French Toll road payment

[Mick-B]

Hmmmm....

Not what it says on their website. I may have been rolled ....

Quite - I'm not sure I fully understand the "Useful information" offered by Liber-t. It appears to say that only Class 1 vehicles (car with height less than or equal to 2 m) can use the reserved "t" lane exclusive for Class 1 - i.e. it does what it says on the tin! In the absence of a reserved Class 1 "t" lane, you can use a mixed lane (indicated by a green arrow and a "t") or, if it's a green arrow only lane, your transaction will be handled by the attendant.

If on the other hand you ride a motorcycle (Class 5), or drive a Class 2 vehicle (e.g. a van, a car/caravan combo, etc - having a total height greater than 2 m and less than 3 m, or with a gross weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes), or with an unusual load on the roof of your Class 1 vehicle (such as a bicycle on a roof-top carrier which takes you over the 2m height restriction), you can't use the Class 1 reserved lane but need to use a mixed lane indicated by a green arrow and a "t" or use a green arrow only lane - what I can't work out is whether your transaction will be handled by the attendant, period, or whether it's still automated if you use the "mixed" lane...

The page is http://www.telepeagelibert.com/decouvrez-liber-t/infos-pratiques.htm for anyone out there who has an excellent command of the language.

 

[Mick-B]

Automatic tolls are all over the place nowadays, and do seem to be getting better. However, I'd say between 10-20% of the time, it still incorrectly detects the bike as a car and charges the higher rate so they're not fullproof.
If you're looking to get into the correct lane, when on a bike, this is what happens.

Green arrow + T => works fine
Green arrow => car price charged
T => car price charged
T+CB => works for bike
CB => car price charged

If you don't mind paying car prices then you can go through any of them you like, including the telepeage sans arret which work at 30 km/h

Bon route

Which appears to succinctly answer my rambling question - thanks Franco!

 

[John Armstrong]

Some usefull information here:

http://about-france.com/travel.htm#tolls

including costs of tolls this year.

 

[Wapping]

I cannot for the life of me fathom why bods find French motorways, their tolls, their attended (and unattended) booths, their telepayage lanes (and T-bleepers) the illuminated (and unilluminated) signs and whether you can (or cannot) enter all or any any or just some of the lanes in a car or on a motorbike and...... when they have just about managed to understand it all .....how to pay, whether to remove their gloves, use a credit card, take coins or beg at the roadside.

Just how feckin' difficult can it be and just how complicated do some people seem determined to make it? It's a feckin' one way, one time transaction toll booth. It's not difficult.

You get 100's of meters of warning that a barrier of booths is approaching. During that period prepare yourself. Look at the signs as you approach, work out which of the lanes applies to you (and your individual circumstances) at that moment and then use it appropriately.

 

[Bugbear]

I have developed a simple system over the years that has never failed.

Quick and No glove removal requirements.

Put sufficient money for the days tolls in a small zip-up bag (can I say purse on here).

Keep it handy.

Grab ticket on entry and stick in purse.

When you come to pay hand purse to attendant and smile. They will take the ticket and money and give it back to you. Smile again and say thank you.


Note:
With automatic pay booths if you find it showing 'car' rates, some still do, simply press the button on the top right of the box and it will change, as if by magic, to bike rates.

In Spain the prices are the same for bikes and cars.

Its not rocket science.

 

[Rasher]

Put sufficient money for the days tolls in a small zip-up bag (can I say purse on here).

Keep it handy.

Grab ticket on entry and stick in purse.

When you come to pay hand purse to attendant and smile. They will take the ticket and money and give it back to you. Smile again and say thank you.

Think I picked up tht tip here a few years back, I just use a plastic zip bag with change in and put it in my front tank bag pocket, I can in and out of this with gloves on.

I can also put a debit card here which works as well, hand over ticket and card - job done.

If your two-up the passenger can more easily work the money / ticket, this was my old method, she takes ticket and puts it in her pocket as she can start removing gloves as we slow for the toll, and put them back on as we pull away.

I also find in France the tolls are well spaced so even on full day of motorway it only tends to be 2-3 toll booths so not the end of the world if you take a couple of minutes at each one.

 

[franco]

I also find in France the tolls are well spaced so even on full day of motorway it only tends to be 2-3 toll booths so not the end of the world if you take a couple of minutes at each one.

Unless you go from St Tropez to Monaco, and there are tolls every 5 feckin minutes

 

[Mick-B]

I cannot for the life of me fathom why bods find French motorways, their tolls, their attended (and unattended) booths, their telepayage lanes (and T-bleepers) the illuminated (and unilluminated) signs and whether you can (or cannot) enter all or any any or just some of the lanes in a car or on a motorbike and...... when they have just about managed to understand it all .....how to pay, whether to remove their gloves, use a credit card, take coins or beg at the roadside.

