Involved about coming into a low emission zone in Europe? Confused about find out how to pay the charge or purchase a sticker? Right here’s every part it’s essential learn about low emissions zones in France and elsewhere in Europe, so you possibly can plan your street journey accordingly.
Don’t overlook to seize your FREE Europe guidelines under so you possibly can keep organised
*We work onerous to make this one of the best motorhome journey weblog and street journey web site attainable, stuffed with useful content material for you. The web site is supported by our readers, so in case you purchase via hyperlinks on this website we could earn a commission- at no additional price to you. All opinions stay our personal.
When you discover this put up helpful, you possibly can additionally deal with us to a espresso – we promise to take pleasure in it whereas creating extra helpful content material like this- we would even bask in a biscuit (or two!)
Low Emission Zones in Europe- what are they?
Many nations throughout Europe, together with the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal, have launched restricted zones to attempt to fight automobile air pollution. They have an inclination to have an effect on older and/ or bigger automobiles that are typically larger polluting.
Most of those zones are round a metropolis, resembling Paris or London, however some are round a protected space too.
There are a number of several types of Low Emission zones:
- Some are closed to all automobiles of a sure emission class (extra on that shortly)
- Some can solely be entered with a Crit’air or comparable sticker and should be registered upfront or pay a charge inside a brief interval of coming into (normally 24 hours)
- Others can solely be entered at sure occasions of the day/ week.
Is it a Crit’Air, a toll move or a vignette?
Okay, this bit is essential.
A toll move is NOT the identical as a low emission zone sticker.
A vignette (utilized in Switzerland or Austria) is NOT the identical as a low emission zone sticker.
A crit’air IS a type of low emission sticker, however solely legitimate in France. You want totally different ones for various nations and normally they take 4-6 weeks to reach so it’s essential organize them method earlier than you set of in your Europe street journey.
NOTE: It’s only one sticker per COUNTRY, not per metropolis, so you need to solely want one for France, one for Germany and so on.
And, don’t overlook, in case you don’t plan to enter any zones, you don’t want a sticker in any respect (see under.)
Watch the video about Low Emission zones in Europe and the UK
I do know some individuals desire to observe video slightly than learn. That’s cool. Right here’s every part it’s essential know (click on picture to observe)
(Choose to learn or can’t watch proper now? No worries- maintain scrolling!)
We hope you discovered the video helpful. When you did, we’d find it irresistible if you adopted us on Youtube. New movies with suggestions for motorhoming and campervanning within the UK and Europe are launched weekly.
How do you discover these zones?
Fortunately, there are a number of methods to search out these zones so you possibly can both keep away from them or get the suitable resolution.
The easiest way I’ve discovered is the City Entry Laws web site, which has a map of all of the zones and their sort. You should utilize this to plot your route and plan your street journey.
Do you HAVE to get a low emission zone sticker?
If you wish to enter a low emission zone together with your automobile, and it’s allowed below that zone’s situations, then sure, you should get and show a sticker.
HOWEVER, I’ve been touring Europe in a motorhome for years and I’ve by no means as soon as purchased a sticker for any zone.
To be sincere, I not often go to cities, particularly now I journey with my canine, however on the uncommon events I do need to, I desire to park up in an aire or campsite (the place I can go away the motorhome safely) after which use public transport to go to the town.
Unsure what an ‘aire’ is or find out how to discover them? Right here’s every part it’s essential learn about aires in France and Europe
Do low emission zones apply to bikes?
Yep, lots of them do, particularly in France. In Germany, lots of them don’t appear to use, however please to examine fastidiously. Clearly, if you’re travelling with a number of bikes, like I do, you want a sticker for every bike.
Europe low emission zones- how do you adjust to the necessities?
These are the steps it’s essential take to adjust to the low emission zone necessities across the UK and Europe:
- Examine if the town you need to go to has a Low Emission zone utilizing this map or the town search operate. Take a look on the map to see what cities and cities have carried out the zones. Click on right here for Map.
- Take a look at your automobile logbook (V5) to see what class your motorhome, campervan or automotive is.
- Buy the suitable sticker(s) from the federal government web sites.
TOP TIP: These stickers don’t price an enormous sum of money. When you’re undecided, otherwise you want to keep versatile, it’s price shopping for one for every nation you want to go to.
Low Emission Zones in France
Okay, let’s take a look at the foundations for France.
France has two sorts of low emission zones; ones that are in pressure ALL the time referred to as ZFE ( These embody Paris, Lille, Lyon and Strasbourg), and ones which come into pressure when air high quality is especially unhealthy.
For ZFEs, you MUST show a sound Crit’Air sticker (make sure that it’s within the right place in your windscreen- directions are despatched with it) and there could ALSO be time restrictions when you possibly can/ can’t enter, relying in your sticker color.
In France, there are 6 totally different ranges/ classes; your automobile will fall into one among them.
- Inexperienced
- Purple
- Yellow
- Crimson
- Gray – worst polluting
Confusingly, they don’t match as much as the Euro emissions.
For a full listing of all of the schemes and restrictions in France, and all the knowledge it’s essential decide what Crit’Air sticker you have to and knowledge on zonal areas.
Who wants a Crit Air Sticker?
