Paying tolls in Portugal

[Scattycat]

Hi folks,
Does anybody know how the toll system works in Portugal?
We were there 3 years ago and although the gantries and cameras were in place we never had to pay anything.

 

[sciac2001]

All campers who we have asked have said that they ignore the tolls. These campers are Brits, Germans, Dutch and French.
I am not entirely at ease with doing that so will avoid Portugal until clearer information is available. Hopefully here on the Forum.

 

[cliffanger]

We stayed there a couple of years ago. We hired a car and went on a section of the motorway by mistake. We went to the post office and paid for the date we had been on it (can't remember how much but it was cents rather than euros) but they did have records of the car being on the motorway the week before and that charge hadn't been paid. I asked if they could track us when we we had returned home, and they said they could and would - not sure if they would bother though, unless it was a lot of money at issue. We just didn't bother going on the motorways - the roads in the Algarve were fine for us.

 

[JJ]

Warning...

A Brit "motorhomer" who has used the electronic tolls for years without paying just got caught and was met with a €450 ish bill...

Lol lol lol.

Sorry I can't help with the new toll roads payment 'cos I don't use them and if I did the bill would be sent to my Portuguese address.

The old toll roads are normal... collect a ticket going on and pay when leaving. Have cash at nights when the booth operators go home...

JJ

 

[Scattycat]

All campers who we have asked have said that they ignore the tolls. These campers are Brits, Germans, Dutch and French.
I am not entirely at ease with doing that so will avoid Portugal until clearer information is available. Hopefully here on the Forum.

Avoiding Portugal is a bit drastic, if you have concerns just avoid the toll roads

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[bobandjanie]

Its easy not to use toll roads in Portugal, after all its a small country and we would not be happy racing through it. Bob.

 

[jumar]

When entering Portugal from Spain on a motorway it's a very easy system. Follow the signs for foreign visitors into a lane where a photo is taken of your vehicle and where you register a credit card in the machine there. Tolls will then be automatically deducted. This is valid for 30 days.

The problems occur if you enter Portugal on a minor road and then want to use a motorway sometime during your trip. We haven't found a way to register in this case.

We also know someone who has been stopped and all his motorway use was registered on computer and he had to pay up. No fines were charged though, just his back fees.

Only drivers of Portuguese registered vehicles can pay at the Post Office as far as we can ascertain.

There is more information on this site.

Broken Link Removed

 

[Billy23]

Warning...

A Brit "motorhomer" who has used the electronic tolls for years without paying just got caught and was met with a €450 ish bill...

Lol lol lol.

Sorry I can't help with the new toll roads payment 'cos I don't use them and if I did the bill would be sent to my Portuguese address.

The old toll roads are normal... collect a ticket going on and pay when leaving. Have cash at nights when the booth operators go home...

JJ

I live just an hour away from Portugal and yes, I agree they do stop you and you do have to pay the back payments, they "See" you on the motorway with the gantre cameras.

I do just have to ask the question, WHY would you not want to pay the toll? I mean you don't HAVE to use the motorway but if you do, seems reasonable that you should pay, or is it me?

 

[DBK]

I would just add to jumar's description when you draw up to the machine drive right up to the line. The camera can then read your number plate and the machine will then wake up. Insert your bank card, I used a visa debit, and it will print out a receipt.

If you don't drive far enough forward nothing happens. Did that last month!

 

[sciac2001]

If all I need to do is register a credit/debit card then thats fine and simple and I will no doubt visit the country some time soon.
At the moment there is soooo much of Spain that I still need to explore. Thanks all.

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[Billy23]

I would say to watch the card that you register as I made the mistake of using my Lloyds debit card, thinking that they charged one amount at the end of the month....mistake, Lloyds charge for every transaction in Europe and the Portuguese toll system charges for ever trip as it happens, so use the road today, that's one transaction, charge it and Lloyds charge a fee, use the road in 2 days time....another transaction ....another fee!!

Just a thought.

 

[sciac2001]

Thanks for the headsup. We use a caxton fx card preloaded with euros so hopefully the toll will be the amount we pay.

 

[2657]

I live just an hour away from Portugal and yes, I agree they do stop you and you do have to pay the back payments, they "See" you on the motorway with the gantre cameras.

I do just have to ask the question, WHY would you not want to pay the toll? I mean you don't HAVE to use the motorway but if you do, seems reasonable that you should pay, or is it me?

I agree with your point about paying if you us the toll roads and a little research will find the means to do this but WHY use the toll roads!!!

You know the N125, how long to do the 80 + miles from the Spanish border to Lagos? 3 or 4 hours plus the wear and tear on your vehicle. A22 toll road hour and a half nice and easy,no traffic lights roundabouts, tractors, If I want to get from A to B without the sightseeing then I use the toll road.

Information on tolls here:http://www.portugaltolls.pt/en/web/portal-de-portagens/home

PS I have always endeavoured to pay but sometimes in the past this was very difficult, in May this year we were travelling through Northern Portugal and stopped at a service area, we were approached by some officials in a car armed with a computer who had all our details from day one including the ones we had paid and some that got missed due to the inefficiency of their system.
Of course we paid without a fine but there was an administration fee, they do keep records.

