PlatePass

Question

Hi, I’m shortly touring from Dulles IA to Williamsburg, Charlottesville, Harpers Ferry and Gettysburg before dropping hire car off at RR National in DC. I’ll be using Google Maps and trying to avoid tolls and congestion zones etc. would I be best off buying a Platepass when I collect the car?

Answer

When renting a car from Dulles Airport and planning a road trip through Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, considering whether to purchase a PlatePass (or equivalent electronic toll pass) depends on your route, convenience, and the toll infrastructure in the areas you’ll be traveling.

Understanding PlatePass:

PlatePass is a rental car tolling service that allows you to drive on toll roads without paying cash or using your own transponder. The tolls are charged directly to your rental account, usually with an additional daily or per-use service fee.
It simplifies travel through states that have electronic tolling systems or express lanes that do not accept cash.

Your route considerations:

Traveling from Dulles to Williamsburg, Charlottesville, Harpers Ferry, and Gettysburg generally involves a mix of interstate highways and secondary roads.
Virginia, Maryland, and parts of Pennsylvania have toll roads, especially I-66 (inside the Beltway), Dulles Greenway (VA 267), and some bridges near the Potomac.
If you plan to avoid tolls using Google Maps’ "avoid tolls" feature, you may still encounter minor toll bridges or express lanes that only accept electronic payment.

Pros and Cons of PlatePass for your trip:

Pros: Convenience—no need to carry cash, worry about exact tolls, or rent separate transponders. Fast passage through toll-only lanes.
Cons: Extra fees—PlatePass adds daily charges or per-toll fees that can be more expensive than paying cash or using your own transponder. If you strictly avoid toll roads, you may not need it at all.

Recommendation:

If your route mainly uses secondary highways and you plan to avoid toll roads actively, you may not need PlatePass.
If convenience is a priority and you want to avoid stopping or checking Google Maps constantly for tolls, PlatePass can be worth it, especially for the Dulles Greenway and any express lanes near DC or I-66.
Alternatively, check if your rental company allows using your own EZ-Pass or similar electronic toll account, which can reduce or avoid the PlatePass service fees.

In summary, PlatePass is not strictly necessary if you carefully avoid toll roads, but it provides convenience and stress-free access to toll lanes, which can save time on busy interstates and expressways. If your itinerary might touch toll roads even occasionally, it’s often a worthwhile purchase.

PlatePass

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