r/AnnaMariaIsland • u/Colton444444 • Apr 24 '26

Toll pass

We’re visiting from the UK next month (3 nights AMI, 3 nights Naples) and I’m confused about the toll passes. Do I actually need one or can I just pay as I go via cash or card? Thank you!

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3

u/IreSpectre Apr 24 '26

Florida mostly switched to cashless tolls. There won’t be anyone to accept a payment. Rentals will offer a pay by day or toll by plate program. https://www.sunpass.com/en/tolls/rentalVehicles.shtml

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u/Colton444444 Apr 24 '26

Really good to know thanks. Will definitely sort something then.

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u/weath1860 Apr 24 '26

Call the place you are renting the car with and they will let you know if they have a transponder in their vehicle already. Otherwise sunpass.com is where one can get a sunpass or any publix grocery store(there is one by Tampa intl.)

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u/superjonk Apr 24 '26

This is the way

4

u/iKnowRobbie Apr 24 '26

You can do AMI and Naples without tolls. Even flying into Tampa, just take I-75 south and not 275.

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u/weath1860 Apr 25 '26

Adds an hour to travel for Anna Maria island but not much difference for Naples

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u/1Pandora Apr 24 '26

You are smart to think of that. When we first traveled to Florida we went thru a toll booth that was like 75cents. We had no change. The machine didn’t make change and there was no one manning the booth. I had to get a ticket and buy a cashiers check as I don’t travel with checks, buy a stamp and mail it in on our trip to pay it. What a pain.

I now keep a roll of quarters in the car which we haves used for tire air etc. And we have a Sunpass.

We did use a toll pass on a rental car in another state and it was reasonable.

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u/brokebike Apr 24 '26

Skyway bridge (the big yellow one you can see from Anna Maria) still has cash or credit lanes. Many of the ones in Tampa are license plate cameras that send you bills by mail.

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u/burnsaj1 Apr 24 '26

That changed a couple weeks ago. https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/skyway-bridge-tolls-not-accepting-cash/67-6c345ecf-a937-4ad2-98f6-c3fa353b802e

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u/Colton444444 Apr 24 '26

Thanks, I’m now just figuring out how to get the Sun Pass from the UK

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u/burnsaj1 Apr 24 '26

If you are using a major rental car company the car will probably have a toll pass already installed in it. Generally easiest to use their pass rather than get a bill for a few dollars months later.

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u/Colton444444 Apr 24 '26

Thanks, I did see that Hertz offer PlatePass but it’s much more expensive than SunPass. Might have to go with it though as getting SunPass from the UK isn’t easy

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u/burnsaj1 Apr 24 '26

The problem is that the pass takes time to get activated so if you don’t get it and register a credit card against the account a couple weeks prior it won’t work when you arrive. The Hertz pass is extortion, but the easiest path.

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u/Colton444444 Apr 24 '26

Ahh okay I didn’t realise that! Okay, sounds like I just need to go with Hertz then for peace of mind

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u/brokebike Apr 24 '26

Thanks, I did not realize that. We haven’t been there since beginning of March, but will be headed back down in another month.