Low-emission zones on a UK-to-Europe road trip
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The short answer
Many cities in the UK and across Europe limit which vehicles can drive in their centres. These are called clean air zones or low-emission zones. Each has its own rules, and some need a daily charge or a sticker. Check each zone on the official site for the country or city on your route, and check again before you leave.
What a low-emission zone is
A clean air zone is an area where a vehicle that does not meet the emissions standards may have to pay to drive in. GOV.UK says you might need to pay to drive in a clean air zone if your vehicle does not meet emissions standards. GOV.UK: drive in a clean air zone
Zones are set up locally. The French government says low-emission zones (ZFE) are set up by local authorities. French government: Crit'Air vignette In Baden-Württemberg, zones are marked with road signs. Baden-Württemberg ministry: Umweltzonen
UK zones: clean air zones and the ULEZ
The GOV.UK service covers seven places: Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield, and Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead). You can use it to find out whether you need to pay for your vehicle, pay the daily charge and view maps of the zones. It cannot check vehicles registered outside the UK. GOV.UK: drive in a clean air zone
London has its own checks. Transport for London says the Ultra Low Emission Zone covers all London boroughs but not the M25, and runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year except Christmas Day. Its vehicle checker tells you if you need to pay. TfL: Ultra Low Emission Zone GOV.UK also says London's low and ultra low emission zones, and Scotland's low emission zone, are checked in a different way.
France: the Crit'Air sticker and ZFE
The Crit'Air sticker is a certificate of air quality. It has six classes: E, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, based on the vehicle's pollutant emissions. The oldest vehicles are not classified and are not eligible. French government: Crit'Air vignette
The sticker is mandatory to drive in low-emission zones set up by local authorities. It is also required when the prefect orders differentiated traffic during pollution episodes. French government: Crit'Air vignette
Order it only from the official site, certificat-air.gouv.fr. The French government page warns that some unrelated websites act as intermediaries and charge much more. Check the current price on the official site.
Germany: the coloured stickers
Germany uses coloured stickers, known as Plaketten, in green, yellow and red. The Baden-Württemberg transport ministry says that only vehicles with a green sticker may now enter its Umweltzonen. Vehicles without a sticker, or with a yellow or red one, must stay outside. The same page says the stickers are valid across Germany. Baden-Württemberg ministry: Umweltzonen
Zones are marked with road signs, and an additional sign shows which sticker colour is allowed. The ministry also notes that you may need to drive through designated zones while on holiday or travelling, so check the route you plan.
Rules change, so check each city before you travel
Zones, dates and rules change, and each city can be different. Before you cross a border, check each city on your route on the official site for that country or city. Check again the week you leave. Where a zone has signs, follow the sign at the entrance.
Check your vehicle
In the UK, the GOV.UK service asks for your vehicle's number plate and tells you whether you need to pay. GOV.UK: drive in a clean air zone For London, use the TfL vehicle checker.
In France, your Crit'Air class depends on your vehicle's pollutant emissions. Use the official ordering site to find your class before you order. French government: Crit'Air vignette
Add these checks to your overland vehicle prep checklist. A roof tent makes the car taller as well, which matters for car parks and low entrances, so see taking a roof tent to Europe. If you fit one, tell your insurer as well, using insurance and declaring modifications.
FAQs
Do I need a sticker in every country?
No. France and Germany use stickers. The French Crit'Air sticker is mandatory in low-emission zones set up by local authorities, and in Baden-Württemberg only green-sticker vehicles may enter the zones. For UK zones, the GOV.UK service tells you whether a daily charge applies to your vehicle.
Can the GOV.UK service check a car registered abroad?
No. The service cannot check vehicles registered outside the UK.
Who sets the zones in France?
French low-emission zones are set up by local authorities, so each one can have its own rules. The French government says the Crit'Air sticker is mandatory to drive in them.
Where should I buy a Crit'Air sticker?
Order it only from the official site, certificat-air.gouv.fr. The French government page warns that unrelated websites act as intermediaries and charge much more.
Does the Crit'Air sticker matter on pollution days?
It can. The French government page says the sticker is also required when the prefect orders differentiated traffic during pollution episodes.
Next: check your route's zones
Work through the driving in Europe checklist and check each zone on your route before you cross.
More in Europe
Sources
- GOV.UK: drive in a clean air zone service; a charge may apply if a vehicle does not meet emissions standards; seven listed places; needs the number plate; cannot check vehicles registered outside the UK (checked )
- Transport for London: ULEZ hours, all London boroughs but not the M25, vehicle checker, separate checks for London's low and ultra low emission zones (checked )
- Official Crit'Air site named by the French government; the page opened showed only a browser notice, so rules come from the French government page below (checked )
- French government: Crit'Air classes E and 1 to 5, mandatory in low-emission zones set up by local authorities and on pollution days, official ordering site, warning about intermediaries (checked )
- Baden-Württemberg transport ministry: only green-sticker vehicles may enter its Umweltzonen, stickers valid across Germany, zones marked by road signs, check zones before trips (checked )