The cost of the toll and fuel have a big impact when deciding to travel by car. Before leaving, when it is time to sum up to define the overall expense, calculate toll and fuel accurately, using our advice.
The calculation related to transport must be accurate, so as not to have any nasty surprises during the journey.
Calculate tolls and fuel to avoid nasty surprises
In calculating the toll costs and the expenditure for the purchase of fuel (petrol or diesel), you can take advantage of various tools put online by Autostrade per l’Italia, ViaMichelin itineraries and last but not least, Google Maps.
Google Maps gives you a way to estimate the real distances in kilometers , those you will have to travel to get to your destination. If your itinerary is complex, Google Maps gives you the possibility to insert many intermediate stages so as to understand how many actual km you will cover with a round trip .
Itinerary in hand, the first thing to do is calculate the cost of fuel .
Fuel cost calculation
The gasoline or diesel cost calculation is the largest variable in this estimate. While you have fixed costs to calculate the motorway toll or to cross the border, here the estimate you will get is only indicative.
The reason?
Only you know your car, your driving style and your load.
The fuel consumption depends on the state of wear of your car, the displacement, the efficiency of the engine, the driving style, the on-board electronics and last but not least, your driving style. This means that the fuel cost calculation you will get from the various online tools is very indicative.
Among the various online services, we recommend Viamichelin.it
By clicking on the “Options” button, you can set:
- Car type
- Average fuel cost
- Type of fuel (petrol, diesel, methane …)
The tool, however, does not take into account factors that greatly affect fuel consumption :
- Will your windows be rolled down on the way? At high speeds, the air entering the window brakes the car, increasing the strain of the engine.
- Are you traveling with the air conditioning on? There is a nice correlation between air conditioning and fuel consumption.
- How many people are there in the car?
- Traveling fully loaded? The more weight you have on board, the harder the engine will have to strain.
- How efficient is your car? A Euro 5 car consumes much less than a Euro 3!
- Have you always done car maintenance? A well-maintained car consumes less.
- Does the itinerary include many urban areas or mainly motorways? In the urban center, fuel consumption is higher.
- What driving style do you have? Here you can adjust the shot trying to have a more consistent ride, without accelerating and braking hard.
So yes, calculate the toll and fuel you are going to consume… but do it smart. Get organized before departure and start keeping an eye on the odometer and fuel consumption.
How many kilometers can you cover with a full tank and how much does a tank of fuel cost you?
All respect for the Viamichelin tool, but only in this way can you get a real idea of the fuel cost you will incur!
Calculate the toll
For the toll, everything is simpler. There are fixed costs. Toll costs vary only based on the category of vehicle you use: a motorcycle pays less than a car. A car pays less than a large camper. A truck or a bus pays more! The rule is: the bigger you are, the more expensive the toll is.
To calculate travel expenses and, in particular, the component that covers motorway tolls, you can take advantage of the Autostrade per l’Italia website which, among its services, can also indicate which petrol stations are able to offer you petrol or diesel at the best price.
To calculate the round trip toll , to travel along motorways or to cross the border, please refer to the Autostrade.it website .
Start from this certainty and add a variable amount for the fuel expense .
Among other travel expenses by car you will have to keep in mind the various stops at the motorway restaurants. You may be able to pay back for the outward journey by packing a packed breakfast, however, for the return journey, if the journey is long, you have to consider some extra expense at the gas station. Calculate that a standard menu, sandwich + drink + coffee or dessert, has a price of around 7-8 euros.
