Europe’s most expensive toll road costs drivers over £56

For drivers who want to travel Italy by car this summer, making the journey from Milano to Bari, one of the speediest routes is to take the A1, A14 road spanning around 877km (or 544 miles). However, as well as some unique views along the way, the road will also set travellers back more than £50 to travel one-way.

According to new research from Northgate Vehicle Hire, the road is not only the most expensive toll road for standard cars in Italy, but in all of Europe.

“Our analysis revealed that Italy is home to the most expensive toll road, with drivers travelling from Milan to Bari (along the A1, A14) required to pay £56.88 one way, meaning a return journey will set holidaymakers back over £100,” said the report.

The Autostrada A1 or Autostrada del Sole (translating to “Sun Motorway”) is the longest spanning 760km, approximately 470 miles, and linking some of the largest cities of the country, including Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples.

The Autostrada A14 or Autostrada Adriatica (translating to “Adriatic Motorway”) is the second-longest in Italy, spanning 743.4 km or 461.9 miles.

According to Google Maps data, to drive from Milan to Bari it will take drivers 15 hours and one minute on average.

However, the toll road stretch, which travels on both roads, between Milan and Bari is not the only expensive road in Europe.

The Northgate Vehicle Hire study also highlighted the cost of travelling on the French route from Paris to Marseille, which travels along the A6/A7.

The report said: “The French route from Paris to Marseille (along the A6 / A7) was revealed to be the second most expensive, costing £55.95 per journey, and Strasbourg to Montpellier, also in France, came in third, setting drivers back £54.43.”

Some of the UK’s most expensive toll roads paled in comparison. “Surprisingly, whilst known for being expensive in the UK, the M6 toll road ranked far from first-place at 34th in our analysis, with drivers required to pay £7.10 for their journey,” said the report.

For Britons who are planning a driving holiday this summer, the experts from Northgate advise factoring in any tolls you may face while driving to your budget.

“When considering a driving holiday there are plenty of additional costs to consider, petrol, ferry travel and overnight accommodation are some of the more obvious, but you may not have totalled up the cost of using the toll roads on the route,” they said.