Hello all. I would like to estimate total toll expenses for my whole trip, based on my general itinerary. I'm willing to assume I always take the toll roads so that I can overestimate the cost. I found this website: Traffic, routes and tolls. Has anyone used it before? I find it a little confusing. If I type "Salerno to Matera" I get zero cost. The same happens when I type in Matera to Alberobello. Is it possible that there are no tolls in this region? How do I know which roads have tolls? Is it anything with "A" in it? TIA.

Autostrade is the official website.

For Salerno to Matera if you look at the driving directions most of it is on regional roads. Toll free. The bit that is on an autostrada is also toll free

To Alberobello you're on provincial roads and also toll free

In my experience the route planner www.viamichelin.com makes a good job calculating road tolls. I found it reliable so far everywhere I went.

I'm afraid you are wrong. it's around 200 km from Salerno to Matera, 158 on the A2 motorway. The A2 isn't either a Regional or Provincial road, nevertheless it's not tolled, just like many A-something divided motorways in Southern Italy.

Redlandsneen, I'm quite surprised your travel guide doesn't mention it. Since you are going to drive in Italy, I hope you got all the info you need about ZTLs, congestion charge areas and the Tutor System. The sign saying "Speed trap ahead" is mandatory, but it's written in Italian.

I agree with the above post, use viamichelin to find routes and calculate tolls, it's the most reputable mapping site from this point of view.

[QUOTE=Falcio;17022580

I agree with the above post, use viamichelin to find routes and calculate tolls, it's the most reputable mapping site from this point of view.[/QUOTE]

No it's not. The autostrada website is the most accurate and up to date.Why would you expect a third party website to be more accurate?

" Why would you expect a third party website to be more accurate?"

Nobody said it's more accurate, but it is just as accurate and it covers most of Europe not only Italy.

Come back in January when the rates change and then tell me it's just as accurate. The offical site is always more up to date.

Good idea, we'll see in January!

Which "rates"? Not the freeways': The A2 and the RA5 (the Potenza section) are free and will remain free. Imposing tolls on Southern Italy's freeways would be paradigm shift in Italian politics. The idea would make the front pages for months and the political confrontation would be nasty. Nothing similar can happen in a couple of months.

For the simple reason known by all Italians that Autostrade manages many Italian freeways, not all Italian freeways.

You can just guess - the tolls are about 8-10 Euro an hour at typical autostrada speeds. (If there's a coda (traffic jam) you can console yourself with the knowledge that you're paying less per hour.) Of course if you want to get precise, you should also figure fuel cost which can run about 8 Euro an hour or more at those speeds.

I'm no expert, but every website I've consulted says that there's a stretch from Napoli to Salerno that is tolled and after that it's free all the way to Matera. Doesn't seem like rocket science to me, no matter which website you use.

Thanks everyone! After posting the question, I did visit a few websites and even before BDKR mentioned it, I found viamichelin. Even if I don't want to go to the lengths of calculating gas consumption costs, I do want to get an estimate of the toll costs so that we can have ready cash in a kitty. Travelling with a friend (as opposed to a spouse) means sharing costs so knowing a rough amount each has to contribute to the kitty would be the way to go.

I am glad to hear that many roads are free because I know the petrol costs are going to be sizeable. We are driving from Salerno to Matera/Alberobello/Polignare a Mare in one day. The next day to Lecce and back. Then we have a long drive from P.a.M. to Castel di Sangro (Abruzzo) via Campobasso. Then to L'Aquila, stopping in Sacco, Sulmona, Castel del Monte on the way. After a couple of days exploring Gran Sasso Park, we are heading to Siena via Spoleto/Assisi where we leave the car and take a bus to Firenze. It is a jam-packed itinerary and we want to be prepared.

It's a pity you won't have much time for amazing Matera.

You won't have much time in any of the interim stops. This is a lot of driving, mostly on highways which are generally pretty boring.

Perhaps because I mentioned it on your other thread?

I second Jean's comment. You don't mention how many days total you have, but in my estimation you're biting off a lot. The driving gets very tiresome on provincial roads between the curves, settled areas, trucks, speed limit changes, and lack of passing zones. Whoever is in the backseat should get a discount on the kitty contribution.

I agree. I'm catering to a friend who has only been to Italy once before on a Tauck tour so I'm trying to show her several regions, and she is stretching it already at 12 days. Do you reckon Lecce is worth the day trip? If we stay overnight in Matera, we would have to go from 2 to 1 night in P.a.M. and forego the full day in that area including Lecce.

Lecce and Matera are totally different cities. It'd up to you to decide which one appeals to you the most. I haven't been to Lecce, because I had only 4 days in Puglia and was much more interested in Matera than Lecce. I skipped Lecce(hope to see it in the future if I travel again to Puglia) and spent a night(and almost one full day) in Matera and it was pretty much as I expected it, it was by far the best experience in Puglia(OK, I know it's in fact Basilicata) and I wished I could stay longer.

Catering to a friend who had a forgettable bus tour of Italy is a kind gesture, but why fabricate another dumb tour that focuses on autoroutes? Surely you can make this up to her in far better ways. There are so very many ways to organize a lovely, if brief, tour of Italy. You are definitely not doing anyone a favor with what you are planning.

As already noted, they are incredibly different. IMO, both were worth seeing. IMO, neither is well suited to a day trip -- too much to see. An overnight in a cave hotel in Matera is, IMO, a unique and wonderfully memorable experience.