France Tolls (1 Viewer)

[Brakers]

Hi There Funsters here is a quick question, I have quite a large MH 30ft tag axle and I've been looking for the cost of using the French toll roads, I realize I'm in the class 4 section but is there a list somewhere which tells you how much you will pay on each section of the different toll roads or not? I can't seem to find one.
Many thanks Tony

 

[Keith777]

Try googling sanef tolling, might help - can recommend their toll tags

Cheers Keith.

 

[Boringfrog]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/about-france.com/mobi/driving-m-amp.htm

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[Boringfrog]

You sure you're class 4?

 

[Brakers]

You sure you're class 4?

Hi Boringfrog I would like to think not but my Autotrail Cheyenne is a 5 tonner loaded with a tag axle so if you can tell me different I would be very happy.
Best Wishes Tony

 

[Boringfrog]

Hi Boringfrog I would like to think not but my Autotrail Cheyenne is a 5 tonner loaded with a tag axle so if you can tell me different I would be very happy.
Best Wishes Tony

More Fun here:
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/estimating-euro-toll-charges.24019/

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[Deleted member 29692]

Hi Boringfrog I would like to think not but my Autotrail Cheyenne is a 5 tonner loaded with a tag axle so if you can tell me different I would be very happy.
Best Wishes Tony

Technically you might be.

In practice you almost certainly won't be charged as that.

 

[Brakers]

Technically you might be.

In practice you almost certainly won't be charged as that.

Hi NickNic I hope you are correct, the cost for class 4 is meant to be very expensive according to other funsters.
Many Thanks Tony

 

[Mikey RV]

We have a 30ft 5 ton tag axle and have only ever been charged class 2 on French and Spanish tolls.

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[jongood]

This debate has been going on in France for years, most camping caristes will tell you to refuse to pay anything other than classe 2. You will get away with 2 on a lot of toll booths.

If you are over 3 metres tall you might set the height sensors off on the gantries that have them. I would be prepared to press the button and tell them you are a camping car. Most of them will reset the toll. at the most you might pay the odd classe 3.

You can get a sanef tag, which strictly speaking is only for classe 2, I know people who ve been doing this for years, but I dont know what will happen if they ever have a crack down.

My preferred option is to develop routes that avoid tolls as much as possible. There are many good roads in France that are toll free, and with a bit of planning you can choose only the most advantageous tolls. I recommend you buy one of these

Amazon product ASIN 2067218727
As it shows tolls and free and direct routes on one easy map, then set your sat nav to via those roads that you choose. some sat navs are crap at routing anyway.

Bonnes routes

Jon

 

[John&Kate]

We were concerned on our 1st trip to France last year, we have 8.73m/5t Tag Axle Arapaho, and we never got charged class 4.

Best thing to do is pull up at the booth and see what it charges, you wont be charged class 4 anywhere based on my minimal experience.

 

[Allanm]

You will be class 3. When we had our 7.5 tonne Winnebago we were charged class 3 at auto toll booths. On some I was able to press the button and argue we were class 2 on others they insisted we were 3 and had to pay. On most manned booths we were charged class 2 and on another auto toll we got through as class 1 ( motorcycle!)
Good luck!

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[JockandRita]

One Peage operator did try charging us Class 4. I politely protested, whereupon she looked out of her window at the height of the MH, said "sacre bleu", and reduced the charge to Class 3.

Since then, if using the Peage (prefer not to), I aim for the auto payment booths, and always manage to get it down from Class 3 to Class 2.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[funflair]

This might help caculate possible charges http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/routes.htm Put yourself in as heavy vehicle 3 axles and that would be class4 or heavy vehicle 2 axles would be class3 light vehicle and car would be class2, why they dont use the class numbers I don't know.

I know people say you wont be charged class4 but I know we are charged as class3 (3.3 metres 5.5 tonne and 2 axles) and arguing/pushing the button "camping car SVP" doesn't have much affect either so whether height as in how far over 3 metres comes into it I don't know.

Best advice I can give is avoid all or most of the toll roads.

Marttin

 

[sdc77]

We too may be over weight for class 2 and possibly slightly tall... but we use our sanef tag with virtually no problems...

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[funflair]

We were concerned on our 1st trip to France last year, we have 8.73m/5t Tag Axle Arapaho, and we never got charged class 4.

Best thing to do is pull up at the booth and see what it charges, you wont be charged class 4 anywhere based on my minimal experience.

Just out of interest try the Millau viaduct sometime our friend with tag were charged class 4.

Martin

 

[funflair]

We too may be over weight for class 2 and possibly slightly tall... but we use our sanef tag with virtually no problems...

You should not have a problem with a "Sanef tag" as that tells the system you are class 2 (under 3 metres and under 3.5 tonne) surely.

Martin

 

[sdc77]

You should not have a problem with a "Sanef tag" as that tells the system you are class 2 (under 3 metres and under 3.5 tonne) surely.
Martin

Some of the new booths pick up the weight or are stricter on height. At one of these it refused to accept the tag and we had a conversation with a man who wouldn't budge and we had to pay.

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[funflair]

Some of the new booths pick up the weight or are stricter on height. At one of these it refused to accept the tag and we had a conversation with a man who wouldn't budge and we had to pay.

I am not surprised he wouldn't budge to be honest, I wonder if the system logs when you get refused and eventually cancels your "tag".

Martin

 

[sdc77]

I am not surprised he wouldn't budge to be honest, I wonder if the system logs when you get refused and eventually cancels your "tag".

Martin

No.. I dont think so.. As the generally accepted practice in France is that camping cars are class 2 . Are we wrong do you think?

 

[Just smiffy]

Go on then, I'll say it....

