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Hi Guys

Just wanted to know if you leave a toll motorway to say, go in search of cheaper fuel, then rejoin the motorway, do you have to pay that section again or not ?

Might seem a daft question but I'm not sure how it works so any info would be great.

Cheers

Guzz

Hi Guzz

Don't forget that petrol stations OFF the Autoroutes are CLOSED on a Sunday.

They do have credit card pumps but UK cards do not work at them.

Its very embarrasing asking little French ladies to pay for you

Last year we were overtaken at high speed by a large outfit

A few miles further on we stopped at an Aire and the outfit was on the car park being unhitched

The driver then left the lady of the party with 3 small children in the caravan to leave the Autoroute to search for fuel

You do use more fuel at higher speeds and on French Autoroutes filling stations are sometimes a long way apart.

So the moral is drive sensibly and keep the tank filled up long before the low level warning light comes on.

Its really not going to be a saving on fuel if you have to drive miles to a supermarket and have to break the journey.

1 cent is only a fraction a penny so it seems a lot cheaper than it really is very often 

Can I just add for people new to the toll system (following absolute bedlam at the end of a motorway a few weeks ago!) that you may come across some hassle at the toll booths at busy times.

Firstly, the booths may be situated where the motorway splits into two directions - so (obvious point) look above the booths for the signs for the next road you want before joining a queue.  It's usual for it to be the same stretch of road for a few hundred metres the other side of the booths, so it may not be a problem, but then there will be a lot of lane changing the other side and it can get a bit dodgy!  Alternatively, it might break away immediately, so if you are in the wrong lane ......

Secondly, don't get in a queue for the 't' signs if you don't have the 'badge' transponder that allows you to drive straight through the 't' lanes. These gadgets cost money, so that we can drive through without having to pay by cash or by credit cards.  Our credit cards, or French bank accounts (can't be run from a UK bank account) are then debited automatically.  It's purely for convenience and a lot of business people in France have them as it's worth paying extra to get through quickly.  That said, some deals actually mean that it works out cheaper if you use the same routes a lot!  The point is, please don't queue at a 't' sign as you will just hold everyone up and those of us with the 't' badge don't want to hang around.  Plus 't' lanes are height restricted and you won't get through without the relevant badge.

Thirdly, the French do not like queues or traffic lanes!  They will pull out all the stops to try to get to the front.  They drive down a red-cross (closed) lane as far as possible and then try to push in ...... and they can get very aggressive.  They particularly look out for foreign stickers, caravans and vans that might be a little slow off the mark and edge their way in.  It's in their nature.  BUT, if you've ever driven round the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on a Friday during rush hour as I did some years ago, having taken the wrong road, you will realise that it's a 'one and one' situation.  They dive across in front as soon as they see a space developing and they do seem to operate by letting one car go and then moving themselves.  I was amazed to find that I got right round the Arc in next to no time and quite easily, just by accepting their apparent 'system'.  So, let one in, then stick to your guns - the French will see that you have let one car in and accept you driving tight up behind him in a queue and they will look to jump in behind.

Fouthly, if you don't have a 't' badge then you have to pay by cash or card.  So it helps to be ready.  The routing websites such as www.viamichelin.com and www.mappy.com show the anticipated tolls on your journey, if you stick to that route.  So, you can be ready.  In the past, my wife has been sitting in the passenger seat armed with the info and not realised that she doesn't have enough money to pay.  (D'oh!).  So, I've then had to try to extract my wallet from my back pocket and find the cash ..... all of which holds people up and they get agitated.  (Mind you, if they came over here and hit the M25 during the rush hours perhaps they wouldn't worry so much about a few extra seconds at a toll booth!)

Fifthly, the lanes are clearly marked with a red cross for closed, or green for open.

Lastly, I can't believe how many minor shunts I've seen at toll booths at busy times where there is a lot of queuing.  This is due to people pushing in, jumping lanes, approaching too fast etc ..... and the all time favourite, waiting with foot on the brakes and rolling back into the car behind.  If a gap is left, people will keep trying to push in, so many motorists leave next to no gap between them and the car in front.  Sitting with foot on the brake is not only annoying for the driver behind if he's facing highlevel bright lights, but dodgy when drivers are tired - roll back 3 inches and you might break someones headlight lens.  I've also seen cars at toll booths tear right across all lanes when they spot a motorway shop or toilets!  So, it pays to be alert.

All the above is from my own experience - others may have different experiences - but I HTH.

Oozat

just to add...have just travelled up from Perpignan to Calais all on Auto routes. Passed through many tolls with no problems,but stuck mainly to cash ones. Didnt bother about leaving to find fuel, just as happy to fill up on the "aire's" as it's still cheaper than the uk! Take the point though about enough cash we had to scrabble a few times for extra to cover the van. All in all, the french motorways are excellent means of crossing france especially if you are the "head down " variety ! personally I prefer to "oggle" ! my way across france !

garyandsue

As an after thought I will be travelling through France on the motor Bike at the end of the week, am I right in thinking that Bikes are free in France?

When going to Italy in the car I avoid France because of the tolls.

Hi Nero

If I remember rightly  Bikes are 1 Euro --- But don't quote me on that till I can check it out...