Displaying a Crit’Air sticker IS obligatory for all street automobiles wishing to enter restricted zones, together with bikes and overseas registered automobiles (resembling UK motorhomes). Agricultural and building equipment aren’t included.
Folks with a European disabled badge can enter an environmental zone at any time, however you should show each an environmental sticker AND a European disabled badge.
When you’ve got a automobile older than 1 January 1997 (1 June 2000 for motorbikes), you may be unable to get a sticker and should stay exterior the zones. Beware in case you have a automobile with class N on the logbook, as a result of the strictest guidelines will apply to you!
In case you are hiring a motorhome/ campervan, please make sure that it has the suitable sticker on the windscreen earlier than you are taking it right into a zone, or you’re going to get the positive.
NOTE: It’s typically referred to as a Crit’Air vignette. Don’t confuse this with a toll move. France doesn’t use vignettes for tolls, so you continue to must pay these are you journey. Discover out extra about motorhoming in France right here.
The place to purchase Crit’Air stickers
You purchase the Crit’Air Stickers from HERE– Do NOT use some other web site as there are many spam websites about (this isn’t an affiliate website in any method. It’s the federal government one.) It’s in French, however might be translated into English.
It prices lower than 5€, together with postage. Don’t pay any extra.
Click on the ‘Order your vignette’ tab, then ‘overseas registered automobile’ (assuming it’s a UK registered motorhome/ camper), then full the applying. You’ll need the next:
- Car Registration Quantity
- Date of first registration
- Car class (discovered on logbook)
- Gasoline supply (ie- petrol/ diesel and so on)
- VIN quantity
- Make of the automobile
- Euro Normal Emission (discovered on Logbook)
- Co2 emission
- You’ll additionally must add a duplicate of the automobile V5C Log guide in PDF or PNG
NOTE: For a ‘regular’ motorhome/ campervan, you’re a PRIVATE CAR. The individuals within the Crit Air division will see the kind of automobile on the V5C logbook you add and can ship the proper emissions sticker.
How lengthy does it take to obtain the Crit’Air sticker?
You need to obtain the Crit d’Air inside 2-3 weeks of your software, though they do say to permit as much as 6 weeks, so order in loads of time earlier than your journey.
There’s a strategy to monitor the progress of your software on the Crit d’Air web site (be sure to’ve entered your electronic mail handle appropriately if you order.)
What occurs if you don’t buy a Crit Air vignette?
Driving a street automobile in a city or metropolis with a low emission zone in place with out appropriately displaying a Crit Air vignette can result in you being fined as much as €135. These might be digital fines delivered by mail or on-the-spot fines issued by Police.
How usually do it’s essential renew the Crit’Air vignette?
By no means. So long as you retain the automobile the identical (no catalytic converters and so on) and so long as it stays correctly affixed and legible in your windscreen, you don’t must order one other one for so long as you personal that automobile.
Planning to take your motorhome to Europe?
Low Emission Zones in Germany
In Germany, many of the bigger cities have ‘Umweltzonen’, which suggests you possibly can solely enter with an ‘Umweltplakette’ (environmental sticker). There are three colors of stickers which relies upon emission ranges of the automobile and applies to all automobiles besides bikes.
In 2022, solely automobiles with a inexperienced sticker can enter the Umweltzones. Autos with the crimson or yellow sticker are banned from coming into and should stay exterior the zones.
They could introduce a blue sticker for very clear, inexperienced and electrical automobiles however they aren’t obtainable but.
Study extra about motorhoming in Germany
The place to purchase a low emission zone sticker for Germany
There are two methods to get a low emission zone sticker for Germany:
- Buy it upfront on the federal government web site HERE (you’ll must add a duplicate of your V5 logbook
- Purchase it an any service station with a TÜV (Technischer Überwachungsverein, or Technical Inspection Affiliation) station hooked up. You’ll need to current your REAL V5C logbook on the TÜV station.
Discover your nearest TÜV station in northern Germany and southern Germany.
Motorists with a European Disabled Parking Badge (positioned in clear view behind the windscreen) don’t at the moment must buy an environmental sticker (however that will change, so please do examine earlier than you journey.)
You do not want an environmental sticker simply to drive on motorways or native roads- provided that you propose to enter one of many zones. See the map of low emission zones in Germany right here.
It prices €5 to €10 to request the sticker. If you don’t visibly show the sticker, you danger a positive starting from €80 to €100.
Diesel Transit bans
In addition to the low emission zones, some cities in Germany even have transit bans on diesel automobiles which aren’t as much as the minimal of Euro 6. Please do examine upfront in case you plan to drive right into a German metropolis and have an older automobile or a really giant one, as you will have no alternative however to park exterior and use public transport to go to the town.
How usually do it’s essential renew your environmental sticker for Germany?
You don’t. So long as you don’t change the registration plate, the environmental sticker will stay legitimate with the automobile .
For all different nations in Europe, try the superb recommendation on this web site.
New to motorhome or camper journey in Europe? You may discover these posts useful:
See all our Europe motorhoming posts right here
NEED GEAR? When you want any equipment or necessities for motorhoming in Europe, right here’s what we suggest and the place to search out it