Why pay tolls...? Toll roads only good for going 80mph

Any route you think might be quicker on a sat nav or online mapping will tell you it will save you 3hrs because it thinks your going to drive at the national speed limits when you may be doing 55mph in an 80 zone, your not going to get there any quicker...

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[funflair]

No.. I dont think so.. As the generally accepted practice in France is that camping cars are class 2 . Are we wrong do you think?

Well I have struggled to get the toll both people to accept that our "camping car" is class 2 and I didn't know it was "generally accepted practice", one came out with yellow jacket and tape measure and declared "giant" and wanted payment for some made up Euro4 toll on the Bordeaux N10 not been on it since as its only a single point on the road that you pay for and not a section of road so its easy to come off and then back on.

Are you wrong? you ask, well my understanding is that the Class 2 Sanef tag is for vehicles less than 3.5 t and less than 3 metres so if you are outside this range then yes strictly speaking you are wrong.

The Subscriber acknowledges as a condition of the Subscription Agreement that the use of a Tag by a Class 2 vehicle in a lane reserved for a Class 1 vehicle (equipped with a specific height) or by a vehicle of Class 3 or 4, is not permitted and shall entitle sanef to retain any Subscriber Tag Deposits and to immediately terminate the Subscriber's Subscription Agreement.

 

[funflair]

Go on then, I'll say it....

Why pay tolls...? Toll roads only good for going 80mph

Any route you think might be quicker on a sat nav or online mapping will tell you it will save you 3hrs because it thinks your going to drive at the national speed limits when you may be doing 55mph in an 80 zone, your not going to get there any quicker...

You are basically right but using tolls will also bypass some towns with ring roads and many roundabouts so even at modest motorway speeds they can be quicker.

Martin

 

[sdc77]

Well.. most people argue the case re class 2... those of us that use tags avoid the argument.
It's most certainly generaly accepted practice that camping cars are class 2.
We use toll roads constantly in France as it suits us and if we were not class 2 we would avoid them and almost certainly not travel as far.
Luckily that's not an issue.
Also we often take a car too and the tag obviously is usefull for that too.

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[2657]

No.. I dont think so.. As the generally accepted practice in France is that camping cars are class 2 . Are we wrong do you think?

Yes!

No specific mention of motorhomes,if over 3.5 tonnes or 3m high then Class 3, same criteria with more than 2 axles then Class 4.

http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/vehicle-classification.htm

Pictograms of motorhomes in the above classes in the link.

Because some get away with abusing the system does not make it right or clever.

What would be the reaction in the UK if johny foreigner came over and abused or cheated the toll system, small as it is in the UK?

 

[sdc77]

Yes!

No specific mention of motorhomes,if over 3.5 tonnes or 3m high then Class 3, same criteria with more than 2 axles then Class 4.

http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/vehicle-classification.htm

Pictograms of motorhomes in the above classes in the link.

Because some get away with abusing the system does not make it right or clever.

What would be the reaction in the UK if johny foreigner came over and abused or cheated the toll system, small as it is in the UK?

Well have to agree to differ then. As I said... most people who get charged class three who speak with the operator are reduced to class 2. We just avoid the conversation.
As for people coming to the UK and abusing the limited toll system ... are you unaware of the Dartford problems? At least we pay the same as everyone else.
I take it if you got charged class 2 you would stop and make sure you paid a higher rate?

 

[Kevan]

I use tolltickets that is for Motorhomes over 3 meters high and over 3.5t got charged last year group four from Calais to Bordeaux but was A-framing my Skoda Citigo behind me thus four axles, group four, cost £215 one way but quick.

https://www.tolltickets.com/

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[2657]

Well have to agree to differ then. As I said... most people who get charged class three who speak with the operator are reduced to class 2. We just avoid the conversation.
As for people coming to the UK and abusing the limited toll system ... are you unaware of the Dartford problems? At least we pay the same as everyone else.
I take it if you got charged class 2 you would stop and make sure you paid a higher rate?

As I said because you get away with it does not make it right.

If I was in a Class 3 or 4 vehicle and was charged Class 2 I would be hardly likely to start a conversation in my extremely limited French in order to pay more. On the other hand I would also not start a conversation in order to reduce the toll.

I would also not deliberately cheat the system by using the toll tag when not in a Class 2 vehicle, this topic has been raised before, probably in the earlier link.

The Law is the Law

Rules is Rules.......both phrases in common usage on here and elsewhere but not normally by me



I would have thought that all law abiding funsters would agree

Edit: Yes I am unaware of the Dartford problems, I avoid that part of the country like the plague!

Presumably the pesky foreigners are cheating our system and someone is rightfully annoyed about it.

 

[funflair]

I use tolltickets that is for Motorhomes over 3 meters high and over 3.5t got charged last year group four from Calais to Bordeaux but was A-framing my Skoda Citigo behind me thus four axles, group four, cost £215 one way but quick.

https://www.tolltickets.com/

Thats interesting, I didn't realise you could get the +3.5t box privately (TIS-PL) a good option for anybody who wants to use a "toll box" without bending the rules.

The toll section past Bordeaux seems a little odd, the one time we rolled up they wanted about Euro 16 and the screen read "euro4" as I knew we were class 3 tops I pressed the button and thats when the man came out and said we were too big for camping car "giant" he said, he tried to explain the euro4 on the screen was not class 4 but a charge to do with emissions and if we wanted to argue we needed to get all of our documents out and make our case in French.

Dont know what it's like now as its easy to avoid them so never been back.

Martin

 

[PhilandMena]

Forget Tolls. Use this instead.

http://about-france.com/tourism/no-tolls-routes.htm

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