# French autoroute tolls



## conham

How strict are the french when it comes to paying tolls on the autoroute? Our motorhome is 3850kg and should be classed as class 3 . We are hoping to be looked at and passed as class 2 because its a really big difference in price!! We are travelling 1600 miles so any saving will be helpful. Any thoughts please, thanks. conham


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## arh

A lot of the tolls are automatic, and aren't swayed by you "looking like smaller", the manned (ladied often) booths often, (but not always) let motorhome through as class 2


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## bognormike

I've always been class 2.


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## goldi

Afternoon all,


We have stopped using the autoroutes to save money as the cost can be very high.


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## hogan

Much nicer going the N roads and not much slower.You can use the toll roads F.O.C. around large towns and cities.


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## derek500

goldi said:


> Afternoon all,
> 
> We have stopped using the autoroutes to save money as the cost can be very high.


We've never started using them!!

We can do Valencia to Calais in three easy days driving at 90kph, on a combo of free motorways/N routes.


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## neilmac

I'd agree with the above posters who avoid the toll roads.

Much nicer journey on the N roads and non-toll sections round larger towns.

If you use satnav its really easy to plan your route by telling it to avoid toll roads - job done


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## NevilleStreet

We are a 1994 Hymer A-class with a top box. Plated to 3.5tonnes. I am pretty sure we are just over 3m without the box and 3.5m with the top box (details are in the van which is in the car park). Looking at the classes for French autoroutes we may end up being class 3, has anybody with similar set up found they get classed as class 2 or class 3?

Thanks for any help, NS


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## Pard

Been over recently, and found it's exactly as arh said in this thread back in April - automated ones Class 3, manned booths can be Class 2.


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## conham

Posted last week to help wilse.hope this helps nevillestreet
Hi Wilse, you're in luck as we have just returned (5th June) from St. Tropez all the way on the autoroutes. 
We drive a Swift Kontiki 645 at 3850kg, we were a bit worried we would go through tolls at class 3 which was considerably more than class2. We used manned tolls and on some there just aren't any humans anymore collecting the money so you had to go through with your credit card. 
Thankfully on every toll we automatically went through as class 2. The cost from Calais to St. Tropez (we got off on A8 Le Canet Des Maures which takes you through the mountains to Port Grimaud) was £120 one way. We went Calais to Reims to Troyes ,Dijon, Beaune, Macon, Lyon, Valence ,orange, Aix en Provence. 
Surprised at the cost of fuel, on average it was 1.28 euros a litre. It cost us around £200 in fuel. It was a joy driving on the autoroutes as we never met with one hold up. Got onto M25 coming home and guess what?!! Hope this helps, conham


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## alunj

we are 4.5 Tonne. All the autos catch us as class 3 (probably due to height and top box) Whenever we meet a person its class 2 . There is a very big difference between the two  
It seems that automation is arriving in France and more and more tolls are unmanned. You have to press the help button and ask for class 2 this often works


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## fdhadi

Agree with alunj, if you go to an unmanned booth check the toll class, if not class 2 DO NOT INSERT YOUR CREDIT CARD, press the help button and say camping car or motorcaravan, the toll is then changed to class 2.


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## greygit

We've found the people in the booths tend to stand up and look at the rear wheels as if they are seeing how many axels you have.
Gary


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## teensvan

Hi.

We use the non toll roads as we get charged class 4 all the time. You can get charged class 3 sometimes if you are over 3 mtrs in height. This is measured by a machine so no getting out of it as the charge comes up on a display screen.

steve & ann. ---- teensvan


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## Rio

*french autoroutes*

Although we are class 2 without telling lies and can legally travel as fast as the cars we dont,
as mentioned by others many times the n routes are the way to go ,
we went to a similar destination as conham took our time and stopped overnight and squeezed it into 14 days,
In a 3.5 t plus vehicle you are not only paying higher tolls and fuel prices the speed limit is the same as trucks on autoroutes,
So for the small time saving its very expensive, and you miss out on some loveley places, 
For most of us its the adventure so why rush ,There is a lot of france you miss on the autoroutes,
we are still working and the cost isnt an issue , we still choose th n routes and rural roads,
My concern is that needing to tell lies to avoid cost is cake and eat it scenario ,
and what other laws are you willing to break , there are many posts about motorhomers representing us badly!!
Sureley this is a factor to consider on purchase,
Rio


