How to Avoid Toll Roads When Navigating in Google Maps

Google Maps routing algorithm is designed to get you to your destination as quickly as possible. In many metropolitan areas and along major interstate highways, the fastest route usually involves driving on a toll road. If you don’t have an electronic toll tag like an E-ZPass or a FasTrak, or if you are simply trying to save money on a road trip, accidentally ending up at a cash-only toll booth can be a stressful and expensive mistake.

Instead of manually reviewing the map and trying to figure out which highways require payment, you can instruct Google Maps to completely exclude all toll roads from its route calculations. It will automatically find the fastest alternative path using only free roads.

This guide explains how to configure Google Maps to avoid toll roads on both mobile devices and desktop computers.

How to Avoid Tolls on the Mobile App

You must configure your route options before you press the “Start” button to begin navigation.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your iPhone or Android device.
2. Search for your destination and tap the blue Directions button.
3. You will now see the map overview with your current route highlighted in blue. Do not press Start yet.
4. Look at the top-right corner of the screen, right next to your starting location and destination text boxes, and tap the three vertical dots (Menu).
5. Select Options (or “Route options”) from the drop-down menu.
6. A new menu will appear with toggles for “Avoid tolls,” “Avoid highways,” and “Avoid ferries.”
7. Toggle the switch next to Avoid tolls to the On position.
8. Tap the back arrow (or outside the menu) to return to the map overview.

Google Maps will instantly recalculate your route. The new route will exclusively use free roads. Note that this alternative route will almost certainly take longer; the updated estimated time of arrival (ETA) will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Important: This setting is “sticky.” Once you turn “Avoid tolls” on, Google Maps will continue to avoid tolls for all future trips until you go back into this menu and turn it off.

How to Avoid Tolls on Desktop

If you are pre-planning a road trip on your computer and intend to send the directions to your phone, you can configure toll avoidance on the web version.

1. Go to google.com/maps.
2. Click the blue Directions icon (the white diamond with a blue arrow) next to the search bar.
3. Enter your starting point and destination.
4. Directly below your destination box, click the Options button.
5. A panel will slide out. Under the “Avoid” section, check the box next to Tolls.
6. Click the Close button on the panel.

The map will immediately redraw your route to bypass all toll plazas.