# How to pay at a tollgate



## 88789 (May 9, 2005)

I have a worry about tollgates in France that i hope you can dispell for me. 
1. Is there a lane for righthand drive vehicles or
2. do i get out and walk around to the pay window. (make me very popular with those behind)
3. how will i know how much to pay. by this i mean what if i'm getting off at the next junction or is it one price no matter how far you travel on a particular stretch of motorway.
4. avoid toll motorways


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## MOTORHOMER (May 9, 2005)

Loury777 said:



> I have a worry about tollgates in France that i hope you can dispell for me.
> 1. Is there a lane for righthand drive vehicles or
> 2. do i get out and walk around to the pay window. (make me very popular with those behind)
> 3. how will i know how much to pay. by this i mean what if i'm getting off at the next junction or is it one price no matter how far you travel on a particular stretch of motorway.
> 4. avoid toll motorways


If you get out I would turn the engine off handbrake on etc. When you get back in put your seat belt on before starting & moving the vehicle or you could be in for an on the spot fine

Motorhomer


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Loury777 said:


> 1. Is there a lane for righthand drive vehicles or
> 2. do i get out and walk around to the pay window. (make me very popular with those behind)
> 3. how will i know how much to pay. by this i mean what if i'm getting off at the next junction or is it one price no matter how far you travel on a particular stretch of motorway.
> 4. avoid toll motorways


This is about France:

Usually you pull a ticket out of a machine when you enter a toll stretch on a motorway and you hand in this ticket and pay (by cash or credit card) at a counter when you exit. On some exits there are automated counters where you insert the ticket and pay by coins or credit card.

There are special lanes for automatic payment, but to use them you need a special remote payment device and they have height restrictions. So you have to use the general lanes.

However:

1. They are all laid out for LHD only. 
2. So either your passenger handles the transaction or you get out and walk around.
3. Rates depend on vehicle height and number of axles. On http://www.autoroute.fr/ you can find the details. (English version available.)
4. Parallel to every toll motorway in France there is a "Route Nationale" which is toll free. However due to many villages and roundabouts you usually need considerably more time than on the motorway. There are also some toll-free motorway stretches (e.g. around cities) which can be identified on the Michelin maps or the above mentioned web site.

Bon Voyage,
Gerhard


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

[1. Is there a lane for righthand drive vehicles

Sometimes. Watch out for the arrows above the lanes.If there are two of you in the van then the passenger can do it.

2. do i get out and walk around to the pay window. (make me very popular with those behind)

See above about handbrake etc but, so what ? If people behind have to wait it is hardly going to hold them up for long. Keep your sang froid and do the transaction in your time !

3. how will i know how much to pay. by this i mean what if i'm getting off at the next junction or is it one price no matter how far you travel on a particular stretch of motorway.

Sometimes you can calculate how much from the ticket but not alone and on the move. There is always a LCD display where you can see it on the toll booth. You can ask if you can't read it ( Combien, s'il vous plait ?) but the chances are the person in the booth speaks perfect English and every other language. Or you can give her a large note and finish up with a sack of change at the end of your travels.

4. avoid toll motorways[/quote]

Pick up a Bison Fute leaflet at the ferry port. This gives you all the alternative routes- in English. They are often at Dover and certainly at Calais and motorway aires.

There is a website for the French toll road system which will enable you to calculate what you have to pay from point to point before you get on the road so you can have it all ready.

Have a good journey,

G


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Not as frivolous as it seems...(if, like me you travel without shoes and so getting out is more hassle, as is leaving your cool cab on a hot day.)

Buy one of those gripper mobility aids that enable people to pick things up without bending - used by litter pickers too. Available from Argos. Wind down your window and pass the ticket and then money to the toll booth assistant via this in a polythene bag. 

G.


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

Normally my routine for paying is as follows:

Drive in closely to the left so the missus can reach pay kiosk. Knock mirror off.

Missus can just about reach kiosk and then drops the money.

Missus gets out of car to find the hundred odd coins she has dropped which is using to get rid of change in her purse.

Several cars behind start honking and the usual lorry with the fog horn

Lady in kios counts money and finds that we have underpaid her 1 cent.

Missues has no more change so takes all the change back and searches for a credit card in the bowels of her handbag.

Lady in kiosk swipes card and.....nothing. Tries again and nothing. 
Missus takes another card out and this one works.

Missus then takes all the time in the world to get back into the van and the barrier has been up for some minutes already. People in the cars behind are dying from hunger and dehydration.

We drive for the first two miles without saying anything at all.

Approx 3 miles on I am told that it was actually all my fault. :?


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## 88789 (May 9, 2005)

Thanks to Gerhard and Grizzly, i am now much more confidant that i can do this without too much hassle , regards Pussers input carol wouldn't do it anyway as it was me that put us in this situation so its me to get us out of it, your right pusser i get the blame anyway.


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## nobbythehobby (May 9, 2005)

Hi,

In Northern France, you will often see a RHD lane at the peage - look for a Union Jack over the lane (true). I sometimes knee-jerk towards them forgetting that I have LHD!  It must be natural to want to be British after all.

Camping-Car en Liberte has a useful map of Autoroutes showing those that are toll-free - http://campingcar.enliberte.free.fr/03_franc/docum/ccel01.gif

nobby.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

Pusser said:


> We drive for the first two miles without saying anything at all.
> 
> Approx 3 miles on I am told that it was actually all my fault. :?


I think I know what you mean.

You say it's her fault.

She says it's your fault.

Then you compromise..............and admit it's yours.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Its also a bit of a lottery when you go on the autoroute and approach the automated ticket machines with two tiered dispensers, a low one for cars and a high one for trucks etc.

With some Motorhomes sometimes the ticket pops out of the high one, sometimes the low one, murphies law dictates that if your co-pilot prepares for a 'high grab' it will pop out of the lower one and visa versa. :wink: 

pj.


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## Maverick (May 9, 2005)

Rather than get out and walk round I tend to stop by the window and move across the cab.

At least they don't see from behind that you have left the cab, I prefer not to for security etc. and they can just look at the number plate and think what they like. (just like I do at the Dartford Crossing behind the foriegn plates.)


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

*Using toll booths*

Apart from Pussrs problems we also have a height problem

Missus tries to reach the lower button for the ticket 
widows doesnt go down so far

tries top button a cannt reach so far up 
Tries to open door It wont open because of the booth

She now climbs half way out of the window and reaches the top button 
gets the ticket but now cant get back in puts ticket in her mouth so as to be able to use both hands on the sides of the booth to aid her return into the van

by the time she is safely back in the van the ticket is wet and refuses to work at the other end

All this time the cars behind are honking

Barrier lifts and we go away intending to stop to sort things see police checking documents so drive on slowly More honkinh horns


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## 89564 (May 28, 2005)

I am convinced that the dog, who rides in the passenger seat,now recognises Peage booths.

As we slow up and the window drops down increased interest in the World is apparent and he is quickly ready to greet the forearm that comes into his territory looking for the Autoroute ticket.

Although, neutered like me,female wrists ,pehaps slightly perfumed are his favourite and the little tongue works overtime licking as far up as the elbow if allowed.Any encouragement from the attendant seems to enoble him to leave the van and try to enter the booth window. I have often threatened to drive away and leave him as a helper.At least now ive got electric windows if i am quick i can nip his little snout before its fully withdrawn.
Yes a lot more fun than a wife. (IMHO)


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Ah, but is he trained to count out the money and pass it to the assistant ?

G


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