Other European cities designate environmental zones, i.e. areas that can only be entered by vehicles that meet certain emission standards. Worse, for drivers, even if the car meets the standards, it is necessary to buy a special vignette - without it, entering the city center may be fined.
How does the issue of vignettes currently look like in popular European countries for tourism?
France
There are currently 10 ecological zones in two categories in France. The permanent zones are the ZCR . Such zones are valid in Paris, Grenoble, Lille and Strasbourg. Additionally, in the event of bad weather conditions, additional, temporary ZPA environmental zones in Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon and the Arve Valley may be activated.
From 1 July 2017, you can enter all environmental zones only if you have a valid Crit'Air vignette for the appropriate type of vehicle. The Cri'Air vignette is available in 6 categories, but it is worth knowing that vehicles that meet the Euro 1 emission standard or older are not allowed to enter the environmental zone.
There are stricter regulations in Paris, where a passenger car with a diesel engine must meet at least the Euro 3 standard, and trucks and buses must meet at least Euro 4. This, in turn, means a ban on entry for cars manufactured before 2001. For vehicles with gasoline engines , cars manufactured after 1997 (Euro 2 or higher) are allowed.
The lowest penalty we can pay for not having a valid vignette is 68 euros .
Germany
In Germany, the most, as many as 55, environmental zones have been created, with most of them located in the western part of the country. Environmental zones: Aachen, Augsburg, Balingen, Berlin, Bonn, Bremen, Darmstadt, Dinslaken, Dusseldorf, Erfurt, Eschweiler, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg im Breisgau, Hagen, Halle, Hanover, Heidelberg, Heidenheim, Heilbronn, HerrenbergIlsfeld, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Krefeld, Langenfeld, Leipzig, Leonberg / Hemmingen and environs, Ludwigsburg and environs, Magdeburg, Mainz (Mainz), Mannheim, Marburg, Mönchengladbach, Mühlacker, Munich, Münster, Neu-Ulm, Neuss, Offenbach, Osnabrück, Overath, Pfinztal, Pforzheim , Remscheid, Reutlingen, Ruhr, Schramberg, Schwäbisch, Gmünd, Siegen, Stuttgart, Tübingen, Ulm, Urbach, Wendlingen, Wiesbaden, Wuppertal.
The badge is available in three different colors depending on the Euro class. However, it is very likely that additional vignettes (and traffic bans) will appear soon, including for diesel cars.
The rules for individual zones are established by local authorities. Mostly, however (this is the case in Berlin, for example), only cars with a green badge and number 4 are admitted . This means that cars with a petrol engine manufactured at least in 1993 can enter, and in 2006 in the case of a diesel engine.
For entering the environmental zone without a valid environmental badge, a fine of EUR 80 and an administrative fee of EUR 25 are imposed.
Austria
Currently, passenger cars (and campers) do not need a vignette , but this may change soon. Currently, zones can only be created in certain Austrian federal states. They are: Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Steiermark, Tyrol and Burgenland.
Lorries, in order to enter the environmental zone, must be equipped with a particulate filter.
If required by law, the minimum fine that can be imposed for the lack of a badge is 50 euros , and the maximum even ... 2,128 euros . However, if the vignette was forged, the fine could even exceed PLN 7,000. euro.
Denmark
The obligation to have a vignette applies only to diesel trucks and buses with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 3.5 tons. Environmental zones have been established in the four largest cities, namely Copenhagen, Aalborg, Aarhus and Odense.
There are penalties for the lack of a vignette, amounting to DKK 20,000, i.e. approximately EUR 2,700 .
It is very likely that in 2018 new regulations on vignettes will enter into force, so it is worth updating your knowledge before going abroad. Information on vignettes can be found, for example, at: https://www.green-zones.eu/pl/ .
Sometimes it is better to get lost than to ask for directions too much. Aldous Huxley
