To toll. Or not to toll ? (1 Viewer)

mickcope

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For the past ten years I have been driving to spain using the toll roads with no problems and a very easy ride. I may want to fund a new motorbike and thought I could justify it to the boss by suggesting using toll free journeys to spain. Google seems to recommend going via Rouen and Pau and down via Zaragoza.
Not having driven seriously off toll in France I just wondered if it is worth the effort - or does the extra hassle and added hidden cost to the trip mean it is not worth the effort
Thanks for any advice
Mick
 

brynric

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We tend to compromise. We mainly travel off-toll but hop onto motorways to go past cities. Many of the cities use toll free motorways to bypass them anyway. It seems to work for us as we're not in a hurry.
 

Snowbird

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It all depends on how much time you have. If you are going away long term then the RN is best. If your time away is limited then toll roads will get you there in half the time, but at a cost. Its just cost me the price of almost 2 tanks of fuel in tolls to get to Southern Spain but I do have to pay top whack with 14 wheels on the tarmac.

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funflair

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Hi Snowbird

How do you manage 14, I know you have the trailer now BUT:).

Martin
 

sdc77

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We try and always use the tolls as we have limited time away..

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Snowbird

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Hi Snowbird

How do you manage 14, I know you have the trailer now BUT:).

Martin
^6 on the bus and a twin axle trailer with dual wheels on each axle. 8 wheels on the cart and 6 on the donkey. I think all Fitzel trailers are built like that. Thats why they are considered the best available. Brian James are good, but they are not in the same street as the Fitzel chassis. The chassis is all aluminium to keep the weight down and as well as swinging arm suspension they have shockers on each wheel.
 
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Avoid the tolls if possible, as in addition to saving money you see all sorts on the way which is more interesting. They do save a lot of time on some routes but the increased costs are not only the toll itself but increased fuel consumption due to higher speeds, and the fact that the toll route is often longer.

If I need to get somewhere in a hurry I always check what the time saving is on the satnav. It can be half the time on the main North South routes, but when travelling East West anywhere except near the coast the saving can be quite small.
 

jollyrodger

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We have friends with Olive groves down in Ampola Spain (Catalunya) .When on two wheels as a rule we leave from Roscoff late evening to get the boring roads out of the way not touching any tolls and sticking to D-C & N roads.

Because of the fuel limitations, planning is a must if like us you go fully LUGGAGED + the kitchen sink.

So tend to top up around the 100ml mark. Just to be on the safe side

Now that all UK cards seem to work in the pumps, we do not necessarily have to stick to the main routes, and have found some lovely towns and villages you would defiantly miss in the camper.

One regular route with so many sites for plenty of pit stops and the usual plan to get down below

La Rochelle before daylight and nice hot coffee and warm croissants from the nearest LOCAL bakers on route.

Then on down to Bordeaux area an find a F1 or BB stop for the night depending on weather may even crack on down a bit and get the bedrolls out! And rough it.

Roads to your taste and style of riding are plentiful here, also, France is very Biker friendly .

Knowing that the day after we will be riding some great biking roads over the Pyrenees and why we choose this route in the first place, the scenery is fantastic, and the adrenalin rush is present always .But the main thing is we have great fun


1st leg roughly 270ml

Roscoff ~

Pleyber Christ~Carhaix~Plouger~Rostrenen~Ceguerec~Stival~Pontivy~Locmine~Vannes~Nantes~

St Xandre~Puiboreau~Aytre.
1.jpg
3.jpg

Avoid the tolls if possible, as in addition to saving money you see all sorts on the way which is more interesting. They do save a lot of time on some routes but the increased costs are not only the toll itself but increased fuel consumption due to higher speeds, and the fact that the toll route is often longer.

If I need to get somewhere in a hurry I always check what the time saving is on the satnav. It can be half the time on the main North South routes, but when travelling East West anywhere except near the coast the saving can be quite small.


2nd Leg picking up the pace!

Aytre~Bordeaux~Pau~Gabas~Huesca~Barbastro~Monzon~
Llieda~LAmpola~


And A Welcome cold Pint or two at the end of the journey,(778.3mls) before the task of olive tree pruning,

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2657

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^6 on the bus and a twin axle trailer with dual wheels on each axle. 8 wheels on the cart and 6 on the donkey. I think all Fitzel trailers are built like that. Thats why they are considered the best available. Brian James are good, but they are not in the same street as the Fitzel chassis. The chassis is all aluminium to keep the weight down and as well as swinging arm suspension they have shockers on each wheel.

