Understanding Orlando’s Toll Roads

Getting around the Orlando area by car is usually a breeze. There are multiple highways through the entirety of Central Florida and there are usually several ways to get to any particular destination. With the help of GPS, finding the optimum route should be a doddle.

But then there are road tolls to consider. While these won’t be new to anyone who has to deal with the Dartford River Crossing, the M6 near Birmingham and the Congestion Charge in London, they might come as a surprise to newcomers to Orlando, or even those still learning to navigate by roads like I-4, the Daniel Webster Beltway (429) or Central Florida Greeneway (417).

It actually surprised even us when we totted them up. There are fully nine stretches of road in the greater Orlando area that require a toll at some stage to drive on them – 10 if you count I-4’s new Express lanes – and this means your final expense for that shiny hire car for two or three weeks can actually be $50 or more higher than the cost you counted on by the end of your trip.

However, this is no cause for alarm. First of all, there are always alternatives to taking the toll roads, albeit you may need to drive a few extra miles to take advantage of them. And, more importantly, there is a visitor-friendly toll payment system that is easy and convenient to use, and which will actually save you money if you want to use the toll roads.

Just to be awkward, the toll roads are maintained by two different transit authorities, the Florida Turnpike Enterprise, or FTE, who control the Florida Turnpike and parts of 429, and the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX), who maintain the other parts of the 429, as well as sections of the Beachline Expressway (528) and 417. But visitors don’t need to worry about the differentiation here. The tolls all work in the same way.

Orlando’s Main Roads

Before we go any further, it’s worth highlighting Orlando’s unique road system, and its various offshoots, which provide something of a challenge for newcomers. The City Beautiful sits at the crossroads of two of Florida’s main highways, or motorways – the Florida Turnpike and I-4. It then adds two ring-road style highways in the 429, 528 and 417 (and it’s worth memorising those numbers, rather than the names), while the Beachline Expressway runs through the heart of tourist territory from I-4 directly east to the coast, via the international airport.

But, while there are those nine toll roads throughout central Florida, it’s likely many visitors won’t see any real trace of three of them, which are all outside the main tourist areas and are mainly for local commuter traffic. These are the East-West Expressway (408) through downtown Orlando, the John Land Apopka Expressway (414), the 451 in Apopka and the short Mount Dora connector, 453.

Uniquely, main motorway I-4 also has its own Express Lanes from the Kirkman Road section next to Universal Orlando up through downtown to Longwood, and these also require tolls but ONLY if you have a transponder (i.e. the automated windscreen payment system). You should not use the Express lanes without one or your hire car will be billed with a surcharge.

However, that still leaves five key roadways where there are tolls, and toll booths to pay them at. These are the 417, 429, 528, Florida Turnpike and Osceola Parkway, the latter of which runs virtually from Disney’s Animal Kingdom to the Turnpike in the Buenaventura Lakes area of Kissimmee.

The Orlando Toll Roads

Now, with judicious use of GPS, setting your maps to ‘Avoid Tolls,’ it IS possible to avoid all the tolls completely, even going to and from the airport (which is ringed by toll roads). But you will spend valuable time and effort trying to figure out your route and paying close attention to the GPS map reading. Put simply, you’ll drive further and probably get caught in local traffic jams.

So, using at least some of the main toll roads is highly likely, and you’ll want to know exactly how to use them to your benefit. If you are likely to ONLY drive to and from the theme parks, which are all located off I-4 and not on any obvious toll routes, you will probably only encounter tolls leaving or returning to the airport and can use the two manned pay booths on the 528 and 407 (it is worth keeping some change handy to use the auto tolls rather than having to stop for longer at one of the booths).

But, if you are likely to travel further afield, to either coast, or places like the Kennedy Space Center and Mount Dora, you ARE going to encounter multiple tolls, and some of them will be unmanned tolls, meaning they don’t take cash (or credit cards). In this instance, you will either need to have a Toll Pass issued by your car hire company (the expensive way to do it) or the new (in 2022) Visitor Toll Pass (the cheap and easy way!).

For a full map of the Orlando area road toll system, see this link.

Visitor Toll Pass Orlando Florida

This clever and innovative app-based system was introduced three years ago in test form by CFX and has quickly become a big hit with all our visitors, but especially those from the UK, who can use it to maximum effect. It covers EVERY toll road in Florida, including the I-4 Express lanes. Here’s how it works in four easy steps:

1) Using your Apple or Android device, download the Visitor Toll Pass app from the Apple Store or Google Play and follow the instructions to reserve your pass (NB: You can do this before arriving in Orlando). 2) Scan the QR code provided in the app at one of the six Visitor Toll Pass vending machines near the car rental counters on Level 1 in Orlando International Airport Terminals A and B or on Level 4 in Terminal C. 3) Be sure you update your rental vehicle’s licence plate number in the app prior to exiting the airport. Hang your Visitor Toll Pass on the rearview mirror and leave it up for the duration of your trip to enjoy non-stop travel on all Florida toll roads. 4) At the end of your trip, return your Toll Pass at one of the drop boxes located in Terminals A, B and C.

Once installed on your hire car’s rearview mirror, the tag will automatically record every toll you drive through via the licence plate and calculate your fees as you go. Every toll also comes with a built-in discount of up to 80 per cent for using the Toll Pass programme. Initial billing on the credit card you supplied in step 1 will occur three business days after your trip has ended. Because there may be a delay in receiving transactions, a final billing may occur up to 21 days after your trip has ended. You’ll receive a notification via your app alerting you if any additional toll charges were billed to your account.

When setting up your Visitor Toll Pass reservation on the app, be sure to enable Notifications to receive important updates, reminders and notices about your pass, account and toll activity. When you leave the airport, check the app to confirm the pass is working properly. It may take up to 90 minutes to confirm the license plate is paired successfully. If there is an issue, you will see a notification on the app notification center.

The user-friendly option to Orlando Toll Roads

Once you have your Toll Pass in place, you can then simply drive through the main tolls without slowing down or turning off to use the pay booths. Just stay on the main carriageway and drive normally under the overhead licence plate readers, which will be marked Sun Pass or E-Pass.

To reserve your Visitor Toll Pass through the app requires a $10 deposit, which will be used towards all your tolls. If you do not return the hangtag to the airport drop boxes, the deposit will be used for the unreturned hangtag and not your tolls. If you return your pass and owe less than $10 at the end of your trip, the balance will be refunded to your card.

It’s worth noting that the car hire companies’ version of the toll pass is by far a more expensive option, as they charge by the day to use it, whether you go through any tolls or not. Be sure also to decline the rental car company’s own toll programme, as you certainly don’t need both.

It is a thoroughly user-friendly option for all Orlando hire cars and will save both time money (and any worries!) about using the toll roads. Just sit back and enjoy the view! For all the details, see https://visitortollpass.com/

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