Truck Toll in Italy: The Motorway Concession System

Italy is one of the most complex toll countries in Europe – not because of the calculation formula, but because of its structure: The approximately 6,800 km motorway network is divided into more than twenty concession sections, each operated by independent companies. Each operator sets its own rates, maintains its own toll stations and invoices separately. For freight carriers this means: A journey from north to south can involve several operators – all with different per-kilometre rates.

How the System Works: Closed System with Toll Barriers

Italy operates a classic closed system: Toll stations with barriers are located at the entry and exit of every chargeable motorway section. The vehicle takes a ticket at the entry (or is registered via Telepass) and pays at the exit based on the distance covered within the respective concession section.

This system differs fundamentally from the German or Austrian free-flow approach: There are no overhead gantry readers; the vehicle must always stop at a toll station or use the Telepass lane.

Vehicle Classes in Italy

Toll classification is based on four vehicle classes for heavy goods vehicles:

There is no CO₂ component as in Germany. The emissions class does not currently affect the rate.

The Most Important Operators

ASPI – Autostrade per l'Italia (largest operator)

ASPI is by far the largest concessionaire and operates the core of the Italian motorway network, including the A1 (Autostrada del Sole, Bologna–Milan–Naples), A7, A8/A26, A9, A10, A11, A12 (in part), A13, A14 (Adriatic Motorway, Bologna–Taranto), A16, A23, A26, A27 and A30. Current rates and route calculator: Toll rules IT – ASPI sections.

A22 – Autostrada del Brennero

The A22 is the most important north–south axis between Austria and northern Italy (Brenner–Verona–Modena). It is operated independently by Autostrada del Brennero S.p.A. and distinguishes between flatland and mountain rates. For transports from Germany and Austria, this is usually the first toll section after the Brenner Pass.

AAA – Autostrade Alto Adriatico

AAA operates routes in north-eastern Italy, including parts of the A4 (Trieste area), the A23 (Udine–Tarvisio, connection to Austria), A28, A34 and A57. Important for traffic to Slovenia, Croatia and Eastern Europe.

BS-VR-VI-PD and CAV (Veneto)

In the Veneto region two companies share responsibility: BS-VR-VI-PD (Autostrada Brescia–Padova) operates the A4 between Brescia and Padua as well as the A31 (Valdastico). CAV (Concessioni Autostradali Venete) is responsible for the A4 around Venice and the A57. The A4 from Milan to Trieste therefore touches a total of four different operators (SATAP, BS-VR-VI-PD, CAV, AAA).

SATAP – A4 Turin–Milan

The A4 between Turin and Milan is operated by SATAP – one of Italy's busiest freight corridors.

Milan Ring Roads – MI-Serravalle

The Milan motorway ring comprises the A50 (Tangenziale Ovest), A51 (Tangenziale Est), A52, A53, A54 and the A7 (Milan–Genoa). The operator is Società Milano Serravalle.

Mountain Motorways with Special Rates

Several mountain sections have significantly higher rates than comparable flatland routes:

• SAV – A5 Aosta–Turin (Aosta Valley)
• RAV – A5 Raccordo Valle d'Aosta
• SALT-Autocisa – A15 La Spezia–Parma (Apennine crossing)
• SAT – A12 Livorno–Civitavecchia (partly mountain rate)
• SITAF – A32 Turin–Fréjus Tunnel

Sicily and ANAS Routes – State-Operated and Toll-Free

A special feature of Italy: the state road authority ANAS operates several motorway sections for which no toll is charged. This applies in particular to large parts of the southern Italian and Sicilian network, including the A2 (Autostrada del Mediterraneo, Salerno–Reggio Calabria), A19 (Palermo–Catania), A29 (Palermo–Mazara del Vallo), A90 and A91 (Rome urban motorways) and various RA feeder roads. In Sicily, parts of the A18 (Catania–Messina) and A20 (Palermo–Messina) are subject to tolls and are operated by the Consorzio Autostrade Siciliane (CAS).

For dispatchers this means: A route through Calabria or Sicily can turn out to be considerably cheaper than expected, because the routing automatically distinguishes between chargeable concession sections and toll-free ANAS routes.

Special Cases: Mont Blanc and Fréjus Tunnels

Both Alpine tunnels are billed separately and are among the most expensive individual items on an Italian route. Registration on the Italian side takes place at the tunnel exit in each case. For Class 5 trucks, the individual rates are significantly above the flatland average.

All Concessionaires at a Glance

The operator abbreviations are not unofficial acronyms but are officially assigned by the Autorità di Regolazione dei Trasporti (ART) – the Italian regulatory authority for transport infrastructure – and are recorded in the concessionaire register. They are therefore unambiguous and binding under public authority.

ANAS (Azienda Nazionale Autonoma delle Strade) is not an ART concessionaire but a state authority that directly manages toll-free routes and is therefore not listed in the ART register. Its route information is available at stradeanas.it. SAAV (Autovie Venete) has since been absorbed into AAA.

The links come from the source references in the TollCalc toll rules and point directly to the respective toll information pages of the operators. For operators without a link (–), no publicly accessible rate pages are currently known.

How Is the Toll Paid?

Telepass is at home in Italy – the transponder system was developed here and is available at all toll stations. For freight carriers with regular Italy journeys, Telepass is the most convenient solution: automatic billing without stopping at the toll station. Telepass also works in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Poland.

Alternatively, payment by credit card or cash is possible at manned and automatic stations. For frequent travellers, however, Telepass is recommended because of the dedicated lanes and simplified collective billing.

Current Toll Rates and Route Calculation

Rates vary considerably depending on operator, route class (flatland/mountain) and vehicle class. The TollCalc team regularly reviews the toll rates of all Italian concessionaires and updates the database as soon as an operator adjusts its rates – usually at the turn of the year, but sometimes also mid-year. For each geofence section we record the source URL of the respective operator so that you can trace the origin of a rate at any time.

An automatic calculation for your specific route – broken down by all concession sections, including identification of toll-free ANAS routes – can be found here:

→ Toll rules & route calculator for Italy

Note on calculation accuracy: Not all Italian concessionaires publish their rates fully and transparently. In addition, there are local traffic discounts for commuters and residents, which are granted by some operators but not officially documented. For this reason, the calculation for Italy may deviate from the amounts actually charged. We are continuously working on improving the data basis.

Found an error? If you notice a discrepancy, help us and other users by reporting the error to support@tollcalc.eu. As a thank-you, you will receive TollCalc usage credits.