Punished, what should I do?

During a trip abroad, it can easily happen that we are not well-prepared regarding the roadways and their payment systems, leading to receiving a fine after our journey. In this article, we have gathered the most important information about Hungarian roads, fines, and how to prevent them. 

Hungarian Highway Sticker 

The road network in Hungary can be used for free, but highways have a fee. For faster travel and comfort, instead of looking for free roads, we recommend that you prepare in advance and not have to worry about whether you are on a toll road. To gain road access, you must purchase a Hungarian highway sticker, and its cost depends on the car category and the duration of the sticker. 

Purchasing a Hungarian Highway Sticker

• You can buy it at gas stations on the day of your trip or  
• online before your journey, thereby certainly avoiding fines.  

We recommend the latter because, as part of the preparations, you can choose the validity period in advance and buy your e-sticker from the comfort of your home in just a few minutes. 

Steps to purchase the sticker:

1. On the hungary-vignette.eu website, select your car's fee category and the duration.  
2. Then, select the car country and the license plate number. 
3. After checking that the validity starts at your ideal time, enter your e-mail address and phone number.  
   It's important to provide a correct e-mail address, as the valid e-sticker will be sent to this address.  
4. Lastly, all you have to do is pay and check your e-mail list. 

I had a valid sticker, yet I was fined!

If you've gone through the above section but still received a fine, it's important to check the details on the sticker to see if they match the car's fee category and license plate. If you find a typo or chose the wrong category, it means, unfortunately, you were rightfully fined because you did not have a valid sticker for the vehicle you used. 
In this case, the best thing to do is to pay the fine within 60 days, as after 60 days, the amount of the fine increases significantly. 

I forgot to buy a highway sticker, what should I do? 

From the time you enter the highway, if you purchase your sticker within 60 minutes, you can avoid the fine. However, if you notice later that you used the specific section of the road without authorization, you can still expect a penalty.

 
How can you avoid future fines?

• Inform yourself in advance about toll sections and current fees.  

• Buy a sticker on time: If you know you'll travel on a toll road, buy a sticker in advance, before you start your trip.  

• Check the validity of your sticker: Always make sure you have a valid sticker that matches your car's category. 

In conclusion, when traveling on Hungarian highways, always inform yourself in advance about toll sections and rules for purchasing stickers. This way, you can avoid unpleasant surprises and enjoy your journey uninterrupted.