# Portuguese toll roads



## Gilroy (Oct 4, 2007)

A piece on RTP yesterday showing that there are some new developments which may help foreigners pay to use the toll roads such as the A22 on the Algarve.

Go to www.estradas.pt/web/portal-de-portagens/tollcard for more info, there is an English language page. In brief you can log you credit card details and the costs charged to it as you use the toll (no good if you incur overseas transaction fees) or you can buy a prepaid card for 5, 10, 20 or 40 euro and activate the card by sending a text message with the cards unique number. Or you can buy a pass for a trip or a few days.

How well it works remains to be seen but some hope for those of us who enjoy Portugal.

www.estradas.pt/web/portal-de-portagens/tollcard


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Thanks for that, I will bookmark it.

Must admit to having just ignored the tolls last month coming in from Spain and up to France. We did ask in a few places and got no useful advice, Alan.


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## Mike0753 (Apr 29, 2010)

Thanks Gilroy. I have hoping that something like this would happen. Travelled back through Portugal in the spring trying my best to avoid the electronic toll roads. Hope me and my van are not on a wanted poster somewhere!!


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## tomnjune (May 1, 2005)

hi

we normally avoid toll roads like the plague, but we going to portugal in sept,for the first time . are we going to have a problem if we happen to stray on to one.

tom


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

tomnjune said:


> ... are we going to have a problem if we happen to stray on to one. tom


Many of the toll roads in Portugal have toll booths but the last round of updating the toll system on motorways that weren't previously tolled saw them put in electronic gantry systems with cameras.

However, the system set up was for Portuguese drivers to pay the tolls within 5 working days at their local Post Offices. Their system does not recognise and cannot track foreign plates, so you cannot go and pay at a Post Office.

If you were to accidentally travel a portion of one of these electronic tolls (as I did as an experiment) then unless you get stopped by the GNR (not very likely unless you are committing a traffic offence) do not worry.

My advice: get yourself a good map and keep off the toll roads. Portugal is a lovely country but the road signs leave a lot to be desired.

JohnW


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

The Caravan Club (August 2012 magazine page 44) have just pre-viewed this method of payment via this website:

www.ctt.pt/

Top left of the page is ENG to translate the page

Under the INDIVIDUALS tab go to FINANCIAL SERVICES and then TOLLS

and then you must register before you can buy a pre-paid card online.

G


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## woodsidevic (Apr 23, 2012)

*toll roads in portugal*

we have just returned from spain and portugal..used one of the toll roads in portugal ..no one manning any toll booths!! no signs to say how to pay,so we just tootled along without incident..just hope when we return that there is no comeback .will have to plead ignorance


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

*Re: toll roads in portugal*



woodsidevic said:


> ..no one manning any toll booths!!


The ones referred to in the thread are automatic tolls. There are overhead gantries that track you as you drive - no manned toll booths at all.

There was lots of post about this issue in MHF about 2 years ago as the Portuguese run out for the automatic tolls was less than clear. You will not be alone in pleading ignorance. When we were there everyone- police, Portuguese AA, garages, post offices, TD offices etc etc etc all pleaded ignorance.

G


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## beemer328 (Jun 1, 2012)

We was on the Algarve March and April this year, my wife used to live there so we have lots of friends that we asked advice regarding this new toll system, no one seemed to know how it worked for tourists but thought we could pay at the post office. We went to the post office to be told we could not pay because the cameras dont recognise foreign plates and we should have paid in advance, I asked what happens now as we have not paid and the lady said "I dont know, Next". On asking a friend who lives in Portugal and UK and travels between the two on monthley basis in a uk registered car, he said he has never paid it and he has never had any contact from police,council etc at his UK or Portugese addresses. Aparrently DVLA will not give registration information unless it is for seriouse crime. We did not pay, although we tried, and have heard nothing. This system is more to get money from the locals, they hate it and want it stopped. When it was first introduced some locals from Portamao took up shotguns and shot out all the cameras there. So, If you have non Portugese plates plead ignorant, if they cant be bothered creating jobs by putting someone in a booth they dont deserve getting extra money for a road that we have paid for in the first place


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## organplayer (Jan 1, 2012)

*organplayer*

Luved the bit about "shooting all the cameras out"


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## beemer328 (Jun 1, 2012)

Yes, The Portugese know how to demonstrate their feelings.


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## Patrick_Phillips (Aug 17, 2006)

Spoke to a senior manager in Portugal when we were there in April. He said not to worry as they had just had a memo from Brussels telling them that the new toll roads, which were paid for by the EU, were not available as a fund-raiser for the Portugese government and that they must desist. We paid for them to be built; we are not paying to use them as well!!!!

Patrick


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## beemer328 (Jun 1, 2012)

Hi again Patrick, yes, a few people did mention that it may be illegal to charge to use a road funded by the EU. As you rightly say why should we pay for a road we paid for to be built. But then who can trust a country whos leader is called Peter Rabbit


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