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The 3.5 tonne line that changes everything.
The single line that matters most on your V5C is the Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass, or MTPLM. At 3,500 kg or below, most countries treat your motorhome as a light vehicle. Go one kilogram over and several countries move you into an entirely different charging system.
- Austria. Above 3.5t you must fit a GO-Box onboard unit and pay per kilometre, not a fixed vignette.
- Switzerland. Above 3.5t the sticker is replaced by the PSVA heavy vehicle charge, booked through the "Via" app.
- Slovenia. Above 3.5t you need a DarsGo OBU. The e-vignette is not valid.
- Czech Republic. Above 3.5t you need a MYTO CZ box.
- France and Italy. Above 3.5t, or over 3 metres high in France, you move into a higher toll class and pay roughly 50 percent more.
Check your plated weight.
If your motorhome carries a 3,850 kg or 4,250 kg plated upgrade, you are on the heavy side of that line. Check which OBU countries are on your route and sort the paperwork before you leave home.
What each country charges in 2026.
Current costs for the main European routes, verified against ASFINAG, Sanef, the Swiss Federal Roads Office, DarsGo, Toll Collect and equivalent national operators for the 2026 season. Estimates are for a motorhome under 3.5 tonnes.
Average toll rates in France and Italy rose between 2.8 and 3.5 percent for 2026 compared to 2025. Norway and Croatia costs can vary because of ferry charges and seasonal surcharges.
Which Telepeage tag to get.
A tag is a small transponder that sticks to your windscreen. It lets you drive through the dedicated lane at French and Italian toll booths without stopping to pay. Most providers link one tag to France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. If you cross to Europe once a year or more, the monthly fee typically pays for itself the first time you skip the summer queues.
A tag does not cover vignette countries such as Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. You will still need a separate sticker or onboard unit for each of those, whatever tag you carry.
How vignettes and e-vignettes work.
Switzerland
The Swiss e-vignette costs 40 CHF per year for vehicles under 3.5 tonnes. It runs from December through to the end of January the following year. Buy it directly from e-vignette.ch, the official federal portal. The old physical sticker has largely been replaced by plate-linked registration, but it remains valid through 2026. If your motorhome is over 3.5 tonnes, see our Switzerland country guide for the PSVA heavy-vehicle charge.
Austria
1-day e-vignette EUR 8.60, a 2024 addition useful if you are just crossing Austria to reach Italy or Slovenia; 10-day EUR 11.50; 2-month EUR 28.90; annual EUR 103.80. Buy at a border kiosk or through the official ASFINAG website. Watch out for the 18-day rule: when you buy online as a consumer, ASFINAG holds the vignette for 18 days before it becomes valid. To avoid that wait, either buy at the border kiosk on the day, or tick "I am a business" on the ASFINAG form to skip the cooling-off period.
Slovenia
Slovenia uses an e-vignette system. Motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes fall into Category 2A: EUR 16 for a week, EUR 32 for a month, EUR 126 for a year. Buy online at evinjeta.dars.si before you cross. Over 3.5 tonnes moves you into Category 2B, which requires a DarsGo on-board unit rather than a vignette.
Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
All three countries use e-vignettes tied to your number plate. There are no stickers to display. Buy online before you travel: Czech Republic CZK 290 for 10 days, Hungary HUF 6,400 for 10 days, look for Category D2 when you register, Slovakia EUR 12 for 10 days. Border cameras read your plate automatically, so if your vignette is not registered you will be flagged straight away.
The fines, and what to budget.
A few mistakes account for most toll fines. The Class 2 trap in France: automated height sensors can misread motorhomes with overcab pods or a roof A/C unit as Class 3, over 3 metres, even when your actual height is 2.95 metres. Press the intercom button at the booth and ask the attendant to reclassify you as Class 2. Portugal's A22 through the Algarve, and several other Portuguese motorways, have no toll booths at all; payment is electronic only, and driving through unregistered means a letter from a UK debt recovery agent months later. And Norway's AutoPASS cameras check your vehicle category, so if your V5C does not clearly state "M1" the system may class you as a truck.
Typical fines in 2026
- Switzerland. 200 CHF plus the cost of the vignette itself.
- Austria. EUR 120 substitute toll paid on the spot, rising to EUR 3,000 if it goes to court.
- Slovenia. EUR 300 to EUR 800.
- Hungary. Around GBP 50 if settled within 60 days, more after that.
- Portugal. EUR 25 per unpaid toll plus EUR 7 per toll in handling fees, recovered through UK debt agents.
What to sort before you leave
Check your MTPLM on the V5C before anything else. Order a Telepeage tag at least 2 to 3 weeks before you leave, as both Bip&Go and Emovis post to UK addresses. Buy e-vignettes only from each country's official national portal; third-party resellers charge between 3 and 10 times the face value. Save a PDF receipt for every vignette to your phone, as ANPR cameras occasionally misread UK-format plates. For Germany, register your vehicle with Toll Collect before you cross; private motorhomes are exempt from the HGV toll, but registering in advance gives you a clean record to show if pulled over.
What to budget
A rough guide to toll costs for a UK-to-Italy return trip via France and Switzerland, motorhome under 3.5 tonnes, 2026 rates: French tolls Calais to Mont Blanc and back, Class 2, GBP 170 to 200; Swiss annual e-vignette GBP 36; Italian tolls Aosta to Florence and back, Class B, GBP 60 to 80; Telepeage tag monthly fee for 2 months, GBP 6. Budget around GBP 270 to 320 for three weeks on the motorways. You can cut that roughly in half by sticking to the D-roads across France, but allow considerably more time. Our France, Italy and Switzerland guides go into the best motorway alternatives.
The questions people ask most.
Do I need a vignette for every country in Europe?
No. Vignettes are time-based road passes, and only some countries use them: Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia. France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia and Norway charge by distance, with payment at booths or via a tag. Germany has no toll charge for private motorhomes.
What toll class is my motorhome in France and Italy?
In France, a motorhome under 3.5 tonnes MTPLM and under 3 metres high is Class 2. Go over either of those limits and you move to Class 3, which costs roughly 50 percent more. Italy calculates class differently: it looks at front-axle height and the number of axles. Most coachbuilt motorhomes land in Class B, but taller A-class models and twin-axle motorhomes often move into Class 3 or 4.
Is a French Telepeage tag worth it for a UK motorhome?
If you travel through France more than once a year, yes. The tag lets you use dedicated lanes that skip summer queues, and one device covers Spain, Portugal and Italy too. Emovis, Bip&Go and Fulli all ship to UK addresses and bill in GBP or EUR.
What happens if I drive without a vignette or toll payment?
Fines are heavy: 200 CHF in Switzerland, EUR 120 on-the-spot in Austria with up to EUR 3,000 in court, EUR 300 to EUR 800 in Slovenia. Unpaid Portuguese electronic tolls are chased by UK debt collection agencies and escalate fast. Buying at the border is always cheaper than the fine.