Guide to avoiding toll roads in Orlando

It may be tempting to find alternative routes to Orlando's toll roads, but the cost may be worth the convenience. If you make the commitment to avoiding toll roads in Orlando, expect navigating through a lot of back roads with stoplights, OrlandoLocal points out, which will increase your commute time.

>>How to get an E-PASS

How to avoid toll roads in Orlando

It's easy to determine where Orlando's toll roads are located, if you decide to avoid them on your next trip. To avoid Orlando tolls, let technology do the work for you. 

Apple Maps and Google Maps can steer you away from highways and toll roads with a few taps of the right commands, Lifehacker advises.

Here's a quick guide to setting up your apps. For more detailed, illustrated information, go to Lifehacker.

Apple Maps

If Apple Maps is open, enter your destination, but instead of hitting "go," pull up the menu from the bottom and open the "Driving Options" link. Tap and you will see toggle switches for highways and tolls. 

You can also set up your preferences from the Apple settings function. Just open it, select "maps" and you'll see the same toggle switches for highways and tolls.

Google Maps

Open the app and enter your destination. In the top right of the screen, tap the three dots to bring up a "route options" menu that will allow you to use toggles switches to avoid highways, toll roads and ferries.

>>How to find Orlando traffic maps

If you pull up Google Maps in a computer browser, type in your destination as usual, and hit "options." It will bring up the same toggle switches.

Waze

This voice-controlled app for Android and iPhone has the same capability to find alternative routes to avoid freeways, tolls and ferries. Waze also offers motorcycle-specific routes and factors in carpool lanes. 

To set up the voice function, open the app and go into settings. Select "Sound and Voice," then "Talk to Waze." Then toggle on "Listen for OK Waze." Then, when you say "OK Waze," the app will wake up and you will not have to take your hands off the wheel.

If you're going to be traveling on a motorcycle, go to "Vehicle Options" and tap "motorcycle," and the route will adjust accordingly. You can set it up for High Occupancy Vehicles with one or more passengers, by toggling the "add Toll/HOV" button. It will present a list of carpool lanes.

Central Florida Expressway Authority

The Central Florida Expressway Authority website includes a toll calculator that will let you know what various routes will cost. Once you get on the site, click on the dropdown "For Travelers," and it will open on icons of all area expresssways that charge tolls. The toll calculator allows you to enter your route and find out exactly how much it will cost you in tolls. It has information on payment options and a link that will allow you to purchase an e-pass that you can charge with funds that will be debited when you scan your card at toll plazas.It also has a useful function that provides updated information on road construction projects that can help you avoid congestion.

Cox Media Group