 

[2657]

I would say to watch the card that you register as I made the mistake of using my Lloyds debit card, thinking that they charged one amount at the end of the month....mistake, Lloyds charge for every transaction in Europe and the Portuguese toll system charges for ever trip as it happens, so use the road today, that's one transaction, charge it and Lloyds charge a fee, use the road in 2 days time....another transaction ....another fee!!

Just a thought.

I have used the automatic system at the border three times now with a Nationwide credit card and never had a payment deducted. When we were stopped the journeys we made under this system were not charged for and to date no payments have been deducted . I don't know what happened with the system or if it will be the same now, we have just returned to Portugal but have not registered yet.

 

[DBK]

Nothing has come off my account yet. Interestingly, the receipt the machine printed off had the last letter from the registration number missing. We shall see. Sounds like as though if we go back to Portugal I need to carry some spare change for the police!

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[MikeD]

We registered the van on entry into Portugal on the motorway at the special booth. Then the credit card was charged each time we passed a auto reader.

Tolls were not expensive in Portugal and we did not begrudge the cost (unlike France)

The coast road (125) was really a posh cart track compared to the billiard table motorways. You will often be the only vehicle on them.

 

[Funnymunny]

We have stopped at the border and registered the last 2 years, the first year went ok we only used it one way but last year we registered and drove up to Lagos and payment was stopped, 6 weeks later we returned and no payments have been deducted. We had nowhere to re-register on the way out but I did expect them to have my card details, the whole system is crazy to say the least.

We intend going back again this January so hope we don't end up with any fines, anybody got any real idea how the hell they work the system.

 

[2657]

We have stopped at the border and registered the last 2 years, the first year went ok we only used it one way but last year we registered and drove up to Lagos and payment was stopped, 6 weeks later we returned and no payments have been deducted. We had nowhere to re-register on the way out but I did expect them to have my card details, the whole system is crazy to say the least.

We intend going back again this January so hope we don't end up with any fines, anybody got any real idea how the hell they work the system.

I would not worry about it,if you are unlucky enough to get checked and they can see that you made an attempt to pay then from our experience you will only be asked to pay what you would have paid anyway with a small administrative charge and no fine.

 

[DBK]

I think I'm beginning to like Portugal. Do they use a word equivalent to the Spanish mañana? Or as the old joke goes perhaps they can't conceive of anything that urgent?

 

[peter marshall]

I posted on here earlier this year re Portugal tolls, we entered portugal from Spain via Salamanca then down from there free all the way, but on leaving Albufera we joined the toll motorway NO toll booth to get a ticket plenty of cameras on the trip NO toll booth to pay on entry to Spain ( I believe the booth is on entry not exit) so how do you pay there was no period during our stay available to register a card, I have paid tolls in Spain France & a Vignette in Switzerland & the USA so I am not averse for paying BUT if not given the option what can you do, I have heared since something about a card ? but that was when we got back. Pete

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[Billy23]

I posted on here earlier this year re Portugal tolls, we entered portugal from Spain via Salamanca then down from there free all the way, but on leaving Albufera we joined the toll motorway NO toll booth to get a ticket plenty of cameras on the trip NO toll booth to pay on entry to Spain ( I believe the booth is on entry not exit) so how do you pay there was no period during our stay available to register a card, I have paid tolls in Spain France & a Vignette in Switzerland & the USA so I am not averse for paying BUT if not given the option what can you do, I have heared since something about a card ? but that was when we got back. Pete

You can pay at any service station cash or card.

 

[peter marshall]

You can pay at any service station cash or card.

Ok but if you dont know what to do and never been there before ?

 

[Scattycat]

I live just an hour away from Portugal and yes, I agree they do stop you and you do have to pay the back payments, they "See" you on the motorway with the gantre cameras.

I do just have to ask the question, WHY would you not want to pay the toll? I mean you don't HAVE to use the motorway but if you do, seems reasonable that you should pay, or is it me?

When we went before it wasn't a case of trying to avoid paying, it was a case of not knowing how to pay them.
That's why I've asked the question so we know how to pay this time

 

[Billy23]

Ok but if you dont know what to do and never been there before ?

Please don't misunderstand me, I know it is difficult under those circumstances, but you are lucky in Portugal, lots of people speak English (where my house in Spain is, you are very lucky to find English speakers) so I would suggest, ask somebody, or post on this forum. Having said that, so long as you are prepared to pay when caught (and not complain) not a problem!

 

[2657]

Ok but if you dont know what to do and never been there before ?

It is undoubtedly a silly system but a little research, plenty of info in the past on this forum.

In my earlier link under 'How to pay' is this " buy it at CTT post-offices, at Portugese highway's service areas or at www. tollcard.p

Unfortunately this link does not work but clicking on the 'Buy Here' link in the same section does, they don't like to make things easy!!

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[peter marshall]

[/QUOTE]

Please don't misunderstand me, I know it is difficult under those circumstances, but you are lucky in Portugal, lots of people speak English (where my house in Spain is, you are very lucky to find English speakers) so I would suggest, ask somebody, or post on this forum. Having said that, so long as you are prepared to pay when caught (and not complain) not a problem!

Yes I can see that now but if you are expecting a booth down the road and there is none thats when you cant pay and you dont know about cards at shops why ask somebody about paying when you dont know there is going to be a problem until it happens. Pete