# Paying for Toll roads



## baldlygo (Sep 19, 2006)

I'm all booked to drive down to the Limoges area next week using the Evreux - Dreux - Chartres route mentioned recently in another thread. It must be over 20 years since my last long trip in France and I am not familiar with using Toll roads.

Please can someone advise on how the tolls are paid for and will I need to start out from Calais with a collection of cash?

Paul


----------



## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

We found having cash is easier as not all are manned. 

We put both notes and coins in the none manned no problem but I think they also take Cards. 

Richard...


----------



## Tobysmumndad (Nov 12, 2007)

Your credit card will work fine, especially for the longer stages, and as we have come across one or two unmanned (unwomanned ... unpersonned?) _peages_ recently, you should have it handy.

We also try to carry some € coins for the fiddly little stretches around certain cities.

You pick the ticket up on entry and present it on leaving. This might seem blindingly obvious, but it wasn't to the Frenchman (!!) who got confused at the entry _peage_ and tried to reverse into us. It's a good job that we've replaced the pathetic FIAT meep meep with a decent set of air horns!


----------



## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

baldlygo said:


> I'm all booked to drive down to the Limoges area next week using the Evreux - Dreux - Chartres route mentioned recently in another thread. It must be over 20 years since my last long trip in France and I am not familiar with using Toll roads.
> 
> Please can someone advise on how the tolls are paid for and will I need to start out from Calais with a collection of cash?
> 
> Paul


There are 2 sections of Autoroute which you can choose to use on that route if you use my way of passing through Rouen.

The first section is the A16 and the tolls start just south of Boulogne and finish north of Abbeville leaving the rest of the autoroute to Rouen free.
The cost was 10.60 Euros in August and September for our classe 2, 3500kg Autostratus EB

The other section is on the A10 which you can use to bypass Orleans. Picking it up about 35 km SE of Chartres and coming off at Vierzon will cost about 15 Euros

We frequently use the A16 section to save time but we only use the A10 section when we expect Orleans to be busy as the bypass is ok at normal times. 
Pick up the bypass as you get into Saran/Orleans where you see a bridge ahead carrrying traffic over the N20. Follow green Vierzon signs.

Please ask if you need any further information.


----------



## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

*supermarket fuel pumps*

What you do need to watch out for, is if you have buy fuel at a supermarket, when the shop is closed. They only take French debit cards.

This is sometimes the only option, in out-of-the way places, or if a Public Holiday catches you unawares - something like May the 8th, Victory in Europe Day, for example.

They are much cheaper anyway than the service stations and especially than the Autoroute fuel pumps.

As fuel prices were dropping recently, we found a big variation in prices - smaller garages had clearly not yet re-bought at the new lower prices, so were selling at 20 cents per litre more than the places like large Leclercs.


----------



## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

*Re: supermarket fuel pumps*



hmh said:


> What you do need to watch out for, is if you have buy fuel at a supermarket, when the shop is closed. They only take French debit cards.
> 
> This is sometimes the only option, in out-of-the way places, or if a Public Holiday catches you unawares - something like May the 8th, Victory in Europe Day, for example.
> 
> ...


We have found that this year practically all automatic pumps are now accepting UK credit and debit cards.
For the tolls by far the easiest option is the credit/debit card, fast with no fiddling for the right money.
Gerry


----------



## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

*Re: supermarket fuel pumps*



GerryD said:


> hmh said:
> 
> 
> > What you do need to watch out for, is if you have buy fuel at a supermarket, when the shop is closed. They only take French debit cards.
> ...


I agree this year we covered about 2500 miles in one trip and had no problem using the Nationwide debit card at any auto fuel pumps  .
Re- the tolls we are a tag axle so on the auto booths we were charged at class 4  due to also being over 3m high but at all but one manned booths we were charged class 2. I must say that "toll charges" seem to vary :? according to what side of the bed the Man/Lady got out of bed :wink: 
Gary


----------



## hymerowner (Sep 10, 2006)

We paid at automatic fuel pumps with a card frequently this year - generally much easier than trying to thread your way through a narrow, twisty manned booth!


