# Spain/Portugal - coming soon!



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Yay! I've just ordered my VIA-T toll tag for Spain and Portugal  so it's becoming real!

I almost never use toll roads but prefer the convenience of the tag if I have to. It came in very useful when I lost my confidence before crossing into Italy from France last year. I decided to just go for it, put the miles under my belt using toll roads - it worked, tho I was €120-130 poorer for it! 

Before having the French tag I remember having to get out and investigate a booth, no idea where to put the card or where to get a ticket, built up a nice following at the barrier :-( But the man behind got out and was very nice about it.

Now it's very straightforward. Except when you sit patiently at a barrier which isn't opening - and then you realise that actually you've just crossed into Spain and the tag is French ;-) :-o


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Can I ask how much it cost you Jean?

Graham :smile2:


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

Exciting times Jean, we're too big for a tag but I'm lucky to have a contortionist passenger, as the slots are either too low or high, to suit cars or lorries. 

My passenger who normally can hear a pin drop has also developed horn deafness and is oblivious to the honking from behind as she feeds in all the small change just to get rid of it, making us quite unpopular. :-D

Enjoy your travels we're for Spain mid May. :-D

Terry


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

GMJ said:


> Can I ask how much it cost you Jean?
> 
> Graham


€20 deposit for the returnable tag, €6 (I think) /month it's actually used.

See here https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/subscription/

The T&Cs make you lose the will to live ;-)



dghr272 said:


> Enjoy your travels we're for Spain mid May.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Might catch you somewhere Terry - I don't return to Ireland till mid-June.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

...same as the French one then

Graham :smile2:


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Yes I think so. They suggest that you swap out the French and insert the Spanish/Portuguese when you cross the border, rather than have them both in the window.

With both of them trying to talk to the gantry it might crash the entire system! (That's my interpretation)


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

We only have the French, Spanish one Jean as the Portuguese toll road we use is from one end of the country to the other and only one payment.

Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I didn't see an option for French/Spanish Ray - think maybe its not available to UK?


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

It's Bip-n-Go jean.

Ray.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

On our recent trip back from Spain, the French TAG system had crashed at one of the peage areas. Therefore those of us with tags who had no ticket could not get through without pressing the button. There then ensued a Franglais conversation regarding this and a guesstimate of how many kilometres we had done to this point. To be fair to them they handled it well and only charged us €2.50 for 15Km or so.

There was a fairly long stream of lorries though backing up!

Graham:smile2:


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## DJMotorhomer (Apr 15, 2010)

We have never used a Tag. We are never in a rush to get anywhere so use A roads etc so we can see more of the countryside of the country we are in.

Dave


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

raynipper said:


> It's Bip-n-Go jean.
> 
> Ray.


I went through the Bip&Go site Ray n they directed me back to the Sanef site.

No worries, all covered now, tho I seem to remember your Bip&Go option was cheaper.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes Jean. It might be cos our French address and bank. But I am really relieved the first time the barrier goes up after a long time non use.

Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I must remember to have my Spanish one to hand as we near the border - last time I misread the satnav and found myself immediately on a Spanish motorway when I'd no intention....


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

DJMotorhomer said:


> We have never used a Tag. We are never in a rush to get anywhere so use A roads etc so we can see more of the countryside of the country we are in.
> 
> Dave


Ditto ... until I get sick of the roundabouts or maybe (this year) scuffling along in 4th gear at 80kph:crying:.


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## wug (May 19, 2011)

Just to give a different point of view. We always use the Autovias and Autopistas. The cost of tolls is negligible in overall expenditure, the roads are quiet, comfortable, stressless, quick (we cruise at 60/65) and you see plenty of countryside. There are plenty of places to stop without going far off the network and you're not corralled into hideous, overcrowded services as in the UK. We don't spend more than 2 weeks in any one place and prefer small rural sites, inland, preferably in the mountains at small quiet villages where the sites have plenty of room in the winter months. So, the motorways suit us fine. Graham


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

It's a balancing act for us: we like bimble but can't drive for too long as it fatigues my wife with her MS. Having a tag also enables us to pass through toll booths without her having to stretch as well...or me having to jump out of the cab and run around the front of the MH to grab a ticket or pay.

Graham :smile2:


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

It's nice to have the best of both worlds! 

For me it also depends on how far I need to travel and in what time frame. Or maybe (having a bit of a built in heavy foot) I need to feel my hair blowing back! Or if I've already driven 100km behind a little French 500cc coffee grinder talking its owner for a Sunday afternoon walk at 45kph. Or if I need to bypass a heavy traffic zone/city centre.

Financial considerations are also on my mind. I always check the route options and if the petrol/mileage saved going on the peage covers the cost thereof, I can easily be tempted to do some or part of the journey on the toll road. But I usually resist the urge if it's further plus I also have to pay for the peage. 

That's one reason I like to travel solo. Can you imagine trying to explain my rationale to a husband?


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

HermanHymer said:


> I always check the route options and if the petrol/mileage saved going on the peage covers the cost thereof, I can easily be tempted to do some or part of the journey on the toll road.


Is there an app allows you to do that?

If not, there should be! There's an opportunity for someone!


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## wug (May 19, 2011)

HermanHymer said:


> Can you imagine trying to explain my rationale to a husband?


I've been told men don't understand the way women think. Don't know if it's true. 0
Graham


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## Alistair D Flood (Feb 11, 2018)

A word of caution for the Portuguese Via Verde tag, we just brought one to use as we move through the country, but found that you can only associate it with a Portuguese bank card, so for those without, it’s of no use.

I understand that an alternative is to but pre paid cards at the post office, the. Register your vehicle number by text ...... hopefully that doe t need a Portuguese SIM card!


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I just bought my Spanish/Portuguese one through Sanef, so it's alongside my French one, backed by.... I was going to say British credit card but it's maybe a direct debit from my Santander account.

I shall check.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Yes, it's direct debit from a UK bank account.


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## Alistair D Flood (Feb 11, 2018)

jiwawa said:


> Yes, it's direct debit from a UK bank account.


Goes to show I should have done some research before leaving the UK ...... best investigate Norway etc


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

As we are off to Spain again next winter...and this time going right down to Almeria hopefully, I'll do some research on whether we should get one or not.

Graham:smile2:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

It's been relatively cool here the last month with mornings down to 6c and afternoons only 14 or 15.
But today it's a balmy 18c in the shade and cooking temps sitting out in the sun.

Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I've just discovered that the Caravan Club offers the Sanef tag free of the €10 application fee! I've been a member for years ?

It also implies that a single tag does all 3 countries, France Spain and Portugal, but when you follow the link it offers France only.


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