Paying tolls when driving in Ireland

We often get questions about how to pay at toll roads in Ireland and their costs. It struck me that it would be a good topic for a post and an opportunity to put together a comprehensive list of car charges and payment methods for tolls in Ireland.

As of today there are 8 places in Ireland where you must pay a toll. The 2010 toll for a passenger car is as follows:

- East Link (Dublin City)  €1.80
- M50/West Link (Dublin) €2.00/€2.50/€3.00 depending on payment method
- M1 (Drogheda Bypass) €1.90
- M4 (County Meath) €2.90
- M6 (County Galway) €1.90
- M8 (County Cork) €1.90
- M25 (Waterford City Bypass) €1.90
- Dublin Port Tunnel (Dublin City)
-€10 Mon-Fri 6am-10am Southbound
-€10 Mon-Fri 4pm-7pm Northbound
-€3 All other times

Update: As of mid-2010 there is a 9th toll in operation. See below for details.

There are a number of options for paying road tolls in Ireland:

1. Cash (€ only) can be paid at the toll plaza for all toll roads except the M50/WestLink in Dublin

2. An Electronic Tag can be used (All tolls are operated under the eToll interoperability program of the National Roads Authority). Tags are available from any of 7 suppliers and can be post-paid or pre-paid depending on the account type chosen. Most tag providers charge a monthly fee ranging from €0.50 from easytrip.ie to  €1.25.. See tagcompare.ie for a list of suppliers.
The M50 Toll is €2 for a passenger car using this method.

3. Credit Cards can be used at the M4 Toll and at the Dublin Port Tunnel

4. Prepayment Cards can be used at the M4 Toll (cards can be purchased at the toll plaza and offer a 10% discount on tolls)

5. Online Payments can be made for the M50 Toll at www.eflow.ie (payment must be made by 8pm on the day following your use of the road)
The M50 Toll is €3 for a passenger car using this method.

6. Telephone Payment can be made for the M50 Toll by calling 1890 50 10 50 from Ireland, 0845 301 5405 from the UK or +800 50 10 50 11 from other international locations (payment must be made by 8pm on the day following your use of the road)
The M50 Toll is €3 for a passenger car using this method.

7. Payzone can be used for the M50 Toll. Any retail outlet displaying the Payzone logo can accept M50 Toll payments (payment must be made by 8pm on the day following your use of the road) See payzone.ie for details of outlets.
The M50 Toll is €3for a passenger car using this method.

8. Your vehicle can be Registered for the M50 Toll. Similar to an electronic tag, you can prepay or postpay your toll based on video recognition of your car registration plate as it passes the toll point.
The M50 Toll is €2.50 for a passenger car using this method.

For myguideIreland Guests on vacation in Ireland, the payment is very straight forward for all tolls except the M50. For the M50, check with your car rental company as to how you should handle the M50 toll. Some will have registered the car under option 8 above and will charge you based on number of passages when you return the vehicle. Others will leave the responsibility with you to pay the toll. If this is the case, please be aware of the 8pm deadline on the day following usage as penalties apply after this time.

Update July 2010: A new stretch of motorway opened in June 2010 completing the M7/M8 link between Dublin & Cork. This motorway costs €1.80 per passenger car.

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