Portuguese Toll Roads

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Caterhamkid

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Anyone had much experience on using the toll roads down through Portugal from Santiago to Porto and onto the Algarve.
We have a transponder which works great through France and Spain, and we’re led to believe it worked through Portugal, but other MH’s have told us to beware that the toll roads are camera operated and unless you use the right system at the tolls you can get fined 10 times the toll due. Apparently you need to buy an account using your credit card which is tied in to your reg no.
 
When we went to Portugal a few years ago.

We registered our van as we crossed the border at the appropriate booth. It was clearly marked.

The tolls are pretty cheap, especially compared to France.

They just took them off the credit card we registered.

It was pretty easy and painless (y)
 
We registered too quite straightforward, but it is only valid for 30 days and then it was a problem as we were already in the country, purchasing at the post office a total pain and a long queue, so if you are planning a long stay I would buy another tag
 
It's all explained in this



Follow the link for 'How to Pay'



Easy toll is the one that you can associate your reg number to a credit card but is only available at certain entry points which are shown in the link.

The tollcard can be purchased online before you enter Portugal but is a prepayment system and can be purchased and topped up online when necessary by following the 'Buy Here' link below.

http://www.tollcard.pt/fetcwcm/wcmservlet/en/home/index.html

Simples:)
 
Caterhamkid said:
Anyone had much experience on using the toll roads down through Portugal from Santiago to Porto and onto the Algarve.
We have a transponder which works great through France and Spain, and we’re led to believe it worked through Portugal, but other MH’s have told us to beware that the toll roads are camera operated and unless you use the right system at the tolls you can get fined 10 times the toll due. Apparently you need to buy an account using your credit card which is tied in to your reg no.
Click to expand...
I used a tag in Portugal last year and was really confused at the time as the motorways aren't all the same. There are all electronic roads and traditional ones. :)

The system is described in the first link @matamoros posts above in the Temporary Via Verde Device section.

If you have the tag don't register on entering the country. On electronic only motorways it will beep as you pass under gantrys. On traditional toll roads with toll booths choose the Via Verde lane, which will probably be on the left.
:)

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We registered and use the toll motorway and were not charged. The system is flawed, in my opinion in favour of those who register as the threads on here seem to prove non registration is where the Portuguese seem to really make their money as the locals by and large boycott the motorways.
 
We always register, but very rarely use the toll roads, it's generally not necessary unless you're in a rush.
 
If your existing transponder for Spain is the one from Emovis, we used that one successfully last year in Portugal, no need to register on entry. (And as you can see from the link in Matamoros’s post, there are plenty of entry points into Portugal without a “Foreigners” registration point.)
 
We ended up on one of the electronic sections last year so bought a pre paid voucher on line. Vaid for 12 months and 60 days after last use you can claim back any unused amount.
 
Lenny HB said:
We ended up on one of the electronic sections last year so bought a pre paid voucher on line. Vaid for 12 months and 60 days after last use you can claim back any unused amount.
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We did the same, used one section of toll road travelling north from below Porto and were charged less than €2. Our account didn’t show the reduced balance for a week.
Very simple system to use once you understand it!

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Allanm said:
We did the same, used one section of toll road travelling north from below Porto and were charged less than €2. Our account didn’t show the reduced balance for a week.
Very simple system to use once you understand it!
Click to expand...
Providing you buy a voucher the same day its OK but if you buy after you can ring them up and they will backdate it even though their website says foreign visitors can't post pay.
When you buy another voucher it uses your registration number and just tops up the first one.
As you say very easy once you have got your head around it and the voucher lasts for a year. If you use your CC at the boarder it's only valid for 30 days a few people have fallen foul of that.
 
We are in Portugal with an Emovis tag at the moment. It is a bit confusing but as DBK says, on some motorways it beeps as you go under various gantries but when you go through the toll booth type it’s very different. You must take the lane with the white V on a green background. Firstly this lane doesn’t have a barrier and in theory you can drive through at up to 60kpm, but I would not recommend it! Secondly it doesn’t beep. At first we thought it hadn’t worked but when you leave the motorway it flashes the charge applied up on a small screen. To be honest I’m really glad I got one and highly recommend it.

Regards Chris
 
chrisinplymouth said:
We are in Portugal with an Emovis tag at the moment. It is a bit confusing but as DBK says, on some motorways it beeps as you go under various gantries but when you go through the toll booth type it’s very different. You must take the lane with the white V on a green background. Firstly this lane doesn’t have a barrier and in theory you can drive through at up to 60kpm, but I would not recommend it! Secondly it doesn’t beep. At first we thought it hadn’t worked but when you leave the motorway it flashes the charge applied up on a small screen. To be honest I’m really glad I got one and highly recommend it.

