I'm planning a driving itinerary in the Italian Lakes area, using the ViaMichelin website. My ViaMichelin profile is set permanently on "avoid tolls" (for scenic reasons I'm a backroads traveller) so usually the only cost shown is petrol only. But on a section from Bellagio to Stresa there is a 27 euro "road tax".

What is it, and how/where would it be collected? In 3 previous trips all around Europe I have never struck it before. Thanks...

http://tinyurl.com/43jbfe

Use "Economical" instead. I get only 11.98 EUR petrol cost.

Are you taking the shortest route, and therefore cutting through Switzerland ?

(I believe there is a charge for driving on Swiss Roads, but I am not sware of the details)

I drove Bellagio to Stresa (scenic route) and wasn't charged any road tax along the way. There is a ferry at the northern end of Lake Maggiore but it certainly wasn't 27 Euro.

Sorry, wrong info. I had us taking a car ferry from Bellagio to Cadenabbia. The road tax applied to the drive Cadenabbia to Stresa.

The best route IMO is one that takes you by ferry to Menaggio, through Lugano to Luino (backroads) on Lake Maggiore, then down to Laveno where there's a ferry to Verbania, then on to Stresa.

This route is not only the shortest and most economical (maybe not with the ferries) but it's also the most scenic...

Follow Tuck's advice. Sounds like the route I took but I went via Como City and then did the ferry crossing on Maggiore - Bellagio to Menaggio and then from Levano to Verbania ferries. No road tax - only ferry fees.

Going through Lugano is probably nicer.

There is a road tax in Switzerland and Austria, but only if you use the motorways.

Thanks Tuck. Puzzle solved. Both ViaMichelin's recommended and sightseeing routes were putting me (for a short distance only in the case of the sightseeing route) on Swiss motorways. I tried the economical route as suggested and there is no road tax. Looks a good route too, with another car ferry crossing at Laveno.

Thanks everyone else too - I see several people had hit on the same route!