How to Avoid Tolls on Waze? Set your preferences before drive

Avoiding toll roads is one of the simplest ways to cut travel costs, especially if you commute daily or take long road trips. Waze makes this possible with built-in settings that automatically skip toll roads, toll bridges, and toll tunnels whenever alternative routes exist.

But most users don’t know:

• There are different toll-avoidance settings on Android, iOS, CarPlay, and Android Auto.
• Waze sometimes still shows toll routes—even when the toggle is ON—if local maps are incomplete.
• A few common mistakes cause people to end up on tolls unintentionally.
• You can customize toll avoidance for all trips or single trips only.

This guide covers everything you need to use Waze toll avoidance properly—and never be surprised by toll charges again.

How Waze Handles Toll Roads (Quick Explanation)

Waze can avoid tolls automatically, but this feature depends on two factors:

1. Toll Roads Must Be Community-Mapped in Your Country

Waze relies heavily on its global editor community. Toll avoidance works only in countries where toll segments are fully mapped.

If toll roads in your region are not mapped, Waze:

• may still show toll routes
• may not offer toll-free alternatives

2. Toll Avoidance Works Only When Alternative Routes Exist

If every possible route requires a toll (common in tunnels, bridges, expressways), Waze will still show the toll section but mark it with a yellow toll icon.

How to Avoid Toll Roads in Waze (Android + iPhone)

Below is the universal method to set Waze to avoid tolls for all future trips.

Step-by-Step on Android & iOS

These steps work for both Android and iPhone, with minor layout differences.

Step 1 — Open Waze

Launch the Waze app on your smartphone.

Step 2 — Open the Menu

Tap the magnifying glass icon (bottom-left corner).

Step 3 — Open Settings

Tap the gear icon in the top-left corner.

Step 4 — Open “Navigation”

Scroll down and select Navigation.

Step 5 — Toggle “Avoid Toll Roads”

You will see various route options. Turn ON:

🔘 Avoid toll roads
🔘 (Optional) Avoid ferries
🔘 (Optional) Avoid freeways
🔘 (Optional) Avoid unpaved roads
🔘 (Optional) Avoid difficult junctions

Turn these on depending on your route preferences.

Step 6 — Check Route Preview

Enter a destination and verify that:

• toll icons are gone
• Waze shows alternate routes
• the route banner no longer displays “Toll Road”

If toll icons remain, it means the region requires tolls or data is incomplete.

How to Avoid Tolls for a Single Trip Only

You may not want toll avoidance on all trips. Sometimes tolls save 20–30 minutes, so avoiding them permanently is not ideal.

Here’s how to avoid tolls only for one journey:

Step 1 — Enter Destination

Tap the Where to? bar and enter the address.

Step 2 — Tap “View Routes”

Waze will show multiple options with:

• time
• distance
• toll icons
• traffic details

Step 3 — Tap “Avoid”

A bottom menu appears.

Step 4 — Toggle Only What You Want to Avoid

✔ Toll roads
✔ Ferries

You can also tap View all navigation settings to see additional route controls (freeways, difficult junctions, unpaved roads, etc.).

This avoids tolls only for this specific trip.

Avoiding Tolls on Waze Using Android Auto & CarPlay

Many users navigate through their car screens, so here is the complete breakdown.

Android Auto (Full Support)

Android Auto allows you to modify toll settings before and during a trip.

Step-by-Step (Android Auto)

1. Connect your phone to your car and open Waze maps.
2. Tap the Route Options button on your car screen.
3. Select Navigation Settings.
4. Toggle:
   • Avoid toll roads
   • Avoid ferries
   • Avoid freeways

Android Auto supports full-route customization without using your phone.

Apple CarPlay (Limited Settings)

CarPlay does not allow you to change navigation preferences before a trip.

Here’s what you can do:

CarPlay Step-by-Step

1. Start a route in Waze.
2. Tap the Route Options icon.
3. You can toggle:
   • Avoid toll roads
   • Avoid ferries
   • Avoid freeways

Important CarPlay Limitation:

To set permanent preferences (always avoid tolls), you must adjust settings on your iPhone, not from CarPlay.

Using Waze “Passes & Permits” (Most Users Miss This)

If you have toll passes such as:

• EZ-Pass
• FasTrak
• SunPass
• Telepass
• ETC devices
• Local bridge/tunnel passes
• Regional discount permits

You should add them in Waze:

How to Add Passes & Permits

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Navigation.
3. Tap Passes & Permits.
4. Tap + next to the one you own.

Why This Matters

If you skip this step:

• Waze may avoid toll roads even if you could use them cheaply
• Estimated travel time may be inaccurate
• You may miss HOV/toll-lane eligible shortcuts

Adding your passes allows Waze to calculate the correct options automatically.

Common Mistakes That Cause Waze to Show Toll Roads

Even with all settings configured, users sometimes still end up on toll routes. Here are the most common reasons:

Mistake 1 — Not Updating Waze

Outdated map data means:

• toll segments may be missing
• toll icons may not appear
• alternate routes may not load correctly

Update the app regularly.

Mistake 2 — Avoiding Toll Roads but NOT Highways

In some countries, toll highways are mapped under “freeways” or “highways.”

This means:

• You can accidentally route onto a toll highway if “Avoid Highways” is OFF.

For certain regions, turning ON both:
✔ Avoid toll roads
✔ Avoid highways
gives better results.

