# Road Tolls



## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

On the motorway this morning, having parted with another few euros, I was thinking about other parts of Spain and how prevalent road tolls are. I hear it a lot around here that there are many more tolls in Catalonia compared to the rest of Spain, usually from people who want to highlight how much extra Catalans pay for a worse service. I can take a few back roads to some destinations but it isn't always practical to do so because it is usually a much longer journey. To get into Barcelona (about 40km / 40 minutes away) I pay 2.55€ each way. The same cost to get to my in-laws. From my in-laws to the centre of Barcelona (10km/ 20 minutes away) is 3.73€ each way. If I go to the centre via the in-laws (which I do every Sunday every fortnight) it is 2.55€ + 3.73€ each way, so 12.56€ Return. I catch the train when possible, but early Sunday morning with a kid in tow isn't do-able.

So, my questions are, how much do others typically pay in other areas of Spain for which type / length of journey? Do you have to pay to get into or anywhere near to city centres? And just how prevalent are road tolls?

I would prefer if this thread stays non-political, I just want to gather the facts from people on the ground rather than have opinions on why or where the tolls are located.

Thanks!


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

I took the toll road once by mistake to Benidorm, it was so deserted we took it on the way back too.
Around this part of the CB you can quite easily get around without paying tolls, at least an hour either side of Alicante that is. Haven't been further in the car than that.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

There are three between here and Málaga on the A7. The prices double between May and October, so in summer it costs €30 for a round trip to the airport. 

The only other one in this area is between Cadiz and Seville, €6.95 for a saloon car. We use it because it cuts half an hour off the journey.


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> There are three between here and Málaga on the A7. The prices double between May and October, so in summer it costs €30 for a round trip to the airport.
> 
> The only other one in this area is between Cadiz and Seville, €6.95 for a saloon car. We use it because it cuts half an hour off the journey.


It's one thing to put up tolls to claw back revenue, it's more like robbery to double the price in the summer when the roads are busier. I don't know southern Spain at all, do the toll roads continue all of the journey to the airport or just on the A7? I thought only AP roads had toll charges but the E9 into Barcelona does too so I'm not sure how it works anymore. 

Also, has anyone ever driven the whole route of the AP7 and how much did it cost?


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## el romeral (May 8, 2012)

I recently drove through the night from Santander to Malaga and the only toll I encountered was just before Malaga and it was closed.


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

el romeral said:


> I recently drove through the night from Santander to Malaga and the only toll I encountered was just before Malaga and it was closed.


I guess you drove straight down the middle? Was it fast motorways? Did you deliberately avoid toll roads?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Helenameva said:


> On the motorway this morning, having parted with another few euros, I was thinking about other parts of Spain and how prevalent road tolls are. I hear it a lot around here that there are many more tolls in Catalonia compared to the rest of Spain, usually from people who want to highlight how much extra Catalans pay for a worse service. I can take a few back roads to some destinations but it isn't always practical to do so because it is usually a much longer journey. To get into Barcelona (about 40km / 40 minutes away) I pay 2.55€ each way. The same cost to get to my in-laws. From my in-laws to the centre of Barcelona (10km/ 20 minutes away) is 3.73€ each way. If I go to the centre via the in-laws (which I do every Sunday every fortnight) it is 2.55€ + 3.73€ each way, so 12.56€ Return. I catch the train when possible, but early Sunday morning with a kid in tow isn't do-able.
> 
> So, my questions are, how much do others typically pay in other areas of Spain for which type / length of journey? Do you have to pay to get into or anywhere near to city centres? And just how prevalent are road tolls?
> 
> ...


Madrid Bilbao is over 20€ in tolls, but I think that sounds quite reeasonable compared to what you and Alcalaina have posted. To go to places within 50km or maybe more we don't pay anything.
There are the famous radiales built by the PP and that are losing money hand over fist as few vehicles lose them, but as you said you didn't want to get into the politics I leave that comment there just as information. If you want to avoid traffic you can use the radiales.
As to why there are tolls, is there any other reason than as a source of finance?


