# Anyone Know About Portugese Electronic Card For Motorways?



## frenchfancy (May 21, 2005)

I am travelling down to Portugal in January, and someone mentioned i had to have an electronic card i could top up to pay for tolls on the motorways as booths are not manned, does anyone have any info regarding this please


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

use the magnifying glass search above 

enter +portugal +tolls

several threads about tolls in the Spain & portugal section


----------



## julie1 (Sep 21, 2009)

*Re: Anyone Know About Portugese Electronic Card For Motorway*



frenchfancy said:


> I am travelling down to Portugal in January, and someone mentioned i had to have an electronic card i could top up to pay for tolls on the motorways as booths are not manned, does anyone have any info regarding this please


Hi
We bought a pre-paid toll card from the Post Office which works pretty much like a phone card. You can buy in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 euros I think. We bought one for 20 euros.
It works by SMS on your mobile. Instructions on the card are self-explanatory. You will receive a text back saying the card is activated to your vehicle reg. no (which you include in the text).
We have used approx 13 euros (A22 - Tavira to Portimao) and apparently once all credit is used you receive a text to let you know. We don't know what happens then but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Some foreigners we have spoken to are using the A22 without paying but we don't want to take that chance.


----------



## djbyrne (Aug 27, 2010)

Hi,

We had that problem last winter after the cameras were turned on before christmas that is A22 algarve, no one knew what to do not even the post office there was chaos. We used the road up and down a few times and took the chance,,,the result is no bill arrived. I am not advising not to pay maybe the portuges got their act together since then, can you imagine the job it must be to trace every truck and car from all over europe that passes along that road. The N125 is free but the surface is in bad repair and slow going with all the round abouts.

Best of luck


----------



## Easyriders (May 16, 2011)

You won't find any Portugese on the Algarve toll motorway, they refuse to pay it.

It's also illegal, as the road was funded by the EU to be a free motorway.

The Portugese government is strapped for cash, but they'd be better off applying a small tourist tax, like in France. They'd collect a lot more than with these silly tolls.

Unemployment being what it is, they could at least have manned booths, instead of this confusing electronic system.


----------



## frenchfancy (May 21, 2005)

Julie 1, can i ask was it a post office abroad you bought the card from?


----------



## julie1 (Sep 21, 2009)

frenchfancy said:


> Julie 1, can i ask was it a post office abroad you bought the card from?


Yes. Can be bought at all main post offices in Portugal. We got ours in Tavira town. We were given a leaflet at the border from Spain explaining how everything works. I will post the exact wording from the leaflet in the next couple of days (I don't have it with me now)
We didn't use A22 from border to Tavira, as it's not that far. Just a pain on the EN125 going through the bigger towns though we have done it loads of times before so don't be put off using it. 
It's just our preference to use A22.


----------



## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

The Spanish and the French just drive straight through any tolls that do not give you the option to pay with your card or at a manned booth..

We never had any problems as every payage seemed to accept credit cards, I wouldn't worry about it and just wing it, you will not be able to get one of the automatic readers as you are not a Portuguese citizen with a Portuguese National insurance number, that is unless you want a load of grief and inconvenience especially if you do not speak Portuguese.

ray.


----------



## ajb1965 (Aug 5, 2011)

We travelled to Portugal in september on the A22 to cabanas on the algarve, as you go over the border follow the tourist sign you can register adebit or credit card for 30 days of motorway tolls, it worked for us and was hassle free....hope this helps. Andy


----------



## richardsnow (Dec 9, 2007)

We are driving down to Albufeira from Bilbao in January and are hoping not to bother with any toll roads (we rarely use the Peages in France) and select "No Toll Road" on the Sat nav.

Any advice about that would be gratefullty received. Our intended route is diagnally South/West through Spain and turn right at Huelva before we fall into the sea!


----------



## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

I drove across Portugal this summer, using occasional motorways after entering the country at Badajoz and saw no tolls or signs for payment, eventually leaving for Seville via Beja. We were occasionally followed by Police cars who did not bother us. 
The only No No we were told about was parking facing the wrong way which, we were told, brought the wrath of the law down with heavy hands. The deserted roads were in stark contrast to this country.

Alan


----------

