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Driving to Serbia from the UK: route, tolls and costs

Checked on 11 November 2026

London to Belgrade is about 2,010 km of driving, around 21 hours 30 minutes at the wheel, through France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. Our estimate for tolls, the Austrian and Slovenian vignettes and fuel is €292 (about £244) for a typical car. The Channel crossing, €19.00 of tunnel tolls and any overnight stops cost extra.

Driving distance
2,010 km
Driving time
21 h 30 min
Tolls, vignettes, fuel
€292about £244
Countries crossed
7
On this page
Route outline: London to BelgradeThe driving route from central London via the Channel crossing at Folkestone and Calais, then France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia to Belgrade.
Driving route (OSRM, OpenStreetMap data)Channel crossing (not driven)Countries on the route

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 Belgrade, through the LeShuttle terminals at Folkestone and Calais (Coquelles), where the 59 km shuttle crossing is not counted as driving. It passes Calais, Ghent, Brussels, Liège, Cologne, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Graz, Maribor, Zagreb, Slavonski Brod and Šid. The crossing fare is not included in any figure on this page.

Change car, fuel price or start point in the planner

Can you drive to Serbia from the UK?

Yes. You can take your own UK-registered car: cross the Channel to Calais, then drive about 1,895 km through France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. The whole drive from central London is about 2,010 km, and OSRM estimates 21 hours 30 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.

Full driving to Europe checklist

Countries on the route

  • United Kingdom

    TollsNone

    Distance: 115 kmVignette: Not needed

  • France

    Tolls€6

    Distance: 65 kmVignette: Not needed

  • Belgium

    TollsNone

    Distance: 281 kmVignette: Not needed

  • Germany

    TollsNone

    Distance: 711 kmVignette: Not needed

  • Austria

    TollsNone

    Distance: 306 kmVignette: 1 day, €9.60

  • Slovenia

    TollsNone

    Distance: 65 kmVignette: Weekly (7 days), €16.00

  • Croatia

    Tolls€28

    Distance: 350 kmVignette: Not needed

  • Serbia

    TollsNone

    Distance: 115 kmVignette: 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 €6

65 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.

Croatia

about €28

350 km at €0.08 per km (estimate).

Rough average, not checked against an official price per km (HAC's tables give no km). Official example: Zagreb to Split 26.40 EUR for a car.

Croatia's Toll Collection Act (adopted 24 December 2025) requires a single electronic free-flow toll system, Crolibertas, on all motorways run by HAC, Bina Istra and AZM. HAC's official Crolibertas site says the new system will be fully applied from 1 March 2027. You will drive under gantries without stopping; tolls will still be based on distance and vehicle category. Source: Crolibertas (official site of HAC's new toll system) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

Official example tolls for a car

  • Zapresic (A2, AZM) to Trakoscan (A2, towards the Slovenian border at Macelj)

    €6.70

    Country: Croatia

  • Sid toll station (Belgrade to Sid motorway, towards the Croatian border) to Simanovci (Belgrade end)

    520 RSD

    Country: Serbia

  • Zapresic (A2, AZM) to Trakoscan (A2, towards the Slovenian border at Macelj). Vehicle: AZM Category I (two axles, up to 1.30 m high at the first axle). Part of the A2 from the Slovenian border to Zagreb, which this line uses. Source: Autocesta Zagreb-Macelj (AZM, motorway concessionaire) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
  • Sid toll station (Belgrade to Sid motorway, towards the Croatian border) to Simanovci (Belgrade end). Vehicle: Category 1 car, valid from 1 July 2026 (4,50 EUR in the official euro column). The tolled motorway from the Croatian border towards Belgrade, which this line uses. Source: Putevi Srbije (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

The planner has no per-km rate for Serbia or Montenegro, so these tolls are not in its total.

Other countries on the route

Vignettes

Austria: Digital Vignette

Official price, checked 11 November 2026

In the total: 1 day, €9.60. You drive about 306 km in Austria, roughly 3 hours 15 minutes at the wheel, so this is the cheapest option that covers a single trip through. Coming back the same way within 10 days? One 10-day vignette (€12.80) costs less than two 1-day vignettes (€19.20).

  • 1 dayIn the total

    €9.60

  • 10 days

    €12.80

  • 2 monthsBought online by a consumer, it starts 18 days after purchase at the earliest.

    €32.00

  • 1 yearBought online by a consumer, it starts 18 days after purchase at the earliest.

    €106.80

Prices from the official page. Source: ASFINAG (state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

Linked to your number plate, nothing to stick on. Some sections (A 9, A 10, A 11, A 13, S 16 tunnels and passes) charge a separate section toll.