----------



## baldlygo (Sep 19, 2006)

*Re: supermarket fuel pumps*



GerryD said:


> We have found that this year practically all automatic pumps are now accepting UK credit and debit cards.
> For the tolls by far the easiest option is the credit/debit card, fast with no fiddling for the right money.
> Gerry


Thank you everyone for the tips. Think I will try credit cards but have some cash handy just in case.
Earlier in the year I have topped up a hire car at two supermarket automatic machines with normal UK cards without problems (apart from working out how they work :roll: ) - so as Gerry says I think things have improved.

Paul


----------



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Tolls*

Hi

My advice would be to pay with a Nationwide debit or credit card. If you do not have one of these, you will be charged a loading fee and/or an admin fee each time you use the card. Some cards have a minimum fee of £1.50 per transaction. Pay cash if you hold a credit/debit card where loading fees are applied.

Russell


----------



## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

Dont forget anybody with blue badge, present it at toll booth and ask to be re-classified to catagory 1.


----------



## JollyJack (Aug 14, 2005)

We lost our toll ticket once:  Yup we did! It vanished into thin air! It turned up later behind the radio. It was only a short stretch of motorway and as our friends were with us the attendant at the exit booth charged us the same as them  . Now, as soon as we get the ticket from the machine it goes into our ticket folder which is one of those red wallets that the Camping Club give you  .

We always keep some spare change handy - we once came off what we thought was a main road to discover, as we travelled down the slipway, that we had been on a motorway and in front of us was a barrier. To get the barrier to lift we had to drop some coins into a basket ball net!


----------



## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

For our route to Spain, we are planning to just set TomTom to avoid toll roads.. 

"on paper" it isn't that much longer; will be more interesting; and probably cheaper.

Or is there something we've not taken into account?


----------



## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

If you intend using Autoroutes for much this web site will help you calculate the cost etc. if you scroll down and select your weight/size etc.
http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/preparatives/routes.html

As Gary says in practice it appears to depend on which side of the bed the toll booth opertaor got out of if your MH is over 3500kgs, or a tag axle or over 3 mtrs high.

We always try to use credit cards when paying for anything in France as the exchange rate (commercial rate) is better than using cash. In most cases this year our credit card exchange rate was 2 cents better than when we used debit cards. Using certain debit cards does incur a service charge (excluding Abbey of course) for up to 2.45% with a minimum value

Like many others we have travelled over 6000 miles in France this year and never had a problem using UK credit cards at unmanned fuel pumps.


----------



## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

Last year went to Benidorm toll road all the way, came back non toll it was about 40 miles further much nicer, cruised at 60 used less fuel still took same 3 days, thats the way for me now.{hopefully wont get lost in the Pyrenees and end up in the middle of a Baja bug rally this time}


----------



## fdhadi (May 9, 2005)

We nearly always pay with the visa unless the toll is very small.

Great tip someone on here gave me:

*Use the unmanned booths, check the toll & class showing. If it shows more than class 2, press the red button, you will then hear a voice. Just say Camping Car. They will then alter the toll to Class 2. Insert your card and pay. We are 8mtrs long, 3.3mtrs high & have a tag axle. Only been charged class 2 rates ever since* :wink: .


----------



## angie (May 16, 2005)

[Great tip someone on here gave me:
Use the unmanned booths, check the toll & class showing. If it shows more than class 2, press the red button, you will then hear a voice. Just say Camping Car. They will then alter the toll to Class 2. Insert your card and pay. We are 8mtrs long, 3.3mtrs high & have a tag axle. Only been charged class 2 rates ever since[/quote]

Thats a great bit of advice  
As of yet we have avoided tolls. This may be a silly question but so we know for the future, how do you know if its a manned or unmanned booth ( apart from the obvious of looking for a person) Is there some sort of sign??


----------



## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

Sorry no signs but they are usually found on the out of the way exits off Autoroutes - away from major towns etc.

Whenever you get to one it will automatically charge you class 2 when paying by credit card as there is no way of them knowing your weight or length.

