M6 Toll T1 to T3 cost
T1 at Coleshill to T3 at Lichfield south is the most popular southern partial journey on the M6 Toll, billed at the 2-zone rate. Useful for NEC-area or Birmingham Airport traffic heading north to Tamworth, Drayton Manor or the A38 corridor without committing to the full 27 miles.
T1 to T3 prices for every vehicle
| Vehicle | Standard | Breeze | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorbike | £4.70 | £4.00 | £0.70 |
| Car | £9.10 | £8.00 | £1.10 |
| Car + trailer / large van | £13.70 | £11.90 | £1.80 |
| HGV / coach | £16.80 | £15.00 | £1.80 |
The Drayton Manor route, explained
Drayton Manor theme park sits just south-east of Tamworth, off the A4091. From the M42 / NEC corridor the recommended route is M42 J9 to M6 Toll T1, then M6 Toll T3 to Drayton Manor via the A4091 north exit. The T1-to-T3 toll at £9.10 saves around 25 minutes versus the free alternative through Birmingham city centre and the A38 from the south.
From M42 / NEC / Airport
Pick up M6 Toll at T1, exit at T3 for A38 / A5 north towards Tamworth and Drayton Manor. 2 zones, £9.10 car.
From M42 J7 (Solihull)
M42 east to J9, then T1. Same toll cost.
Free alternative
A4097 / A38 through Curdworth and Tamworth. Save £9.10, lose 25 to 30 minutes in peak traffic.
T1 to T3 destinations
Common reasons to do exactly this 2-zone segment.
- Drayton Manor theme park. Family-day-out traffic from across the West Midlands. Peak-weekend saving is substantial.
- Tamworth Snowdome. Same exit, slightly different routing.
- Tamworth town centre / business parks. Castle, retail and the A5 corridor for goods deliveries.
- Lichfield south. Some Lichfield-bound traffic uses T3 instead of T4 if approaching from the south, particularly for the cathedral and city-centre business district.
- A5 corridor west. Towards Brownhills, Walsall and Cannock via the A5, although T6 is closer for the latter.
The Friday-getaway case
A late-summer Friday afternoon, family heading from a London commuter town to a Tamworth weekend break. They reach M42 J9 at 17:30 to find the M6 northbound through Birmingham red on Google Maps for the next 8 miles. The choice: continue on the M6 (an hour through Spaghetti Junction), or pay £9.10 for the M6 Toll T1-to-T3 segment.
The toll pays back in:
- About 25 minutes of family time saved (£9.10 buys back the "arrive in time for dinner" option).
- About £1.50 of fuel saved by avoiding the crawl.
- About 30 minutes of avoided stress in a car with kids in the back.
Net of the toll, this is a clear yes for the £9.10 spend.