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Madrid Bilbao is over 20€ in tolls, but I think that sounds quite reeasonable compared to what you and Alcalaina have posted. To go to places within 50km or maybe more we don't pay anything.
> There are the famous radiales built by the PP and that are losing money hand over fist as few vehicles lose them, but as you said you didn't want to get into the politics I leave that comment there just as information. If you want to avoid traffic you can use the radiales.
> As to why there are tolls, is there any other reason than as a source of finance?


Thanks for the reply!

The question I think I was asking is, Why are tolls located Where they are? To bring in revenue, yes, but why are they concentrated in certain areas? But I think that could be a political red rag too so I'll leave it alone!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Helenameva said:


> Thanks for the reply!
> 
> The question I think I was asking is, Why are tolls located Where they are? To bring in revenue, yes, but why are they concentrated in certain areas? But I think that could be a political red rag too so I'll leave it alone!


Ah, yes, sorry, I was being a bit slow there.
I don't know the answer and from what's being posted it certainly seems that there are more tolls to be paid in some areas than others so it'd be interesting to find out the reasons.


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## Gareth54 (Nov 8, 2014)

Drove from Perpignan in France to just before Malaga only using the motorway. Had to pay 2 tolls both in the North of Spain that totalled about 50 euro's. Was surprised at how much for such a short time on the toll roads.

I have driven to the South Of France twice a year for nearly 20 years of which about 800 Kms are toll roads for which I pay about 50 euro's which is why I found the roughly 150 - 200 Kms in Spain a bit exorbitant. Not complaining but not amused !!


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## el romeral (May 8, 2012)

Helenameva said:


> I guess you drove straight down the middle? Was it fast motorways? Did you deliberately avoid toll roads?


I think my route took me pretty much down the middle, more of less going round the edge of Madrid. Motorway about 98% of the way, and yes they were fast, as nearly deserted at night and in a Porsche I was importing from UK. I had no maps or satnav and was kind of taking a huge leap in faith by following road signs. No knowledge of locations of tolls as never used the roads before. I was quite surprised it did not cost me anything, as I know what it is like in France.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Helenameva said:


> It's one thing to put up tolls to claw back revenue, it's more like robbery to double the price in the summer when the roads are busier. I don't know southern Spain at all, do the toll roads continue all of the journey to the airport or just on the A7? I thought only AP roads had toll charges but the E9 into Barcelona does too so I'm not sure how it works anymore.
> 
> Also, has anyone ever driven the whole route of the AP7 and how much did it cost?


Let us clarify first the summer /winter price difference. The official line is that the price "reduces by 50%" in winter .
I have used the AP7 from it's start , just this side of Alicante all the way to La Jonquera & on into France. I think it is just over 900kms.
The cost if I remember correctly in July/August was less than 60€ to the French border. Still a lot but time was the factor on both occasions.


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

gus-lopez said:


> Let us clarify first the summer /winter price difference. The official line is that the price "reduces by 50%" in winter .
> I have used the AP7 from it's start , just this side of Alicante all the way to La Jonquera & on into France. I think it is just over 900kms.
> The cost if I remember correctly in July/August was less than 60€ to the French border. Still a lot but time was the factor on both occasions.


So rather than robbery by doubling the price in the summer, they generously half the price in winter. Genius.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Tolls are a sort of selective road tax. AFAIK there is always an alternative to using a toll road, though it will take longer. If people want to pay a bit more to save time, why not? It also (in theory) helps reduce congestion on the slower routes which usually go through the middle of towns and villages.

However they seem to have gone over the top in NE Spain. We had to drive back from France once when the Santander ferry was on strike and seemed to be shelling out every few kilometers. You can go from Seville to Santander with no tolls at all, on the wonderful Ruta de Plata.

The Via Michelin route finder calculates all the tolls for you.
ViaMichelin: rutas, mapas, tráfico, reserva hoteles


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Helenameva said:


> So rather than robbery by doubling the price in the summer, they generously half the price in winter. Genius.


It's the way he tells them!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We don't have any tolls around here for hundreds of kms - we don't have much traffic either. The only toll road we have used was the R4 from Madrid ring south to pick up the A4/E5 to avoid going through through all the villages between Madrid and Aranjuez - Ocala but I don't recall that the tolls were much. There is the AP46 as an alternative to the A45 around Málaga but it takes one so far out of the way that it is quicker and cheaper to stay on the A45.


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