Florida Toll Roads

[Mainahman]

HEy all, First time driving. We will be driving down to WDW here in just over a month. Does anyone know if there is a calculator or know what the average cost of the tolls are on the Florida turnpike? After we get through alabama, enter florida, and get really close we merge on to the florida turnpike. I wasnt sure what the costs per average was.

Thanks!

 

[Mainahman]

We will be driving Friday night through Saturday morning if that helps

 

[21stamps]

We will be driving Friday night through Saturday morning if that helps

It’s totally up to you.. but for $5 for the convenience of not being stuck behind someone who is rummaging in their car for change.. totally worth it
It allows you to just drive thru all of the tolls without stopping, most in a separate lane instead of with non sunpass vehicles. Just makes things easier.

 

[Dave B]

I have never waited more than 60 seconds at the tolls over the last 7 years, not sure of what delays people are talking about

 

[LAKid53]

the route were taking is I65 from Southern Middle TN, through Alabama to route 231 which will take us to I10 in Florida towards Tallahassee, then to I75. Looks like we merge to the turnpike around Coleman FL? Which we then follow until we hit Daniel Webster parkway, which is also a toll road, and follow that till we hit western way on our way to POP!.

I know that I-10 to I-75 to 429 route very well.

So you will be driving east on I-10? The interchange at 1-10 and I-75 is at Lake City, Florida. The intersection of I-75 and the Florida Turnpike is about 25 minutes south of Ocala. Trust me, you won't miss it.

You will go through two tolls on your way to Disney if you drive the same route I do.

The tolls are as follows:

1. Toll booth on the Florida Turnpike at Leesburg. Toll is $3.00 for 2 axle vehicle; $2.94 if you have a SunPass

2. Toll booth on Independence Parkway (429/192) is $1.50 for 2 axle vehicle; $1.37 with SunPass.

Frankly, unless you think you will be visiting Florida on a regular basis, I wouldn't purchase a SunPass. Yes, they are only $5. But you have to create a SunPass account and provide a credit card to be charged. You can't purchase the mini transponder online (the one that sticks to your windshield). They have to be purchased at an authorized SunPass retailer in Florida - Publix supermarkets, CVS pharmacy, Walgreens. And any Turnpike service plazas, service stations and SunPass service centers.

Hope this helps.

 

[LAKid53]

I have never waited more than 60 seconds at the tolls over the last 7 years, not sure of what delays people are talking about

There are none. DOT had plenty of cash payment lanes open. I drive to Disney at least 4 times a year.

 

[LAKid53]

the route were taking is I65 from Southern Middle TN, through Alabama to route 231 which will take us to I10 in Florida towards Tallahassee, then to I75. Looks like we merge to the turnpike around Coleman FL? Which we then follow until we hit Daniel Webster parkway, which is also a toll road, and follow that till we hit western way on our way to POP!.

Exactly. 2 toll booths. $4.50 total.

 

[Mainahman]

Yea we looked at it, and don't go to Florida but every few years. Ill stick to the cash lanes with change for sure. Thanks all for the help! Looking like 10 bucks in quarters should cover it.

 

[LAKid53]

We also take Webster Parkway (Hwy 429) and go in on Western Way rather than getting on I-4. Unless they have changed it since our last trip the exit at Western Way is one of the unmanned toll booths where you will need exact change.

There is no toll booth at the exit from 429 onto Western Way. The toll booth is well befire that.

 

[correcaminos]

The “one car device” is worth it. You avoid traffic. The $20 isn’t worth it.

We do have the $20 one but we have family in FL and rent cars often. So it's not just FL for us and never in our own car. If we took ours I'd get the $5 without a doubt. I love having the transponder for rental cars though. Just so much easier and save money on tolls using it.

 

[Mainahman]

I've got family in Lakeland and surrounding areas, but we just don't go enough to justify it. This is our first trip back to the world since 2012 and first not flying.

 

[LAKid53]

I've got family in Lakeland and surrounding areas, but we just don't go enough to justify it. This is our first trip back to the world since 2012 and first not flying.

A roll of quarters will be fine. I always had one until I thought "stupid, buy a SunPass!"

ETA: If you think you might visit family in Florida this year, in addition to your trip to Disney, I'd pick one up on the way home before you leave Florida and activate it when you get home. It's a royal pain to try to set up a SunPass account with your phone. They don't expire and that credit you put in your account doesn't disappear. It will sit there, waiting for you to pass through a SunPass or E-Pass toll. For me, the 20% for the Turnpike tolls and 10% for E-Pass adds up to only 38 cents round trip. But I only go through 2 tolls each way. Those folks who live in South Florida and drive up probably hit a toll booth every 5 miles on the Turnpike, lol.

 

[21stamps]

I have never waited more than 60 seconds at the tolls over the last 7 years, not sure of what delays people are talking about

You’ve been lucky. I’ve been stuck many times... most recently on 429.. unmanned toll booth. People in front of me sat for almost 10 minutes before finally running the toll. Felt like an hour.

I know that I-10 to I-75 to 429 route very well.