Mistake 3 — Not Checking Route Preview

Many users turn on the toggle and never check the preview map.

Look for:

• yellow toll icons
• warnings under each route option
• blue alternative route lines

If a toll symbol appears, the route still contains a toll section.

Mistake 4 — Crossing Country Borders

Toll-avoidance mapping varies per region.

For international trips:

• Some countries fully support toll mapping
• Others offer partial mapping
• A few offer none

Check each country individually before long road trips.

Mistake 5 — No Alternative Roads Exist

If all routes have mandatory toll segments (bridges/tunnels), Waze cannot remove tolls.

Real-Life Examples of How Waze Saves Money

Example 1: Daily Commuter Savings

A commuter in New Jersey avoided tolls on a daily basis and saved:

• about $4 per day
• roughly $80 per month
• nearly $1,000 per year

Travel time increased by 10 minutes, but the financial impact was significant.

Example 2: Long Road Trip Flexibility

A driver traveling between Los Angeles and San Diego switched toll avoidance ON:

• saved around $7 per trip
• discovered scenic coastal routes
• avoided congested toll segments during rush hours

Example 3: European Highway Charges

Drivers in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Portugal often face:

• toll tunnels
• toll motorways
• toll bridges

Waze’s toll-avoidance helps estimate cost differences and offers alternatives whenever available.

Expert Tips to Use Waze More Efficiently

Below are advanced strategies to get even better results.

Tip 1 — Compare Route Options Before Starting

Waze allows multiple route previews. Compare:

• fastest route
• shortest route
• zero-toll route
• low-traffic route

Sometimes the toll route is only 2–3 minutes faster.

Tip 2 — Use “Avoid Ferries”

Certain ferry routes have toll fees that Waze counts separately. Avoiding ferries prevents surprise charges.

Tip 3 — Plan Travel During Off-Peak Hours

Some tolls are reduced or waived during:

• late-night hours
• weekends
• non-peak seasons

Checking local toll schedules can further reduce costs.

Tip 4 — Keep “Unpaved Roads” Avoidance ON

In rural areas, toll-avoidance may push you onto unpaved roads by accident. This toggle keeps the route safe and predictable.

Tip 5 — Learn to Read Toll Icons

A small yellow square with a dollar sign ($) means:

• a toll exists
• cost varies
• Waze is warning you

If this icon appears, toll avoidance didn’t remove that segment.

Visual Guide (Text-Only)

Here are typical elements you will see:

• Magnifying glass icon – opens the search menu
• Gear icon – opens settings
• Navigation menu – all route controls
• Yellow toll icon – indicates a toll road
• Route options list – shows toll-free alternatives
• Avoid toggle switches – displayed as sliding buttons

These visual cues help you confirm your settings even without images.

Waze vs. Google Maps vs. Apple Maps (Toll Avoidance)

Waze offers the strongest toll-avoidance customization due to its community-based approach.

Does Waze Show Toll Prices?

Not always.
Waze’s toll price feature is available only in regions where price data is mapped.

Waze may show:

• estimated toll cost
• exact toll cost (in some regions)
• “toll road ahead” warnings

If Waze cannot display the price, it will still show the toll icon.

Waze Limitations You Should Know

• Toll avoidance may not work in countries with incomplete mapping
• Mandatory toll bridges/tunnels cannot be avoided
• CarPlay restricts pre-trip settings
• Some toll segments appear differently in each country
• Travel time may increase significantly with toll avoidance

Knowing these limitations helps you plan better routes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Does Waze always avoid tolls when the toggle is ON?

Not always. If:

• all routes include tolls
• toll mapping is incomplete
• you cross into another country
  then Waze may still show toll roads.

2. Can I avoid tolls only for one trip?

Yes. Use the trip-specific Avoid toggle in the route preview menu.

3. Why does Waze still show tolls even when I turned avoidance ON?

Possible reasons:

• Outdated app
• Toll highways mapped under “freeways”
• No alternative routes exist
• You are using CarPlay and settings weren’t updated on the phone
• Country mapping is incomplete

4. Does Waze show how much the toll costs?

In some regions, yes.
In others, Waze shows only the toll icon.

5. Does Waze work better than Google Maps for toll avoidance?

Yes, especially in:

• the U.S.
• Europe
• South America
• Southeast Asia

Because of its community-edited mapping.

6. Can I add my toll pass in Waze?

Yes. Add passes under Navigation → Passes & Permits.

7. Are ferry fees considered tolls?

Some ferries have toll-like costs.
Waze separates this—you can avoid ferries independently of toll roads.

Final Thoughts

Waze makes it easy to avoid tolls and save money, but only when the app is set up correctly. By combining the right toggles, updating the app regularly, checking route previews, and understanding Waze’s limitations, you can confidently travel without surprise charges.

Whether you’re commuting daily, road-tripping across states, or driving internationally, these settings ensure Waze guides you on the most cost-effective route possible.

John

Navigational Apps Expert
With years of hands-on experience in the world of navigation technology, John is the go-to expert for everything related to travel apps. His deep knowledge of platforms like Google Maps, Waze, and cutting-edge GPS tools ensures that our users always have the most efficient and up-to-date routes, wherever they are headed.
John’s passion for travel and tech shines through in every guide he creates, helping travelers navigate new destinations with ease. Whether it’s optimizing your route, avoiding traffic, or discovering the best local spots, John’s expertise keeps your journey smooth and stress-free.