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## conham

Rio, time is an issue for a lot of people when going on holiday us included. We travelled with our son and family who had to sleep in hotels both ways.They just wanted to get there with 3 kids in the back. We certainly didn't break any laws travelling down as we paid whatever came up at the tollbooth. It works both ways though , if you were class 3 and class 2 came up would you say excuse me you have undercharged me?
If we were retired we would certainly go the N roads. I dont think going on the autoroute and staying in campsites is trying to save money.
We bought our motorhome to suit layout and size for taking the grandkids away sometimes. Not on whether we would occasionally be using the french autoroutes.
I would hope that any replies we have posted on the forum haven't brought motorhomers into disrepute but have been helpful replies to questions asked. 
The way it read is that we are cheapskates and break the law and that is not the case at all. Only tried to help people out with honest answers. Conham


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## fdhadi

Well I try and get away with class 2. I think £120 in tolls and £175 in fuel (40p a mile, 26p to do the same in uk) is enough to pay to get me south and then the same back again. When the French come over here do they pay to use our roads like we pay road tax and higher fuel prices. They don't even buy fuel here.

Maybe i should fuel up at Dover before getting on the ferry so I don't cheat our country also. 

Yeah right.


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## teemyob

*Roads*

I used the BIS Route from Pyrenees to Calais this winter. It took us a bit longer but was more enjoyable and toll free.

I nearly always use a mix of routes when going to St. Pns/St. Tropez for summer.

I use Hull-Zebrugge mainly and then Belgium, Luxembourg, Metz, Nancy and so on down to Annecy for a weekend. Then part of Route Napolean down to Sisteron and Peage Motorway to Cote D'Azur.

We live up north and I hate the drive down to Dover/Folkestone. The North Sea Ferry to Zeebrugge is more expensive but we don't pay as much in fuel to get to Hull. The savings on French Tolls, cheaper Diesel in Belgium and Luxmbourg and Fuel savings not driving to Dover ends up paying for the ferry.

If I were going by car I would use Peage all the way but in high season drive overnight.

TM


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## NevilleStreet

Does height matter? Should I consider doing without the top box (in fact I am more in favour of avoiding the toll roads). Off topic for this thread, but what about Alpine tunnels? Is height an issue in those?

Thanks, NS


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## txe4man

we have just returned from 3 weeks in france,and did use the autoroutes to break the back of the journey as we went to the far south east eventually.
we were charged class3 every time, we tried arguing on the intercom a couple of times as one of the earlier posters suggested but they were having none of it just saying 'non, 3 metres', so i think they have auto height measuring systems.also i was surprised how few booths are manned this year, a big difference from last year.
having said that using autoroutes gave us longer in our chosen holiday places and it is a very easy and smooth way to cover long distances so we consider it worth it.


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## Terryg

Hi all,

Got back from France a few weeks ago, used non toll routes going away from Calais and tolls returning to Calais. Found no real difference in journey time travelling between toll and non-toll routes, but we only do 50/55 mph on motorways. However we did not travel south mainly west and then east.

My advice would be travel N routes where possible and put the toll fees in the fuel tank, easier pace and great scenery.

The van is 3850Kg always charged at class 2. 

Terry.


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## grizzlyj

Last year we got charged top whack by a lady in a booth who insisted its solely down to height, which isn't entirely correct.
That was coming down into France from Chamonix I think, where I couldn't find a way around, or then off the Peage that permitted our weight 

But this is a page in English showing clearly catagories from the organisation who oversees the Autoroute system France wide

http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/service-information/vehicle-classification.html

So print it and take it with yours circled! Or not if you're a tight arse :roll:


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## peeter

*tolls on french motorway*

The class you pay for is dependant on the number of wheels on the rear of the vehicle.Double wheels on the back and you are class 3.For my Hymer 584 towing a car on a trailer it is always classed at 2.They will look to the rear of the van to check the wheels if there is any doubt.I understand the weight or size of the vehicle is not relevant .I always use the motorways for distant travelling as it avoids hold ups and delays particularly in the busy summer season when some towns will be chaotic.


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## peeter

*tolls on french motorway*

Or so I thought until I saw the excellent information given by Grizzlyj!!


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