So you will be driving east on I-10? The interchange at 1-10 and I-75 is at Lake City, Florida. The intersection of I-75 and the Florida Turnpike is about 25 minutes south of Ocala. Trust me, you won't miss it.

You will go through two tolls on your way to Disney if you drive the same route I do.

The tolls are as follows:

1. Toll booth on the Florida Turnpike at Leesburg. Toll is $3.00 for 2 axle vehicle; $2.94 if you have a SunPass

2. Toll booth on Independence Parkway (429/192) is $1.50 for 2 axle vehicle; $1.37 with SunPass.

Frankly, unless you think you will be visiting Florida on a regular basis, I wouldn't purchase a SunPass. Yes, they are only $5. But you have to create a SunPass account and provide a credit card to be charged. You can't purchase the mini transponder online (the one that sticks to your windshield). They have to be purchased at an authorized SunPass retailer in Florida - Publix supermarkets, CVS pharmacy, Walgreens. And any Turnpike service plazas, service stations and SunPass service centers.

Hope this helps.

Unless something has recently changed, the mini transponders are available online.

We do have the $20 one but we have family in FL and rent cars often. So it's not just FL for us and never in our own car. If we took ours I'd get the $5 without a doubt. I love having the transponder for rental cars though. Just so much easier and save money on tolls using it.

Yes, definitely if you go more than once! If not, $5 is still worth it imo.

It’s not even possible to drive in most of SoFla without it now. Orlando is lucky that the exits still accept cash.. but I’ve always been way too impatient to be bothered with stopping for a toll. I’ve sat in toll traffic more hours than I can count.

 

[21stamps]

I know. The cash/coin only lanes are always packed during rush hours, I have no idea why more people don't invest in SunPass...but then those lanes would be equally jammed. I don't quite know how many ramps are SunPass only. I know the recently opened exit to the turnpike off of the 417 is SunPass only/toll by plate

That’s the thing though.. they don’t get (as) backed up, because no one needs to stop! It never made sense to me as to why all Floridians (in toll areas) didn’t have them. The best thing that happened to South Florida is linking the SunPass to your own license plate.. cuts down on traffic because it’s less maintenance for the owner. All rental car agencies now let tourists do the same.

Still traffic.. but at least you’ll never get stuck behind someone stopped and searching for their payment method.lol

 

[21stamps]

I really do think that all Florida tolls will be completely cashless in the next 5 years or so.

 

[WDWBusDriver]

Or we could raise the gas tax a little and pay each time at the pump instead of having toll roads. But maybe that drags this into Politics.

I grew up in Iowa, and there is a 10 cent gas tax so there are no toll roads in the state. I loved that.

 

[Mainahman]

There's still a few rolls back in Maine, and still had a gas tax. We don't have any of that here in Tennessee, Alabama roads don't either. It's like the last couple roads in Florida for us. This is a pretty much drive to Disney spend 8 days and drive home so no family visits this round.

 

[wplong1]

I recommend to buy a sunpass! The disposable one is only like $5 I think.

This. Definitely.

 

[DisAl]

There's still a few rolls back in Maine, and still had a gas tax. We don't have any of that here in Tennessee, Alabama roads don't either. It's like the last couple roads in Florida for us. This is a pretty much drive to Disney spend 8 days and drive home so no family visits this round.

There are a couple in Alabama. One is the "beach express" to Gulf Shores and at least one more in Montgomery. Both are relatively short just to bypass traffic on other routes. If I remember correctly both were privately financed and the investors make their money back off the tolls.

 

[correcaminos]

I know that I-10 to I-75 to 429 route very well.

So you will be driving east on I-10? The interchange at 1-10 and I-75 is at Lake City, Florida. The intersection of I-75 and the Florida Turnpike is about 25 minutes south of Ocala. Trust me, you won't miss it.

You will go through two tolls on your way to Disney if you drive the same route I do.

The tolls are as follows:

1. Toll booth on the Florida Turnpike at Leesburg. Toll is $3.00 for 2 axle vehicle; $2.94 if you have a SunPass

2. Toll booth on Independence Parkway (429/192) is $1.50 for 2 axle vehicle; $1.37 with SunPass.

Frankly, unless you think you will be visiting Florida on a regular basis, I wouldn't purchase a SunPass. Yes, they are only $5. But you have to create a SunPass account and provide a credit card to be charged. You can't purchase the mini transponder online (the one that sticks to your windshield). They have to be purchased at an authorized SunPass retailer in Florida - Publix supermarkets, CVS pharmacy, Walgreens. And any Turnpike service plazas, service stations and SunPass service centers.

Hope this helps.

You can purchase the $5 one online
https://www.sunpass.com/selectAcceptAgreementPurchaseTransponder.action

I choose the removable I've since we rent cars and go to FL twice a year now, but otherwise the $5 is good of you have your own car or won't go often. To me the $5 is with the convenience. I wish I had gotten it the first year I saw it in Orlando. Glad I have it now.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The SunPass Mini was truly a no brainer when it included a $5.00 toll credit.