19 September 2010

The curse of the Vignette







There is a "block" of central European countries - those with a lot of transit traffic that have a vistor tax in the form of a vignette. If you want to drive on motorways and the like - you need the sticker.

Can't complain about Czech or Austria - you can buy a 10 day sticker for €10 and there are excellent, brand new Austrian motorways between Czech and Slovenia

However Slovenia is different - they do year, month or 7 days - and this last is not enough for a week's holiday in Croatia.  So for a quick blast across Slovenia and back you need to spend €30!  The Croats have built a lovely motorway all the way to the border - but on the Slovenian side - a twisty B-road through towns and villages is all you get.

So everyone who wants to drive to Croatia for a holiday has to pay the Slovenian Transit Tax.

That said the Czechs, Slovenes, Croats and Slovaks have invested in some very decent motorways and improved "A" roads - must make a real difference to the economy - by contrast Poland has not.  Short sighted, very short sighted indeed.

Austrian Motorway (so new not in my 2010 model GPS)



Welcome to Slovenia - please pay €30


Welcome to Poland


This is marked as a B road on the map - new factories built so lots of wear from lorries - but no maintenance from the local authority which is typical for Poland - a few 100m further on I met a fellow traveler who pantomimed "give up and turn round"

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