Driving to Italy from the UK: route, tolls and costs
Checked on 11 November 2026
London to Peschiera del Garda (Lake Garda) is about 1,343 km of driving, around 15 hours 5 minutes at the wheel, through France, Switzerland and Italy. Our estimate for tolls, the Swiss vignette and fuel is €285 (about £239) for a typical car. The Channel crossing and any overnight stops cost extra.
- Driving distance
- 1,343 km
- Driving time
- 15 h 5 min
- Tolls, vignettes, fuel
- €285about £239
- Countries crossed
- 3
On this page
The line is the fastest route found by the OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap data on 11 November 2026, from central London (Charing Cross) to the centre of Peschiera del Garda (Lake Garda), through the LeShuttle terminals at Folkestone and Calais (Coquelles), where the 59 km shuttle crossing is not counted as driving. It passes Calais, Reims, Metz, Mulhouse, Basel, Lucerne, Lugano, Como, Bergamo and Brescia. The crossing fare is not included in any figure on this page.
Change car, fuel price or start point in the plannerCan you drive to Italy from the UK?
Yes. You can take your own UK-registered car: cross the Channel to Calais, then drive about 1,227 km through France, Switzerland and Italy. The whole drive from central London is about 1,343 km, and OSRM estimates 15 hours 5 minutes at the wheel, without breaks, overnight stops, queues or the crossing.
Take with you
Take your UK driving licence. You need your Great Britain or Northern Ireland driving licence to drive abroad. Check it is valid and renew it online if it has expired or is about to. Source: GOV.UK (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Log book (V5C), or a VE103 for a hired or leased car. Take your V5C if you take your own vehicle abroad for less than 12 months; it must show your most recent UK address and you may have to show it at a port. For a hired or leased vehicle you need a VE103 vehicle on hire certificate. Source: GOV.UK (DVLA) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Insurance certificate, and a green card only for some countries. All UK vehicle insurance gives the minimum third party cover in the EU, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland, and you do not need a green card there (nor in Montenegro). You may need a green card for Albania, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Turkey and Ukraine; ask your insurer, and allow up to 6 weeks if it is posted. Source: GOV.UK (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
UK identifier on the plate, or a UK sticker. You do not need a UK sticker if your number plate shows the UK identifier with the Union flag. You must display a UK sticker if your plate has no flag or identifier, a GB identifier, an EU flag or the flag of England, Scotland or Wales. Old GB stickers must be covered or removed. Source: GOV.UK (DVLA) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Taking a pet: microchip, then rabies vaccination, then wait. Your dog, cat or ferret must be microchipped before or at the same time as its rabies vaccination, and be at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated. You must wait at least 21 full days after the first vaccination before travelling. Source: GOV.UK (Defra and APHA) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Countries on the route
United Kingdom
TollsNone
Distance: 115 kmVignette: Not needed
France
Tolls€73
Distance: 758 kmVignette: Not needed
Switzerland
TollsNone
Distance: 289 kmVignette: Annual (valid 14 months, 1 December to 31 January), €43.46
Italy
Tolls€14
Distance: 180 kmVignette: Not needed
United Kingdom
France
Switzerland
Italy| Country | Distance | Tolls (est.) | Vignette |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 115 km | None | Not needed |
| France | 758 km | €73 | Not needed |
| Switzerland | 289 km | None | Annual (valid 14 months, 1 December to 31 January), €43.46 |
| Italy | 180 km | €14 | Not needed |
Distances are measured on the route line with real country borders (Natural Earth outlines) and scaled to OSRM's road distance. Toll figures are estimates; see below for how each one is worked out.
Tolls
The planner multiplies the km in each country with distance tolls by one average rate per km. Some roads on this route may be free and some sections cost more, so treat these as estimates, not quotes.
France
about €73758 km at €0.096 per km (estimate).
Estimate based on APRR's 2026 car tariff: Paris (Fleury-en-Biere) to Lyon (Villefranche-Limas) 41.30 EUR for 430.28 km. Other operators and sections differ. Source: APRR (motorway concession company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Italy
about €14180 km at €0.07869 per km (estimate).
Estimate based on Autostrade per l'Italia's 2026 class A rate for flat stretches, including VAT (mountain stretches 0.09315 EUR/km). Other concessionaires set their own rates. Source: Autostrade per l'Italia (motorway concessionaire) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Vignettes
Switzerland: Motorway vignette (e-vignette)
Official price, checked 11 November 2026In the total: Annual (valid 14 months, 1 December to 31 January), 40 CHF (about €43.46). You drive about 289 km in Switzerland, roughly 3 hours 15 minutes at the wheel, so this is the cheapest option that covers a single trip through.
Annual (valid 14 months, 1 December to 31 January)In the totalThere is no short-stay vignette: one visit still needs the annual vignette.
40 CHF
In euros: €43.46
| Valid for | Official price | In euros |
|---|---|---|
| Annual (valid 14 months, 1 December to 31 January)In the totalThere is no short-stay vignette: one visit still needs the annual vignette. | 40 CHF | €43.46 |
Prices from the official page. Source: Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS / BAZG), Swiss Confederation (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026. Euro prices converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 November 2026: 1 EUR = 0.9203 CHF (via Frankfurter). You pay the CHF price.
