Toll roads in France
- Thread starter Molldog
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You don't have to do tolls , how much time do you have ?
Obviously if your limited time wise you need the fastest route but you miss out on all the pretty bits by sitting on the motorway.
It's knowing which bits to pick and choose as some non toll sections go the real long and around the houses route and some are still 110kph long straight roads .
Obviously if your limited time wise you need the fastest route but you miss out on all the pretty bits by sitting on the motorway.
It's knowing which bits to pick and choose as some non toll sections go the real long and around the houses route and some are still 110kph long straight roads .
Get yourself a tag, it will take all the stress out of your travels
order.ulys.com
Depending on the height of your van you may be able to also use the 30kmph lanes. France is now starting to introduce "no barrier" peages, which will then cause more stress as you have to pay within 36 hours of using them. Adding your reg number to the tag saves all the agro.
It will cost about €75 each way
kc
Souscription télépéage Ulys
order.ulys.com
Depending on the height of your van you may be able to also use the 30kmph lanes. France is now starting to introduce "no barrier" peages, which will then cause more stress as you have to pay within 36 hours of using them. Adding your reg number to the tag saves all the agro.
It will cost about €75 each way
kc
We aborted our French trip last year due to an orange eml and then the Adblu having a brain fart so that might be something to factor in as well however we did use one reasonably long section of toll by Rennes towards Nantes and it wasn't expensive, certainly didn't feel like the M6 toll trousers down experience.
We're going for a rematch this year and there probably will be some autoroute but realistically outside of the major cities during commuting hours you would be hard pushed to beat the dual carriageway route nationals anyway.
We're going for a rematch this year and there probably will be some autoroute but realistically outside of the major cities during commuting hours you would be hard pushed to beat the dual carriageway route nationals anyway.
If you want to cover ground as fast as possible, then the autoroutes are awesome for that.
The only issue I found is that my normal 65mph motorway cruising speed in the UK, feels glacially slow in France with their 130kph limit. The autoroutes are so smooth and empty 90% of the time, and France is so big, that you really need to be doing 75mph+ but with that comes a hit in fuel economy!
The tags also save a load of hassle, especially if you're a lone driver! Over the course of a thousand miles or more I've only had it once not register the tag. And going through the 30kph lanes (if you're too tall for the height restricted ones there's normally a lorry one on the right side) is fantastic.
The only issue I found is that my normal 65mph motorway cruising speed in the UK, feels glacially slow in France with their 130kph limit. The autoroutes are so smooth and empty 90% of the time, and France is so big, that you really need to be doing 75mph+ but with that comes a hit in fuel economy!
The tags also save a load of hassle, especially if you're a lone driver! Over the course of a thousand miles or more I've only had it once not register the tag. And going through the 30kph lanes (if you're too tall for the height restricted ones there's normally a lorry one on the right side) is fantastic.
On my 2500 mile euro trip last year I spent £140 total for tolls with an emovis tag. I did try to avoid tolls when I could but also used them when it was most suitable, like crossing the boring, flat expanse of norther France!
Not necessarily. We regularly travel down to the Alps & Spain/Portugal and hardly ever use the Autoroutes. Generally speaking, a trip from Northern France to the south, will take around 6 hrs longer NOT using the Autoroutes. On the West side, Rennes-Bordeaux many of the autoroutes are free. Most cities & large towns have free sections that act as ring roads. You will usually find that there is a RN (Route Nationale) runs alongside the Autoroute and the traffic speeds aren't dissimilar once you take the queues at the peages into consideration. We find the autoroutes mind numbingly boring, it's much nicer taking your time & seeing more of France, you get to buy lunch at village boulangeries & buy cheaper diesel at supermarkets.
In answer to your original query, budget around £120 each way for a north/south return trip.
Yeah agreed, the non autoroutes are still nice and quiet, smooth and generally traffic free - but if your sole aim is to cover ground as fast as possible then autoroutes are brilliant.
Once you start driving on the French A and B roads you also soon learn to like roundabouts! God do they love a roundabout!
I swear some places had 10 in the space of a mile or 2!
agreed, if you want to chew up the km as fast as possible, then autoroutes. But where's the fun in that? I know people who drive down to the alps in 6-8 hours from the Chunnel, but they have a tight (school holiday) schedule to stick to. But if there are no time constraints, the side roads are much nicer & form part of the trip for us.Yeah agreed, the non autoroutes are still nice and quiet, smooth and generally traffic free - but if your sole aim is to cover ground as fast as possible then autoroutes are brilliant.
Once you start driving on the French A and B roads you also soon learn to like roundabouts! God do they love a roundabout!
Off topic but would have liked to include Carcassonne on our French invasion as we're stopping near Lourdes but heading back up towards Clermont Ferrand as otherwise we'd be Perpignan and on towards the Cote d'Azur and we're poor old pensioners these days!
We just went the direct route top to bottom as we had accommodation down there.
Luckily (for now at least, and it's not guaranteed) getting flashed by a camera in France doesn't seem to result in anything. I got flashed late at night on the first autoroute section crossing one of the bridges that go down to 90kph and a single lane, it was pitch black with no cars around - that was back in September and I've not heard anything.
Spain is different I think as they have an agreement with us thanks to Gibraltar.
Spain is different I think as they have an agreement with us thanks to Gibraltar.
Same here, been flashed a couple of times & no ticket. Another thing that is being introduced in France is "Flux Libre", they are removing the toll booths on the Peages & using ANPR and you either have to pay on-line or at a paystation at a service area. We've inadvertently strayed on to one a couple of times, when I tried to pay at a paystation, you enter your reg No. & pay by credit/debit card. When I entered our private reg, I got a message saying "This number is not in our database" I was unable to progress any further. I've used the same bit of autoroute twice now, not paid & not had any comeback.
We’ve done a lot of driving in France. Toll roads: good, but boring. Other French roads (D roads): good and much more interesting.
Toll roads good to get somewhere fast in the car….. but on holiday in the van we always take the more interesting route. Going a long way south? - then take an extra day or two.
Exactly what we do. Turns into a trip of discovery! I like to stop off at isolated and rarely visited Commonwealth War Cemetery sites and investigate the local action they relate to. Mostly above Reims, then it's antique shops all the way to Avignon with little stops for food at local boulangeries.....
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Thanks for the tips so far.
Liking the scenic non autoroute method. My boy racer days are way behind me now!
We have no time constraints so can amble our way down south. Planning an overnighter around 3/4 of the way down, might even go steadier and do 2. That way we can see a lot more. I’m sure the van will thank me for it!
Main plan is a few days in Normandy via the Chunnel to pay homage to the brave guys and to see the sights.
Drive south to Carcassonne as the Mrs wants to go.
Carry on then spend a few days in Northern Italy before the long haul back to get the ferry in Rotterdam to Hull before the hell that is the M62! Still gotta be easier than driving up from the south coast.
Liking the scenic non autoroute method. My boy racer days are way behind me now!
We have no time constraints so can amble our way down south. Planning an overnighter around 3/4 of the way down, might even go steadier and do 2. That way we can see a lot more. I’m sure the van will thank me for it!
Main plan is a few days in Normandy via the Chunnel to pay homage to the brave guys and to see the sights.
Drive south to Carcassonne as the Mrs wants to go.
Carry on then spend a few days in Northern Italy before the long haul back to get the ferry in Rotterdam to Hull before the hell that is the M62! Still gotta be easier than driving up from the south coast.
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