M6 Toll T3 to T8 cost
From T3 at Lichfield south to T8 at M6 J11a, the northern 2-zone partial journey. £9.10 for a car contactless. Used mostly by Tamworth-area drivers continuing north on the M6 to Stafford, Stoke or Manchester, who do not need the T1-to-T8 full-length route.
T3 to T8 prices
| Vehicle | Standard | Breeze |
|---|---|---|
| Motorbike | £4.70 | £4.00 |
| Car | £9.10 | £8.00 |
| Car + trailer / van | £13.70 | £11.90 |
| HGV / coach | £16.80 | £15.00 |
Why T3 is a useful pickup point
T3 connects to the A38 just south of Lichfield, and to the A5 east of Tamworth. That makes it the natural entry point for traffic coming from:
- Tamworth and Drayton Manor via the A4091 west to T3, the most common feed.
- Lichfield south / Burntwood via the A5127 south to T3.
- Burton-on-Trent and beyond via the A38 south to T3, useful for Derbyshire-to-Manchester traffic.
- Drayton Manor day-trippers heading home north (the park to Lake District or Manchester run).
From T3, the 17-mile T3-to-T8 stretch bypasses the Cannock and Stafford congestion that the free M6 carries at peak times, particularly southbound on summer Sunday evenings.
The Tamworth-to-Manchester run
Most common reason to do exactly T3-to-T8. A business driver based in Tamworth or Lichfield heading to Manchester or Liverpool. The route is: A38 / A5 to T3, M6 Toll T3 to T8, free M6 north to M6 J16 (Stoke), continuing north on the M6.
The £9.10 economics for a Tamworth-to-Manchester driver
- Total route distance: around 90 miles.
- Free alternative: A38 / A50 / M1 / M6 via Derby. Around 105 miles. 20 minutes longer in normal traffic, 45 minutes longer at peak.
- M6 Toll T3-to-T8 saving: 20 to 45 minutes plus £2 of fuel (less mileage on the toll route).
- Net cost of the toll routing: £9.10 toll minus £2 fuel saving = £7.10 for the time saving.
For a regular business driver this is a clear yes for the toll. The route is also the obvious one for a Tamworth-based haulier serving Manchester customers.
The Drayton Manor return north
Less obvious use case but a real one. A Lancashire family heading home north from a Drayton Manor day. The park sits just off the A4091, which connects to T3. From T3, the T3-to-T8 stretch puts you on the M6 northbound towards Manchester without backtracking through Birmingham.
Compared with the free A38 / A50 / M1 alternative, the M6 Toll T3-to-T8 saves around 30 minutes on a typical summer-Sunday-evening return. The £9.10 spend is worth it for tired families. Repeat visitors often set up a Breeze account for the £1.10 saving plus the no-stop ANPR convenience.