Beware - France's First Free Flow Autoroute A79 (was the N79)

[Dart]

Just a heads up to anyone planning to travel along what was the the free N79 road along the section between Sazaret and Digoin. We use the route each winter en route to the Alps for skiing and the road has been in the process of being "dualled" for quite some years now with no sign that it was going to become an autoroute. However, this year we joined at an intermediate point along the way with no obvious sign that it had become a "peage" section ie no toll booths or other warnings. Luckily, along the way I spotted signs mentioning "autoroute Flux Libre" and giving a web address for information and payment but it would have been easy to miss the signs, especially for non French speakers, which would result in a hefty fine. Once we had parked up I visited the website and made the payment and on the return journey we were able to call into a service area and pay at a machine there. Anyone with a toll tag would not have to worry as they will be automatically charged but everyone else needs to take care, especially if these Flux Libre sections catch on in other parts of France. Anyway, here is a link to the website for anyone interested https://www.aliae.com/en/home.html

 

[royandsharont]

Is that a bit like the one from Bordeaux to the border where you can join it in between the end toll booths and exit so you don’t actually pass through a toll, and therefore no charge?

 

[Dart]

Is that a bit like the one from Bordeaux to the border where you can join it in between the end toll booths and exit so you don’t actually pass through a toll, and therefore no charge?

Not sure. The website says there are six toll "gates" at the moment along an 88km stretch so it may be possible to enter and exit between two toll gates and not be detected but you would need to be very careful as the toll gates are not at all obvious (I didn't spot them but I wasn't particularly looking for them). There certainly isn't anything as obvious as toll booths or markings on the road so I think the gates are just small detectors which you could easily miss seeing.

 

[Chuns]

Is that a bit like the one from Bordeaux to the border where you can join it in between the end toll booths and exit so you don’t actually pass through a toll, and therefore no charge?

Didn't know about that one - could you give me the specifics, please? San Sebastián calls, and that leg south of BDX really irks me !!

 

[royandsharont]

Travelling south from Bordeaux we used to avoid the class 3 tolls, but still benefiting from travelling along the A63, where we could. It was a strange system but perfectly legal and was done this way, I think, for locals to be able to cross over the A63 without having to pay tolls.

These are my notes Chuns , I hope they help you, they are for us being over 3.5t at that time.

Bordeaux to border toll free

A63 to jct 18 exit onto D834 to Pissos.
At Pissos turn right (sign no right turn for 7.5t) onto D43 to Liposthey.
Rejoin A63 at jct 17 toll free to Castets.
Exit A63 at jct 12 onto D947 to Dax. At Dax take D824 onto D810 SP Bayonne (not the peace route) & follow D810 all way to border follow the over 3.5t signs.

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[Chuns]

What a star, thank you. We overnighted once at the unfortunately named Pissos (behind the church), but found the town devoid of life. No beererie, and I think the breaderie was closed too. I think the aire might have closed as well now. So sad.

 

[Jo662]

What a star, thank you. We overnighted once at the unfortunately named Pissos (behind the church), but found the town devoid of life. No beererie, and I think the breaderie was closed too. I think the aire might have closed as well now. So sad.

We find a lot of France like that as we travel south.

 

[Stoosal]

Give this thread a wee bump as I travelled along this section of road today and saw a sign for ‘peage’, then another which was what I thought was ‘flux libre’. Saw 1 sign with a website address on it. I don’t speak French very well and suspected an automatic toll. Did a quick search and this post came up. Went online and paid the toll. All 50c of it!

A79 between junctions 23 and 24. (East of Digoin but there are others along that section of road.)

Hopefully it will help to avoid any penalty payments unsuspecting drivers may get…..!

 

[elamessa]

All French peages will be going toll booth free eventually. They will use anpr type systems. If you have a toll tag then nothing changes for you, If you do not then you can pay at designated fuel stations or online.

HTH.