Just how feckin' difficult can it be and just how complicated do some people seem determined to make it? It's a feckin' one way, one time transaction toll booth. It's not difficult.

You get 100's of meters of warning that a barrier of booths is approaching. During that period prepare yourself. Look at the signs as you approach, work out which of the lanes applies to you (and your individual circumstances) at that moment and then use it appropriately.

I agree that in general use of the toll system is completely obvious, irrespective of whether one wants to tender cash or CB but I believe one or two (myself included) were interested in establishing if there was any advantage (e.g. convenience) in using a Liber-t tag. If it's fully automated: "result!", but; if it's not: "no point, I'll continue to use my VISA debit card thank you".

The tag system is not something most UK drivers have familiarity with and it seemed a reasonable idea to acquire, from those who do, at least a working knowledge in advance - if only, as indicated above, to determine if there is any advantage in so doing. Thanks to Franco's very brief but hugely informative response, it appears there is - enquiry answered!

 

[Bugbear]

Unless you go from St Tropez to Monaco, and there are tolls every 5 feckin minutes

You just have to get used to throwing money into a basket

 

[PaulW]

Yes. Many of the automatic lanes have a sensor that detects the presence of a motorcycle as opposed to any other vehicle.

Simply avoid those lanes which specifically exclude motorcycles... clearly shown on the signs as you approach.

If you get it wrong, the worst that can happen is that you'll pay a car rate.

DO NOT go through the 'Rapid transit' lanes, which require a 'bleeper' (Telepayage) usually bright orange, marked with a 'T' and to the left of the carriageway.

The barrier will NOT open unless you have a bleeper and you'll only annoy the bods in the cars behind whilst you hold them up.


Here's a usful guide to the motorway signs. Scroll down a bit.

http://visitnormandy.wordpress.com/...sarthe-french-traffic-signs-highway-code-etc/

Thanks for that, I shall be putting it into practice this September

 

[franco]

You just have to get used to throwing money into a basket

Or just keep going until you gently tap the barrier, then it opens automatically I use my telebadge most of the time, though it is satisfying having a queue of cars build up whilst you slowly remove your gloves, sort the change out, put yer wallet away, put your gloves back on, then head off

 

[John Armstrong]

Got my telepeage thingy in the post today one query, for cars they show it up by the internal rear view mirror, so will it work if it's inside a top box? Or, does it need to have a clear view ahead, and so would be better on the front of the bike / inside a tank bag. I know there's a way to find out, but relocating it on the side of the autoroute when it doesn't talk to the machine in the peage seems like too much faff

 

[pablo666]

Isn't there a 'free' bike lane over to the right of most tolls?

 

[Wapping]

one query, for cars they show it up by the internal rear view mirror, so will it work if it's inside a top box? Or, does it need to have a clear view ahead.....

Swallow it and point your finger

 

[John Armstrong]

Swallow it and point your finger

Oh no more decisions

Which of the eight fingers

Pointing upwards, downwards or horizontal

Only left hand as the right should be controlling the throttle

Only right hand as might need to use the clutch to drop down or go up a gear

 

[franco]

Got my telepeage thingy in the post today one query, for cars they show it up by the internal rear view mirror, so will it work if it's inside a top box? Or, does it need to have a clear view ahead, and so would be better on the front of the bike / inside a tank bag. I know there's a way to find out, but relocating it on the side of the autoroute when it doesn't talk to the machine in the peage seems like too much faff

Probably not, though it does work on the dashboard glovebox with the lid shut on a Sharan I usually put mine in a waterproof pocket on the front of my jacket. Sometimes it takes 10 seconds or so to detect it, very occasionally you have to get it oot, and wave it in front of the sensor. Mostly it works

 

[franco]

Isn't there a 'free' bike lane over to the right of most tolls?

IS there feck I've only ever seen that in a few tolls, mostly round Lyon/Clermont, but it's the exception rather than the rule. Ye get bugger all free from Escota (company who runs the Autoroutes in the south east)

Rob

 

[John Armstrong]

Probably not, though it does work on the dashboard glovebox with the lid shut on a Sharan I usually put mine in a waterproof pocket on the front of my jacket. Sometimes it takes 10 seconds or so to detect it, very occasionally you have to get it oot, and wave it in front of the sensor. Mostly it works

And if that doesn't work? Shout slowly and clearly at the machine, in English of course?

 

[franco]

And if that doesn't work? Shout slowly and clearly at the machine, in English of course?

If you roll slowly forward an tap the barrier, it opens automatically, safety feature ye see. And 'most' of them only video you from the front so ye'd be fine
Don't tell them I told ya though ha ha

 

[John Armstrong]

If you roll slowly forward an tap the barrier, it opens automatically, safety feature ye see. And 'most' of them only video you from the front so ye'd be fine
Don't tell them I told ya though ha ha

Told me what