Only the annual vignette exists. The e-vignette is valid immediately after purchase.
There is no short-stay vignette: even for a single visit you need the annual vignette. Source: Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS / BAZG), Swiss Confederation (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
You cannot use the motorway to the first exit without a vignette, except when entering at the Basel/St Louis, Rheinfelden or Kreuzlingen motorway customs offices and leaving at the first exit. Source: Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS / BAZG), Swiss Confederation (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
The e-vignette is valid immediately after purchase. Swiss law gives no right of withdrawal for online purchases. Source: Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS / BAZG), Swiss Confederation (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
2027 prices: CHF 40.00. The 2027 vignette is valid from 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2028.
Buy from the official shop: FOCBS Via portal (e-vignette) (opens in a new tab)Tunnel and pass tolls
This line does not pass any of the tunnel or pass tolls we track (the Austrian A 9, A 10, A 11, A 13 and S 16 sections, the Mont Blanc and Frejus tunnels, the Great St Bernard tunnel and the Sozina tunnel).
If you go another way
- A 13 Brenner motorway, if you go via Austria and the Brenner pass (plus the Austrian vignette): €12.50. Official ticket: A 13 Brenner motorway, total distance (single route ticket, 2026); shorter sections from 1.00 EUR. Source: ASFINAG (state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
- Mont Blanc tunnel (France to Italy), if you go via Chamonix and the Mont Blanc tunnel: €56.40. Official ticket: Mont Blanc Tunnel, one way, paid on the Italian side (tariff from 1 January 2026). Source: GEIE-TMB (Mont Blanc Tunnel European grouping) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
- Frejus tunnel (France to Italy), if you go via the Frejus tunnel: €56.40. Official ticket: Frejus Tunnel (T4), one way, Italian side (tariff from 1 January 2026). Source: SITAF S.p.A. (A32 and T4 Frejus concessionaire) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
- Great St Bernard tunnel (Switzerland to Italy), if you cross from Switzerland by the Great St Bernard tunnel: 32.00 CHF. Official ticket: Great St Bernard Tunnel, one way (prices since 1 February 2026). Source: Great St Bernard Tunnel (SISEX SA and SITRASB S.p.A., tunnel operating companies) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Low-emission zones on the route
London
About 25 km of the line is inside the zone outline.
Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ): Operates 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day (25 December), across all London boroughs (the M25 is not included). Cars that do not meet the standards (petrol Euro 4, diesel Euro 6) and are not exempt pay a 12.50 GBP daily charge. Source: Transport for London (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Congestion Charge: 18 GBP daily charge if paid on the day or in advance, or 21 GBP if paid by midnight of the third day after travel. Applies 7:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 12:00 to 18:00 on Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays. No charge between Christmas Day and the New Year's Day bank holiday (inclusive). Source: Transport for London (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
What to do: Check your car against the ULEZ standards on the TfL site before you set off; the Congestion Charge only applies if you start inside the central London zone during its hours. Source: Transport for London (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Strasbourg
About 2 km of the line is inside the zone outline.
ZFE-m Eurometropole de Strasbourg: Crit'Air 5 banned since January 2023 and Crit'Air 4 since January 2024. Crit'Air 3 will be banned from January 2027, and Crit'Air 2 from January 2028 in Strasbourg, Schiltigheim, Ostwald and Holtzheim. Each new ban is preceded by an education period without fines. Source: Ville et Eurometropole de Strasbourg (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
What to do: Order a Crit'Air sticker before you go. Needed to drive in French low-emission zones (ZFE) and during pollution-alert traffic restrictions. Vehicles registered abroad order from the official site with a legible photo or scan of the registration certificate (V5C). Price shown on the official site for a vehicle registered abroad: 3.11 EUR plus 2.00 EUR postage outside France, i.e. 5.11 EUR per vehicle. Only buy from certificat-air.gouv.fr: the official site shows the ministry logo and ends in .gouv.fr. Beware of intermediaries and fraudulent sites that charge more. Source: Ministere de la Transition ecologique (official Crit'Air site) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Milan
The line runs along the edge of the zone outline.
