ZTL, Crit’Air and Umweltzonen: driving into European cities

Many European cities limit who can drive into the centre, and the rules differ from country to country and sometimes from city to city. Cameras enforce most of them, so a mistake rarely shows up on the spot: it arrives as a fine weeks or months after you get home, sometimes with a rental company's handling fee on top. A little preparation avoids almost all of it.

Italy: ZTL

A zona a traffico limitato closes the historic centre to non-residents during set hours, and almost every Italian town of any size has one. The entrance is marked by a round sign with a red border, often with a display reading “varco attivo” when the cameras are on. The signs are easy to miss while following a navigation app. Park outside the zone and walk or take the bus. If your hotel is inside the ZTL, ask it to register your number plate with the town before you arrive, and drive only the direct route to the hotel.

France: Crit’Air

French low-emission zones (ZFE) require a Crit’Air sticker that shows your vehicle's emission class, and the rules apply to foreign vehicles too. Which classes are allowed depends on the city, and some zones only operate during pollution episodes. Order the sticker only from the official government website; unofficial sites charge several times the price. Delivery abroad can take a few weeks, so order well before you leave.

Germany and Austria

German Umweltzonen require a green Umweltplakette on the windscreen, issued for your vehicle's emission class and valid in every German zone. Foreign drivers can order it online from authorised testing organisations or city offices, or buy it at many testing stations in Germany. A few cities also have bans on older diesel vehicles on certain streets. In Austria, some regions apply emission-related restrictions and air-quality speed limits on motorways, shown on electronic signs.

Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK

Spanish cities are introducing zonas de bajas emisiones (ZBE) based on the Spanish environmental label, and some ask foreign vehicles to register online in advance. Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent run low-emission zones in which foreign vehicles must be registered before entering, even when they meet the standard. Dutch milieuzones mainly target older diesel vehicles. London's Ultra Low Emission Zone and congestion charge apply to foreign vehicles too and are paid online. In all cases, the rules for motorhomes over 3.5 tonnes can be stricter.

A simple routine

Before the trip, list the countries and larger cities on your route, check each one's official page and order any stickers or registrations at the same time. On the road, plan to park at the edge of the centre: park-and-ride car parks, campsites with a bus stop and motorhome stopovers outside the walls are usually cheaper and less stressful than driving in. CampingSpirit flags known zones near your stops in the Details tab of the planner, so you can choose where to park before you reach the centre. Rules change often, so treat any app, including ours, as a reminder to check the official source.