How to Avoid Toll Roads and Highways on Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze
Apps like Google Maps , Apple Maps, and Waze have taken away most of the guesswork when driving (at least until self-driving cars become more common). Connect your destination and follow the step-by-step instructions until you arrive – that’s all.
But there are ways to make your trip even better if you’re ready to dive into the settings of your favorite navigation app. Here’s how to avoid tolls and motorways (and highway driving) using Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze.
Apple Cards
Apple Maps has two different ways to avoid tolls and highways : from the app or from the iPhone settings app.
If you already have Apple Maps open, just connect your destination as usual. Instead of pressing the big green GO button, swipe up from this section of the app (not from Drive, Walk, Public Transportation, Ride, but from the section above it. This will open alternative routes. as well as a small “Driving Options” link in the lower left corner.
Click on it and you will see two switches for motorway and toll avoidance that you can turn on or off. Remember, whatever you set will become the default, so be sure to change it for future trips (if necessary).
You can do the same in the main iPhone settings app. Open it, select “Maps” and click “Driving and Navigation”. From there, you’ll see the same switches for highways and toll roads, as well as a few other handy features that you can turn on and off:
Google Maps
If you prefer Apple’s version of Google Maps, you have even more options to customize your trip. Select a destination, tap Routes, and then tap the three dots icon in the upper right corner of the screen to open the settings menu. Select Route Options.
From there, you can use the switches to avoid highways, toll roads, and ferries. The Remember Settings option allows your preferences to be saved for the specific location you are going to – for example, if you always want to avoid the highway to get to a specific destination.
If you use Google Maps in a web browser, the process is even easier. When you enter where you want to go and click on a route, look for the small Options button to the right of the Exit Now drop-down list. Click on it to open the same switches as in the Google Maps app.
Waze
Like Google Maps, Waze offers the ability to avoid highways, toll roads, and ferries. To enable these settings, launch the app and click on the search icon in the lower left corner to open the main menu of the app. (The icon looks like a magnifying glass.)
Then hit the gear-shaped settings icon, hit Navigate and you’ll see all the different options to avoid this, one or the other:
This story was originally published in 2017 and has been updated on 11/26/19 to provide more complete and up-to-date information.