I see you use the yank system of counting!! A four wheeler and twin axle trailer to me :) And to the toll booths!:LOL:
 

Snowbird

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Toll booths also use the Yank system. Thats why they stick there head out and look if you are on single rears or twins. Twins pay more regardless of GVW.
 
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2657

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I stand corrected, thought they just counted axles :)

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sdc77

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I wouldn't say there was any increased fuel consumption due to speed on the autoroute tbh.. Stopping and starting is going to eat more fuel by far.
It's what suits tho isn't it.. And it's the tolls for us every time (almost) as we have limited time and we usually book sites in advance to ensure we have pitches.
 

ukbill

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we don't use tolls and can still get to benidorm with just 1 overnight stop :)
 
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I wouldn't say there was any increased fuel consumption due to speed on the autoroute tbh.. Stopping and starting is going to eat more fuel by far.
It's what suits tho isn't it.. And it's the tolls for us every time (almost) as we have limited time and we usually book sites in advance to ensure we have pitches.

Probably depends on your MH. mine is as aerodynamic as a brick. On the N roads at 90kph it averages about 21mpg (including the stops and starts), at a steady 110 on the tolls 17mpg ( I know the speed limit is 130kph, which it will do easily, but I wouldn't like the fuel consumption at that speed). Each to their own though, we never book anything either.
 

cliffanger

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We also use both. We check with the satnav for routes with tolls -v- non tolls and if she says it will take twice as long for the same amount of miles for non toll we obviously go toll. From memory I'm sure there are good non toll roads from Rouen to Pau. We drove through the Mont Blanc tunnel a couple of weeks ago, and after paying out over 100 Euros in tolls, we decided to do the remainder of the trip non toll and free aires. We got from Chamonix to Calais on really good non toll roads and free aires all the way up, apart from one superb aires with hardstanding, electric and immaculate loo for 5 euroes, so it is possible.

We find the roundabouts in France the main reason for using toll roads! There's the choice between seeing the 'real' country, and putting the van through a series of gymnastic maneouvres every 100 yards, and whizzing down a straight road, thereby getting to a really interesting town early enough in the day to have a proper wander around, seeing the 'real' town and not just driving through it (whilst circumnavigating yet another 10 roundabouts!) Each to his own though.
 

mikebeaches

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Forestboy

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We also use both. We check with the satnav for routes with tolls -v- non tolls and if she says it will take twice as long for the same amount of miles for non toll we obviously go toll. From memory I'm sure there are good non toll roads from Rouen to Pau. We drove through the Mont Blanc tunnel a couple of weeks ago, and after paying out over 100 Euros in tolls, we decided to do the remainder of the trip non toll and free aires. We got from Chamonix to Calais on really good non toll roads and free aires all the way up, apart from one superb aires with hardstanding, electric and immaculate loo for 5 euroes, so it is possible.

We find the roundabouts in France the main reason for using toll roads! There's the choice between seeing the 'real' country, and putting the van through a series of gymnastic maneouvres every 100 yards, and whizzing down a straight road, thereby getting to a really interesting town early enough in the day to have a proper wander around, seeing the 'real' town and not just driving through it (whilst circumnavigating yet another 10 roundabouts!) Each to his own though.



Thats exactly how we travel a combination of both. Fact is some routes are just to long and tedious off toll roads.
Last year I rode down to the Motogp at Aragon 1250 miles, first day I wanted to get down to the Pyrenees just past Biaritz. Set the sat nav when I got off the tunnel at 7am it had me arriving at 11pm :eek: changed it to toll roads arrival time 5.30 :). So even if it does use a tad more fuel which I'm not sure it does sometimes its just the thing to do plus all those bloody roundabouts and traffic calmers along with the restricted speed limits drive me nuts not to mention following bloody lorries for miles on end.
 

CJB

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If I put a route from my home in Kent to Barcelona in to Google Maps using toll roads I get the following route information
898 miles, 13hr 22min
Selecting the no tolls option I get
894 miles 17hr 50min

So 4.5hrs extra to save £200 -£250 on tolls
 

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