1-day and 10-day vignettes bought online can be valid immediately. For 2-month and annual vignettes bought online by a consumer, the earliest start date is 18 days after purchase. Bought from a sales partner, toll station or vending machine, any vignette is valid immediately with no 18-day wait. Source: ASFINAG (state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

Driving without a valid vignette leads to a replacement toll (Ersatzmaut) demand. ASFINAG checks with staff and automatic vignette control systems. Source: ASFINAG (state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

From the 2027 vignette year the vignette is digital only. No adhesive (sticker) vignettes are sold from 1 December 2026, and from 1 February 2027 only the Digital Vignette is valid on Austrian motorways and expressways. The four products (1 day, 10 days, 2 months, 1 year) stay the same. Source: ASFINAG (state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

2027 prices: Only the 2027 annual price is published (108.90 EUR from 1 January 2027). 1-day, 10-day and 2-month prices for 2027 are not published yet.

Buy from the official shop: ASFINAG Toll Shop (opens in a new tab)

Slovenia: E-vignette (e-vinjeta)

Official price, checked 11 November 2026

In the total: Weekly (7 days), €16.00. You drive about 65 km in Slovenia, roughly 40 minutes at the wheel, so this is the cheapest option that covers a single trip through.

  • Weekly (7 days)In the total

    €16.00

  • Monthly

    €32.00

  • Annual (12 months)

    €117.50

Prices from the official page. Source: DARS (Slovenian state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

Prices are for toll class 2A (most cars). Class 2B (front-axle height 1.3 m or more, many people carriers) pays 32.00 EUR a week. The Karavanke tunnel is tolled separately.

Buy the e-vignette and choose its start date before you enter the motorway or expressway. You can choose a start date up to 30 days ahead (including the purchase date). Source: DARS (Slovenian state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

Driving without a valid e-vignette is fined 300 EUR (500 EUR for moving the registered plate to another vehicle or class), and you must also pay for the e-vignette for the period of the offence. Source: DARS (Slovenian state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

DARS warns that unauthorised resellers sell Slovenian e-vignettes through misleading websites, often with commissions of several tens of percent, and some have changed the registered plate without the buyer knowing. The only authorised online sellers are evinjeta.dars.si, ADAC and Petrol. Check the web address before paying. Source: DARS (Slovenian state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

2027 prices: Not published yet by DARS (checked 11 Nov 2026).

Buy from the official shop: DARS e-vignette shop (opens in a new tab)

Tunnel and pass tolls

On this route (not in the planner total)

Together: €19.00 one way. The line passes within 1 km of each of these tolled tunnels.

If you go another way

  • A 10 Tauern motorway (Tauern and Katschberg tunnels), if you go via Salzburg, Villach and Ljubljana instead: €15.00. Official ticket: A 10 Tauern motorway, Tauern and Katschberg tunnels, total distance (single route ticket, 2026); 7.50 EUR for one tunnel section only. Source: ASFINAG (state motorway company) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.
  • A 11 Karawanken tunnel (Austria to Slovenia), if you go via Salzburg, Villach and Ljubljana instead: €9.00. Official ticket: A 11 Karawanken motorway, Karawanken tunnel (single route ticket, 2026). Source: ASFINAG (state motorway company) (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.

Brussels

The line runs along the edge of the zone outline.

Low Emission Zone, Brussels-Capital Region: Covers almost the whole Region (except some roads to the Ring, certain hospitals and P+R car parks), checked by 353 cameras. Since 1 January 2026 Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 petrol vehicles no longer meet the criteria (cars now need diesel Euro 6 or petrol Euro 3). All foreign vehicles except Dutch ones must register, free, before or within 5 days of entering; registration lasts 5 years. Day pass for a non-compliant car 35 EUR, up to 24 a year. Fines: 350 EUR for a non-compliant vehicle without a day pass or exemption, 150 EUR for an unregistered foreign vehicle (even if compliant), 25 EUR for incorrect registration details; at most one fine per vehicle every three months. For vehicles newly affected in 2026, the first offence brings a warning letter. Source: Brussels-Capital Region (LEZ.brussels, Brussels Fiscality) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

What to do: Only needed if you leave the main road into the zone. If you leave the motorway into Brussels, register your car first. Foreign-registered cars must be registered online once, free of charge, even if they meet the standards. A Flemish registration (Antwerp, Ghent) is valid in every Flemish LEZ but not in Brussels, which has its own free registration (valid 5 years, up to 5 days after entering). Register in Flanders no later than the day after you enter the zone. Ghent warns that some commercial companies sell an LEZ service or sticker for a fee; the city is not involved. Antwerp says fines are always sent by letter, never requested by SMS or WhatsApp. Source: City of Antwerp (Slim naar Antwerpen) (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.