Area B (low-emission zone): Active Monday to Friday 7:30 to 19:30, public holidays excluded, with camera gates (blue gates on the map). The most polluting vehicles are banned; admitted vehicles pay nothing. Check online by plate which access your vehicle has; owners of non-compliant vehicles must register them to request derogations. Source: Comune di Milano (City of Milan) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Borders and checks
Channel crossing
LeShuttle: arrive 1 to 2 hours before departure. Arrive no more than 2 hours and no less than 1 hour before your booked departure. Complete Advance Passenger Information for everyone 24 hours before travel, as you cannot travel without it. Boarding starts 25 minutes before departure; have passports ready for the border checks. Source: Eurotunnel LeShuttle (Getlink) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
At Dover and Folkestone, EES checks happen before you leave the UK. If you enter the Schengen area through the Port of Dover or LeShuttle at Folkestone, EES checks are done at the border before you leave the UK. On your first visit you may be asked to give fingerprints and a photo at dedicated booths; your digital EES record is valid for 3 years. Be prepared to wait longer than usual. Source: GOV.UK (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Port of Dover: full EES process for tourist traffic is not yet in place. The Port of Dover says the full EES process for tourist traffic has not yet been implemented and asks car passengers to arrive at the Eastern Docks no more than 2 hours before departure for processing at the French border. A car with both EU and British passengers must go to the EES registration area. Source: Port of Dover (Dover Harbour Board) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
LeShuttle (Folkestone): EES kiosks ready, waiting for the French authorities. LeShuttle says its kiosks and staff are ready but it is awaiting confirmation from the French authorities before EES can be fully launched at its terminals; its latest notice says there was no EES biometric capture at Folkestone or Calais during the summer 2026 holiday period. Source: Eurotunnel LeShuttle (Getlink) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Estimated cost of the drive
Tolls (estimate)
€87
Vignettes (Switzerland annual (valid 14 months, 1 december to 31 january))
€43.46
Fuel (94 litres at €1.65 a litre)
€155
Estimated cost of the drive, one way
€285about £239
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tolls (estimate) | €87 |
| Vignettes (Switzerland annual (valid 14 months, 1 december to 31 january)) | €43.46 |
| Fuel (94 litres at €1.65 a litre) | €155 |
| Estimated cost of the drive, one way | €285about £239 |
Not included
- The Channel crossing fare (LeShuttle or ferry).
- Overnight stops, food, parking and any low-emission zone charges or stickers.
- The journey home.
How we worked it out: a car using 7.0 litres per 100 km and fuel at €1.65 a litre (the planner's default settings, not a measured pump price), the per-km toll estimates above and the official vignette prices. Pounds at the ECB reference rate of 10 November 2026 (1 EUR = 0.83545 GBP, European Central Bank reference rates via Frankfurter). Non-euro vignette prices use the same ECB rates Source: European Central Bank reference rates (via Frankfurter) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
Change car, fuel price or start point in the plannerCountry guides for this route
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from an official source, checked on 11 November 2026. Distances and times are calculated from OpenStreetMap data with OSRM.
- 1.European Central Bank reference rates (via Frankfurter) (opens in a new tab)
api.frankfurter.dev. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 2.Driving abroad (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK, gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 3.Taking a vehicle out of the UK: for less than 12 months (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK (DVLA), gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 4.Vehicle insurance: driving abroad (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK, gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 5.Displaying number plates: flags, identifiers and stickers (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK (DVLA), gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 6.Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad: travelling to an EU country (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK (Defra and APHA), gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 7.APRR (motorway concession company) (opens in a new tab)
voyage.aprr.fr. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 8.Autostrade per l'Italia (motorway concessionaire) (opens in a new tab)
autostrade.it. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 9.Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS / BAZG), Swiss Confederation (opens in a new tab)
bazg.admin.ch. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 10.Section toll, rates 2026 (valid from 1.1.2026) (opens in a new tab)
ASFINAG (state motorway company), asfinag.at. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 11.Vehicles classification and tolls; tariff table from 01.01.2026 (IVA 22% / TVA 20% included) (opens in a new tab)
GEIE-TMB (Mont Blanc Tunnel European grouping), tunnelmb.net. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 12.Tariffe e abbonamenti T4: tariffe dal 01/01/2026, lato Italia, IVA 22% inclusa (opens in a new tab)
SITAF S.p.A. (A32 and T4 Frejus concessionaire), sitaf.it. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 13.Prices since 01.02.2026 (opens in a new tab)
Great St Bernard Tunnel (SISEX SA and SITRASB S.p.A., tunnel operating companies), letunnel.com. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 14.Ultra Low Emission Zone (and ULEZ standards for cars) (opens in a new tab)
Transport for London, tfl.gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 15.Congestion Charge (opens in a new tab)
Transport for London, tfl.gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 16.La Zone a Faibles Emissions-mobilite (ZFE-m), calendrier (opens in a new tab)
Ville et Eurometropole de Strasbourg, strasbourg.eu. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 17.Certificat qualite de l'air Crit'Air, vehicule immatricule a l'etranger (opens in a new tab)
Ministere de la Transition ecologique (official Crit'Air site), certificat-air.gouv.fr. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 18.Area B (updated 15/10/2026) (opens in a new tab)
Comune di Milano (City of Milan), comune.milano.it. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 19.On the day: arrival and check-in (opens in a new tab)
Eurotunnel LeShuttle (Getlink), leshuttle.com. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 20.EU Entry/Exit System (updated 10 April 2026) (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK, gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 21.EU Entry / Exit System (EES): travel information and FAQ (opens in a new tab)
Port of Dover (Dover Harbour Board), portofdover.com. Checked on 11 November 2026.
- 22.Support: Entry/Exit System (EES) (opens in a new tab)
Eurotunnel LeShuttle (Getlink), leshuttle.com. Checked on 11 November 2026.