Regards Chris
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But did you register at the border? Is it absolutely necessary to register even if you have a transponder? We're just back and didn't register at the border because we had the transponder, and as you say, it beeped on Via tolls, didn't on the gantry kind, but a price did come up on exiting the gantry, so we assumed it was deducted. I am hoping we won't get fined. It is not at all clear, for a bear of very little brain!
 
I am a bit confused by you saying you used a transponder in France and Spain, because AFAIK there is no tranponder that does both, unless you are using an HGV one.

We have 2 transponders, both got via Euro tunnel. One for France and the "bip and go" one for Spain and Portugal. If you have the bip and go one it works on all toll roads in Portugal including the electronic tolls. You should not register at the border for the electronic tolls as you will end up paying twice.
 
We certainly didn’t register at the border - and if I recall, someone has expressed concern that if you do register as well as using a tag, there is the possibility of double charging. I have no idea if there is any basis in fact for this or whether it’s just urban myth! (Edit : Not meaning to doubt previous poster - our posts crossed.)

But I don’t see how it could be necessary:
1. Last year was the first time we actually went by a registration point on entering Portugal - normally we come into Portugal on normal roads, not motorways - and there are only 4 such registration points, according to the link from Matamoros.
2. Paying by toll tag is a separate method of payment, and as the link makes clear the registration (Easytoll) system applies only on “overhead gantry” motorways. Your tag also works on conventional toll booth ones, using the Via Verde lane. (Depending on where you use motorways, there are some pretty significant ones of that type, including the main motorway from Porto to Lisbon.)

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peterc10 said:
I am a bit confused by you saying you used a transponder in France and Spain, because AFAIK there is no tranponder that does both, unless you are using an HGV one.

We have 2 transponders, both got via Euro tunnel. One for France and the "bip and go" one for Spain and Portugal. If you have the bip and go one it works on all toll roads in Portugal including the electronic tolls. You should not register at the border for the electronic tolls as you will end up paying twice.
Click to expand...
It's an APRR one, does France, Spain, Portugal, and it does work in each country. I could also have added Italy, but didn't. It's for anything UNDER 3.5T. My previous Emovis expired, and as you say, you had to have one for each country, and they recommended you keep the one you didn't need hidden out of view. So I replaced it with the APRR one. ANd that paying twice thing is precisely why I didn't register at the border. So I do hope you're correct.
 
Dorwyn said:
It's an APRR one, does France, Spain, Portugal, and it does work in each country. I could also have added Italy, but didn't. It's for anything UNDER 3.5T. My previous Emovis expired, and as you say, you had to have one for each country, and they recommended you keep the one you didn't need hidden out of view. So I replaced it with the APRR one. ANd that paying twice thing is precisely why I didn't register at the border. So I do hope you're correct.
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Never heard of that one. Do you have a link please as we wiill bo going to Italy in the autumn.
 
peterc10 said:
Never heard of that one. Do you have a link please as we wiill bo going to Italy in the autumn.
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I'm looking for a link, not having much luck at the mo. It's a French based company, when you do get onto the web site, the application form is in French, and inmy case was a bit flaky, but that may be down to my computer. I'll keep looking!
 
We've registered in the past when we've entered via a registration point and the amounts were deducted from the credit card. We've also, on another occasion, bought a prepaid ticket.

A few weeks ago we entered at Monsaraz so nowhere to register. We used the Algarve motorway to exit Portugal because of the forecast bad weather. We stopped at the first fuel station to get a prepaid ticket, but because of problems, it wasn't possible.

We used the motorway and exited into Spain. On our return home we contacted the Portuguese toll company who said after 15 days we'd be on the system. We've just received a further response from them saying we don't owe anything!!!

We've kept a copy of this response in case of any future problems.

There's something not working somewhere o_O.

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jumartoo said:
There's something not working somewhere o_O.
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It doesn't seem fit for purpose, or at least chaotic. On the one hand, there's a possibility of huge fines if you get it wrong, on the other, it's vague and complicated for us poor Brits.
 
Solwaybuggier said:
If your existing transponder for Spain is the one from Emovis, we used that one successfully last year in Portugal, no need to register on entry. (And as you can see from the link in Matamoros’s post, there are plenty of entry points into Portugal without a “Foreigners” registration point.)
Click to expand...
I have a toll tag for our trip from emovis. Does that cover all toll roads in Portugal?
 

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