coding for the pumps is different in Italia than in the USA (I was caught in it the other way effectually!): brand sure you lot read which is super and which is diesel.


You tin usually pay to the person serving you or inside, at the till, past saying the number of the pump you used.

Where to recharge an electric car on Italian toll roads

Italy is working hard to add electric charging points then the best manner to notice a charging station is to rely on your own machine's charging stations map.

At present, however, these autostrade stations are marked as equipped with charging points:

A1 Milano-Napoli

  • Frascati Est and Frascati Ovest, area di servizioSan Cesareo – tratto Roma Sud;
  • Secchia Ovest Km 156,5 southbound, two Ultra Fast 300 kW;
  • Flamina Est Km 509,1, northbound, two Ultra Fast 300 kW.

A4 Brescia -Padova

  • Monte Baldo Ovest, area di servizio 4 chargers xi kW;
  • Tesina Est, ane charger 22kW;
  • Limenella Ovest, 1 charger upwardly to 50 kW.

A5 Autoporto con una colonnina che supera i 50 kW.

A7 – Dorno Est and Ovest, 2double technology 43 kW and 50 kW .

A10 Genova – Ventimiglia

  • Rio Rinovo Nord, iv Ultra Fast 350 kW;
  • Ceriale Sud, 4 Ultra Fast 350 kW.

A12 – Brugnano Est e Ovest.

A15

  • Tugo Ovest con colonnina fino a 22 kW;
  • Montaio Ovest con colonnina da oltre 50 kW.

A22

  • Passo del Brennero,16 Tesla, i ultra-fast 150kW, 1 charger multi-standard fast 50kW and i charger AC 22 kW;
  • Stazione autostradaleBressanone/Val Pusteria 1 charger multi-standard fast50kW, 1 charger Air conditioning 22 kW;
  • Paganella Est multi standard fast 50kW;
  • Paganella Ovest  1 fast charger multi-standard 50kW, 1AC 22 kW;
  • Nogaredo Ovest 1 fast charger multi-standard 50kW, 1 charger AC 22 kW;
  • Rovereto sud 2 fast charger multi-standard 50kW, 1 charger Ac 22 kW;
  • Stazione autostradale Affi xvi Tesla, 1 fast charger multi-standard 50kW, 1 charger Air-conditioning 22 kW;
  • Mantova Nord ane fast charger multi-standard 50kW, 2 chargers AC 22 kW;
  • Po Ovest, one fast multi-standard rapida 50kW, 2 Ac 22 kW.

A25

  • Montevelino Nord eastward Sud double zipper Type ii upwards to 22 kW;
  • Brecciarola Nord east Sud doube plug Type two.

Stopping for lunch on Italian cost roads

Forth Italian autostrade you lot can go food in most gas stations.

What you become varies from station to station merely you usually find at least some bones 'bar' offerings meaning coffee, h2o, sandwiches and light snack.

Sometimes, y'all see real restaurants which are usually decent but, virtually of all, fast.

In Italy, a typical concatenation shop/ restaurant you find on toll roads is chosen Autogrill.

They are usually rather well served and all accept the same offering, which is handy if you are traveling with kids as they will know what to order: Autogrill's Panino con la cotoletta has been a archetype for Italian road trips for generations!

Sandwiches and cold platters at typical Italian gas station


In the past, they were so mutual the word Autogrill became a synonym of autotrade gas station.

However, there is more of a mix at present. Don't be surprised if you take read about Autogrill only do non notice on on your way.

Listening to the radio / Traffic news on Italian price roads

While driving on an Italian superhighway, yous can go traffic news and updates on radio FM 103.3, Isoradio.

The music they play feels like a spring back into the 80s in Italia, but the bespeak is articulate and the traffic updates are handy.

Road signs on Italian motorways

The road signs on autostrade are light-green with white writing.

Uscita signs bespeak exits.

Blue, round signs with white writing bespeak a minimum speed on certain lanes.

Italian cost roads can have ii to 3 lanes. The right one is the low one, the middle one is the middle speed and the left-hand side one is for faster vehicles. Often, the lanes have minimum speed limits: 60Km/h in the deadening lane; 90 km/h on the center lane.

The sign for maximum speed limit is round, white with a scarlet border and a number in the center.


The maximum speed limit on Italian motorways is 130 Km/h 110 km/h (good weather / bad weather) unless otherwise indicated. Different rules utilize to newly licenced drivers and cars pulling trailers.

Make sure y'all familiarize yourself with the official Italian rules of the route before getting in the car.

Toll booth are announced by large signs saying ALT Stazione or also Pedaggio (see below)

Emergency pull-outs are marked regularly on the right side of the route, where you also find the emergency lane.

Emergency services on italian autostrade

Italian autostrade accept regular SOS columns to phone call for help. They are yellow, on the right-hand side of the road.

The official emergency numbers in Italy are:

112 Full general emergency

118 Medical emergency / ambulance

Delight note you may need add area codes, depending on the settings of your phone and your set for location services.

Italian words for motorway / price route driving

  • Autostrada – highway/motorways / toll route
  • Casello – Italian price station / toll botth
  • Biglietto – ticket
  • Uscita – Exit
  • Surface area di servizio – gas station
  • Colonnina SOS – SOS point
  • Piazzola di sosta – emergency pullout
  • Autogrill – a type of gas station with nutrient
  • Pompa di benzina – gas pump
  • Benzina – gas / petrol / gasoline
  • Diesel – diesel fuel
  • Servito – manned / services
  • Casellante – person at the toll booth


Cost of Italian motorways – Toll roads in Italy cost

The toll of your autostrada trip depends on the distance traveled.

You tin can get an approximate by the Autostrade People themselves on this >>> autostrade cost figurer.

To give you an example:

Milan – Rome Nord (536 KM) currently costs 41.50 Euro

Naples – Salerno (82 KM) currently costs 5.60 Euro

How to avert Italian price roads

It is commonly possible to avoid Italian price roads entirely by post-obit culling routes such every bit Strade Statali.

Strade Statali are long, expert roads and they are usually smaller than motorways, slower even so better than local ones in terms of efficiency of movement.

Strade Statali are indicated past bluish signs with white writing and the lawmaking SS. The speed limit on them is ordinarily 90 Km/h.

Even smaller roads would be marked as SP (Strade Provinciali). Anything smaller volition only exist a local road.

Need to know: occasionally, on larger roads, there may be a toll booth y'all didn't await. This is not overly common; however, it does happen, so it is useful to always accept some euro coins on you lot.

This ordinarily does not happen if you make a conscious effort to stay on strade statali or smaller ones. Annihilation marked by a dark-green groundwork route sign may lead you to incur intoo a charge.

I hope yous institute this quick guide to useing Italian price roads useful. Safe travels!