One more solid tip though - NEVER go through the truck lane entry of an Autoroute as they will always charge you class 4 at the exit - even if you are a car.

Pete


----------



## angie (May 16, 2005)

:salute: Thanks, thats another good tip


----------



## fdhadi (May 9, 2005)

> [Whenever you get to one it will automatically charge you class 2 when paying by credit card as there is no way of them knowing your weight or length]
> 
> Sorry Pete but i have to disagree  . The automatic booths have tried to charge us at class 3 & 4 rates on a number of occasions. Not sure though if this is because we have a tag? Each time my wife has pressed the red button and they have altered it to class 2 with no questions.


----------



## 89017 (May 11, 2005)

Sideways,
The blue badge routine doesn't work. We tried at least six toll booths this year and all rejected it.
Bob


----------



## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

fdhadi said:


> > Sorry Pete but i have to disagree  . The automatic booths have tried to charge us at class 3 & 4 rates on a number of occasions. Not sure though if this is because we have a tag? Each time my wife has pressed the red button and they have altered it to class 2 with no questions.
> 
> 
> Hi Fdhadi,
> ...


----------



## seamusog (May 10, 2005)

We are setting off for Portugal next week,on the Le havre-Irun route we intend to use the non toll roads but is there any toll roads we SHOULD use for convenience,I think I read a post somewhere that there was a toll around Bordeaux that may be better to use,regards,seamus.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Sounds blindingly obvious but, when you draw up to the ticket machine at the beginning of a stretch of peage, the ticket can come out of one of two holes.
The machine should detect you are a tall vehicle and so the ticket should come out of the top slot, level with your roof. Sometimes however it comes out of the bottom slot, at the level of your door handle. Whichever slot it comes from your passenger will need a fair degree of flexibility to squirm out of the open cab window to retrieve and not drop it ! 

If she does drop it then you can bet your life that it is the one time that you drew up so close to the machine that you can't open the door to pick it up again.

As you get to the peage barriers slow down and make sure you are going through the correct gate. There are a whole number of different options - Telepeage, closed, lorries only etc- and it is very difficult to reverse out of the wrong slot when you have a whole lot of others behind you !

G


----------



## 04HBG (Dec 9, 2007)

seamusog said:


> We are setting off for Portugal next week,on the Le havre-Irun route we intend to use the non toll roads but is there any toll roads we SHOULD use for convenience,I think I read a post somewhere that there was a toll around Bordeaux that may be better to use,regards,seamus.


I have found the best route is to jump on the motorway around Bordeaux which is free then stay on all the way to Irun, the cost is not much at all as it is free until just before Biaritz then only a few Euros after but it saves you a lot of time and hassle around Biaritz other than that the only bit you would need to pay for is to cross the Bridge from Le Havre.


----------



## seamusog (May 10, 2005)

Thanks for that 04HBG,is that using national roads via Le Mans,Tours,Poitiers and Bordeaux? Are there any non toll motorways I could use?Regards,seamus.


----------



## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

Vennwood said:


> Sorry no signs but they are usually found on the out of the way exits off Autoroutes - away from major towns etc.
> 
> Whenever you get to one it will automatically charge you class 2 when paying by credit card as there is no way of them knowing your weight or length.
> 
> ...


Hi Pete it was the automatic one that charged us class 4.
Will try the RED button next time :wink:


----------



## 04HBG (Dec 9, 2007)

seamusog said:


> Thanks for that 04HBG,is that using national roads via Le Mans,Tours,Poitiers and Bordeaux? Are there any non toll motorways I could use?Regards,seamus.


Using that route as above then the N10 is almost motorway standard for most of the way from Tours on but i usualy jump on the motorway around Tours as its free then back to the N10 which is free all the way down to Bordeaux to join the free motorway again then stay on the motorway all the way as i said the cost is only a few euros as far as Irun and well worth it.


----------



## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

I don't know if it is fact, but it seems to me that if an autoroute in France has an N road running almost parallel then it is toll. If not and if it is a bypass around a town/city it is free.

Sue


----------