Croatia

  • The European Commission records the abolition of internal border controls with Croatia in 2023. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro are not among the 29 Schengen countries, so Croatia's borders with them are Schengen external borders where passports are checked on entry and exit. Source: European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

Serbia

  • Serbia is not in the Schengen area, so the borders with Croatia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria are Schengen external borders with passport checks. Source: European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

  • All UK vehicle insurance provides the minimum third party cover to drive in Serbia, and you do not need to carry a green card there. You still need valid vehicle insurance. Source: GOV.UK (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

  • You can drive on a UK photocard licence for a series of short visits up to a year, or a single stay of up to 6 months. FCDO says the 1968 international driving permit (IDP) may help, as Serbian police will recognise it. Source: GOV.UK (FCDO) (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

  • Take your log book (V5C) and your insurance certificate if you are taking your own vehicle. Source: GOV.UK (opens in a new tab), checked 11 November 2026.

This line crosses from Croatia into Serbia on the motorway near Šid, a Schengen external border, so expect passport checks there.

Estimated cost of the drive

  • Tolls (estimate)

    €34

  • Vignettes (Austria 1 day and Slovenia weekly (7 days))

    €25.60

  • Fuel (141 litres at €1.65 a litre)

    €232

  • Estimated cost of the drive, one way

    €292about £244

Not included

  • The Channel crossing fare (LeShuttle or ferry).
  • Tunnel tolls on this route: €19.00 (listed above). With them, the drive comes to about €311.
  • Tolls in Serbia: the planner has no per-km rate there (see the official example above).
  • 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 planner

Country 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. 1.
  2. 2.
    Driving abroad (opens in a new tab)

    GOV.UK, gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  3. 3.
  4. 4.
    Vehicle insurance: driving abroad (opens in a new tab)

    GOV.UK, gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  5. 5.
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  7. 7.
    APRR (motorway concession company) (opens in a new tab)

    voyage.aprr.fr. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  8. 8.
    Toll Collection Act Adopted (24 December 2025) (opens in a new tab)

    Crolibertas (official site of HAC's new toll system), crolibertas.hr. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  9. 9.
    Cestarine: cijene u eurima po kategorijama (opens in a new tab)

    Autocesta Zagreb-Macelj (AZM, motorway concessionaire), azm.hr. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  10. 10.
  11. 11.
    Viapass: kilometre charge for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes (opens in a new tab)

    Viapass (interregional road charge body), viapass.be. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  12. 12.
    About the toll: toll over 3.5 tonnes (opens in a new tab)

    Toll Collect (operator of the German federal toll), toll-collect.de. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  13. 13.
    ASFINAG (state motorway company) (opens in a new tab)

    asfinag.at. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  14. 14.
    Press release: ASFINAG erinnert an Vignettentausch am 1.2.2026 (opens in a new tab)

    ASFINAG (state motorway company), asfinag.at. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  15. 15.
  16. 16.
    DARS (Slovenian state motorway company) (opens in a new tab)

    evinjeta.dars.si. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  17. 17.
    E-vignette validity and toll roads where an e-vignette is mandatory (opens in a new tab)

    DARS (Slovenian state motorway company), evinjeta.dars.si. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  18. 18.
    Toll control (opens in a new tab)

    DARS (Slovenian state motorway company), evinjeta.dars.si. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  19. 19.
    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.

  20. 20.
    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.

  21. 21.
    Congestion Charge (opens in a new tab)

    Transport for London, tfl.gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  22. 22.
    LEZ Brussels: news, foreign vehicles, day pass, fines (opens in a new tab)

    Brussels-Capital Region (LEZ.brussels, Brussels Fiscality), lez.brussels. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  23. 23.
    You've got a vehicle with a foreign number plate (opens in a new tab)

    City of Antwerp (Slim naar Antwerpen), slimnaarantwerpen.be. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  24. 24.
    On the day: arrival and check-in (opens in a new tab)

    Eurotunnel LeShuttle (Getlink), leshuttle.com. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  25. 25.
  26. 26.
    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.

  27. 27.
    Support: Entry/Exit System (EES) (opens in a new tab)

    Eurotunnel LeShuttle (Getlink), leshuttle.com. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  28. 28.
    History of Schengen (2023: abolition of internal border controls with Croatia) and Schengen area (29 countries) (opens in a new tab)

    European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  29. 29.
    Schengen area (29 countries) (opens in a new tab)

    European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked on 11 November 2026.

  30. 30.