Net zero levies have made travelling to Nice by car twice as expensive as flying there.

Families face paying more than £400 in tolls and green charges alone when driving to the south of France – double the cost of flying.

Toll rates across the country’s expansive “péage” motorway system have risen by around 3pc this month, while Paris has agreed to triple parking fees for SUV drivers.

Twelve French cities are also encircled by low emission zones, with some banning diesel cars predating 2006 and petrol cars built before 1997. The Telegraph has the story.

The rising charges means a family of four who choose to drive to Nice could end up paying double the cost of a return flight just in toll roads and net zero levies, analysis suggests. 

Holidaymakers failing to understand the medley of varying restrictions on vehicles, and not displaying “Crit’Air” sticker which declares the emissions of their vehicle, could also be hit with £640 fines.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said drivers were being forced to swerve restrictions designed to disincentive driving, not just in British cities such as London where drivers face a £12.50-a-day charge under the Ultra-low Emission Zone, but also on the continent. 

He said: “You really need to plan beforehand and build in these extra costs – it’s not as simple as calculating the cost of fuel.

“There are now so many European cities with low emission zones and it varies as to whether you need a paper permit or have to pay to enter.

“It all means driving abroad is not as cheap as it used to be. But it’s not just the cost, it’s the hassle of figuring everything out as well.

“We find that quite a few drivers do their utmost to avoid cities as they are unaware of how the charges work there.”

Cars driving in low emission cities, such as Lyon, Marseille and Reims, must display one of five Crit’Air stickers indicating it can enter a Zones à Faibles Émissions (ZFE), which is similar to the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez) in London.

Read the full story here.