Toll Roads in Slovenia - An Overview of All Routes
Drivers who want to use the toll roads in Slovenia must pay a fee to do so. Payment is not only required for holidaymakers who stay in Slovenia but also applies to those who use the country for transit. Many tourists accept the cost without questioning what alternative routes exist apart from the toll roads. The reason for this is that the roads that are subject to tolls are also the routes that allow you to get from one place to another the fastest. To show you what options are available, we will first present a detailed route network with all toll roads in Slovenia. We will also explain how best to plan your route and what routes to avoid.
Where do I pay tolls in Slovenia?
Anyone who wants to travel a longer distance by car and will pass through different countries in the process will have to deal with route planning in advance. It has already been clarified that most drivers must pay tolls in Slovenia. However, the question of which roads are subject to tolls in Slovenia has not yet been answered.
As a popular holiday and transit country, Slovenia has a clear road network that connects several neighbouring countries and important cities. Basically, most of the motorways leading across the country are toll roads. Since the motorways are also the roads that are frequently used by travellers, tourists are usually subject to tolls. Certain expressways are also included. What many drivers forget is that on-ramps are also considered part of the toll roads. This means that traffic circles and short stretches of roads leading to toll roads are also included. For this reason, you should make sure to buy a vignette for Slovenia in time to be prepared for every section.
Motorways that are subject to tolls (Avtoceste) – list for 2023
As mentioned earlier, in Slovenia, the toll routes are motorways and expressways. As far as motorways are concerned, there are a total of five main ones that should be considered when planning a route. The most important one, on which most holidaymakers end up sooner or later, is the A1. It connects to the Austrian Pyhrn Autobahn A9 in the town of Šentilj in the northeast of the country and then runs right across Slovenia. The A2 motorway is also a connection that lies on the border with Austria and, at the same time, leads to Croatia at the border crossing at Bregana. The A3 can be considered a connecting route between Slovenia and Italy, and the A4 also continues into neighbouring Croatia at Macelj. The A5 motorway leads travellers directly to Hungary. The following list provides an overview of all of the motorways. Vehicles with a weight above 3.5 t will need a DarsGo box.
Special toll sections - Karavankentunnel leading to the north
The Karavankentunnel, which leads from Slovenia to Austria, is a section of road for which special regulations apply. Although no vignette is officially required to drive through the tunnel, the two freeways leading into the tunnel from the Slovenian and Austrian sides are subject to tolls. From Slovenia, the connecting road is the A2 motorway. The toll costs for the tunnel depend on whether the route is used by a motorcycle, an ordinary passenger car, or a vehicle over 3.5 tons.
Map of all toll roads in Slovenia
As soon as you have become familiar with the Slovenian toll system and you have gotten an overview of the motorways and expressways, you can start planning your route. Based on the previous description, you will encounter motorways on every route. No matter which country you arrive from or which border crossing you use, sooner or later, you will find yourself on one of the main connecting roads of the country. For a better overview, we will present all toll roads in Slovenia on the map below.
Bypassing the toll in Slovenia – toll-free route
Drivers who plan to bypass any toll routes must keep a few things in mind. First, this plan is probably out of the question for drivers who want to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Since avoiding the toll roads also means avoiding all direct expressways and motorways, in most cases, you will have to take a major detour. The routes through Slovenia to Croatia without a vignette are therefore mainly suitable for travellers who want to get to know the small towns in Slovenia, stop now and then, and perhaps also enjoy the surrounding landscapes.When planning your route, you must also keep in mind that not all routes without tolls are suitable for all vehicles. Drivers of large motorhomes, vehicles with trailers, or vehicles with a total weight of more than 3.5 tons are strongly advised to visit one of the sales offices and stay on the official roads. The "back roads" are often not developed well enough or are too narrow to be used by larger vehicles. Below, we will present a selection of routes without tolls that lead to popular holiday destinations.
Driving to Istria without paying tolls
Although you must allow more time, there is a lot to see on the way to Istria—for example, Pula. To avoid accidentally straying from the route or ending up on a toll road, (and getting a 300 EUR fine) it's a good idea to use a navigation system. One way to get to Istria, for example, is via the E61 in Slovenia. First, you head along the road to the Krvavi Potok border crossing, which is located between Italy and Slovenia. Then, you continue on road 409 until you reach the border crossing at Socerga. After that, you will reach Buzet and then the village of Lupoglav. There you must drive on an expressway, for which you must pay a toll according to Croatian traffic rules. However, due to the detour, you have saved the toll for Slovenia.Driving to Kvarner Bay without paying tolls
If you have arrived in the city of Trieste in northeastern Italy and then want to drive through Slovenia to Kvarner Bay without paying a toll, you should avoid the E751 or expressway 6. Tolls are charged on both routes. The alternative is the E61. To reach the well-known coastal town of Rijeka, you must first drive towards Basovizza. Afterwards, you will reach the border crossing at Kozina and then the Croatian border at Sapjane. To do this, you must stay on the E61 for almost the entire journey. The last section also requires using the motorway. This is the shortest route if you want to avoid the toll in Slovenia. There are certainly other routes that lead to Kvarner Bay.Driving to Dalmatia without paying tolls
Holidaymakers travelling to Dalmatia often visit the city of Split. It is considered the largest city in the south of Croatia and can also be reached via a route that does not require a toll. The difference in time becomes particularly clear here. From Trieste, the toll-free route via Slovenia takes almost two hours longer. Instead of staying on the E71, you can use the E61 and D50 on this route. In order not to deviate from the route, the use of a navigation device is unavoidable in this case. The journey is even longer if you travel not only to Split but all the way to Dubrovnik. On the way to Dalmatia, you must pass through many towns, but it is a way to travel through Slovenia without a vignette for Slovenia.