From July 1 2008 it is mandatory to use vignettes on faster Slovene roads. They are replacing the old toll system which was often seen as unfair and too expensive by the locals.

The vignette system is only valid for cars and motorbikes, while lorries and buses still use the old toll system.

Types, cost and availability of vignettes

From the 1st July 2009 weekly and monthly vignettes are introduced. Here are the new prices and descriptions:

> For cars

This includes passenger vehicles and combined vehicles with the permissible maximum weight of 3.5 tons. The car trailers are not additionally charged.

• weekly vignette for cars, valid for seven consecutive days from the date specified by the user upon purchase – costs 15 EUR.
• monthly vignette for cars, valid from the purchase date until the end of the day with the same number one month after the purchase – costs 30 EUR.
• annual vignette for cars, valid for 14 months (from December 1 until January 31) – costs 95 EUR;

> For motorbikes

• weekly vignette for motorbikes, valid for seven consecutive days from the date specified by the user upon purchase – costs 7.50 EUR.
• half-year vignette for motorbikes, valid for six months after the day purchased – costs 25 EUR.
• annual vignette for motorbikes, valid for 14 months (from December 1 until January 31) – costs 47.50 EUR;

The vignettes are not transferable from car to car.

Source: DARS

Each year vignettes are different colour, for example in 2008 they were green, in 2009 orange, in 2010 blue..

Since 2010 there have been many counterfeited vignettes on the market! Never buy vignettes below price and always buy them at the sales points – a list of sales points!

It is also recommended that you save the receipt of the purchased vignette (plus, don’t forget to properly display the vignette on the windscreen – otherwise it’s not valid).

On which roads is the use of vignettes mandatory?

Vignettes are mandatory on all sections of motorways (green sign) as well as fast roads (blue sign) and rings around the cities (blue sign). All the roads where the use of vignettes is mandatory are signed.

Using other roads to avoid vignettes

It is possible to use the old roads to drive around (or cross) the country. They are however of lower quality and would require longer driving time (especially if many other drivers would want to avoid paying).

Since the ring around Ljubljana is also included in the vignette system, I wonder how one with no knowledge of local roads would find their way to cross it..

Source: DARS

Vignettes are valid only for cars and motorbikes, while lorries and buses still need to stop on the old toll stations to pay the toll (as before).

Control and Fines

Control is going to be carried out by the police, traffic inspectorate, customs and the toll controllers (recognisable by grey vans with blue signal lights on top – 90 vans like this!).

If you are going to be caught without the valid vignette correctly placed on your vehicle (on the left up corner of the front car window – read the instructions!), you are going to be fined 300-800 EUR (if you pay in 8 days it is reduced to half of that); plus you will have to buy a valid vignette. You can refuse and complain but then your car could be seized until the dispute is resolved.

Also pay attention around the toll stations where the speed limit is reduced. Police often controls the speed here (and this is where toll controllers are often stationed as well).

Comparison with the old toll system

The old toll system was not in place on all sections of today’s motorways as well as it was not all “closed type” which means that depending where you live, you could drive for free while someone else in the next village with the toll station had to pay. There were many discussions about this issue in Slovenia in the past.

The new vignette system is therefore much friendlier for the locals (as everyone pays the same) but hits quite hard anyone wanting to just traverse the country (35 EUR compared to 12 EUR for crossing from Austria to Croatia two times). Slovenia lies on the crossroads linking Central Europe and Balkan countries as well as West and East Europe, so the foreigners will have to pick another route wisely to avoid it (which is questionable considerable the high fuel prices).

Since Slovenia is still building the roads many locals consider the vignette system to be fair so the foreigners take partial responsibility for expensive building of motorways which are choking from foreign tourists (many unfortunately just traversing the country) every major holiday and throughout the summer.

More information: DARS