Millau Bridge tolls

[tonyfletcher]

Just been to South of France and towed a car behind the MH. Got charged 9 Euros each way over the bridge.

Did speak to a Chap who crossed with a TAG Axle earlier this year, they tried to charge him 60 Euros 50 cents as he had 3 Axles.

After a long debate, he told them he was not going to pay and he was going to turn around and go back. They eventually agreed with him and charged him 9 Euros (Class 2)

mmm, was someone on the make there???

Cheers

Tony

[johnnerontheroad]

The bridge site just as confusing http://www.leviaducdemillau.com/english/divers/tarifs.php

 

Dave

[mike 202]

21ft four wheels, 3500 Kg, I assume we are class 2, but can anyone confirm. We are travelling back to UK in october 2010 so am very interested in what the charges are. if we vare charged class 3 then it will be a view of the Milleau from below in the village.

thanks Mike

[johnnerontheroad]

johnnerontheroad - 2010-09-21 6:01 PM

 

The bridge site just as confusing http://www.leviaducdemillau.com/english/divers/tarifs.php

 

Dave

 

Just found the french link and it is up to date not cheap,

 

http://www.leviaducdemillau.com/divers/tarifs.php

 

Dave

[tonyfletcher]

We are 24 foot and less than 3 metres high but we were towing a car. We got charged 9 euros each way 3 days ago.

It looks like higher than 3 metres is regarded different.

I do not think they have the facilty to measure exactly how tall you are

hope you had a good time

Tony

 

[Guest Tracker]

tonyfletcher - 2010-09-21 8:14 PM

I do not think they have the facilty to measure exactly how tall you are

 

There may well be an infra red beam on the toll booth approach set at 3.0 mtrs?

 

To my mind it's well worth 9 euros for the experience and for the time saved - unless you are tired of the experience and have plenty of time?

[Keithl]

Guys,

 

The answer was in the last post.

Below the Tariff's there is a small, almost invisible, link called "Les classes de véhicules".

This will open a pdf of how to define the classes.

 

My limited French tells me that a Camping Car under 3 metres high AND under 3.5 tonnes PTAC is Class 2.

If over 3 metres OR over 3.5 tonnes PTAC then it is class 3.

 

I assume PTAC is our equivalent of GVW or MAM and this is the reason why the French and German prefer MH's under 3,500 kg.

 

Simples really.

 

Keith.

 

Edit. 2 Posts sneaked in while I was typing!

[jb6981]

Normally at manual autoroute toll we are charged as a class 2; the only time I have been hit for a class 3 is the Millau Bridge, we were again charged Euro 21.30, in July, going south, so on the way back home we came off at the junction before Millau. There is a lay by above the town where you can stop to admire the bridge.

 

Millau used to be a nightmare but now its traffic free since they opened the bridge.

 

So, go the scenic route for about half an hour and save 21.30 Euros!!

[peter lambert]

We used the Millau Bridge both ways this year on our holiday to the South coast. Both times we were charged 9.20 euros (class2) with no problems. Our van is 7.1m long and 2.8m high.

[jb6981]

Unfortunately my van is 3.2 mtrs high and 7.5 mtrs long, and we have a tag axle.

[Minstrel]

We were only charged at class 2 rate on the Millau bridge, but as we are over 3 metres high, it generally comes up as class 3 - which is the commercial vehicle rate. On a previous thread I mentioned that on an automatic (non-manned) exit from motorways we have to press the button and tell them we are a camping car - using French. It's always been altered back to class 2.

 

I hasten to add that we really prefer the N roads unless there are too many villages and towns to slow us down.

[Keithl]

But unfortunately on Millau a Camping car over 3 metres high is Class 3 and not the more usual Class 2.

 

Keith.

[whisturx]

Crossed the Millau Bridge in May and charged 9 euros. On return in June 29.50 euros (Group 4)!!!! I am over 3.5 ton, 7.6 metres long and 3.15 metres high and tandem axle.

Refused to pay so we were threatened with the police. They gave us a complaints form which I sent off on our return. They said I was in the same group as an artic because of the tandem axle and being over 3.5 ton.

We now go round Millau town !!

[Clive]

The views of the bridge are far more dramatic from the surrounding countryside than from the bridge itself.

http://www.motts.org/MILLAU%20VIADUCT.htm

 

C.

 

 

[tonyishuk]

We are a 24ft 9ft 11inch high m/home @3.5 ton and get charged 2nd class.

 

Similar vehicles by the same manufacturer could be a 3.7 or 4 ton, but I feel that the booth operators take the lighter weight unless there are resonable (in their opinions) to charge otherwise.

 

Autobooths charge us as 3.5 ton, but I have no idea of how much leeway above 3m there is, (we are Very close to that height)

 

Trying to upload a pdf file, may not work re charges, This came from a previous thread on the site(I think posted by Derek Uzzle)

 

Rgds

 

File load came up with server error, probably too large for upload.

[onecal]

Major problems with overcharging here for some time,,,,,got talking to a few french people on sites last year ,,,,, they dont have the problem,,Hmmmm,

Yes stand your ground,,,nine times out of ten you will be let through for €9 unless you have a oversized R.V.

Regards,

Brendan

[Tony Jones]

I assume they have automatic measuring kit, as the M6 Toll does here.

The website seems quite clear, I don't understand the confusion as long as you can translate the French.

 

CLASS 1 has a height limit of 2m, so only the most compact MHs could get away with that. The rest of us are straight into

CLASS 2, as long as our whole outfit is under 3m high and 3.5 tonnes "PTAC" (which I think is our "Maximum Allowed Mass"). Exceed either of those, and we're going to be

CLASS 3, as long as your vehicle (excl trailer) has only 2 axles. So tag-axles must be CLASS 4.

Unless there's some provision, as there is at Dartford, for ALL Motorhomes to be classed together. If there is, it's not on this link.

 

How hard can it be?

The only bit I don't understand is the two columns of tariffs under each season - HT & TTC. Any French scholars out there interpret these?

[ian81]

Tony Jones - 2010-11-05 12:13 PM

 

"PTAC" (which I think is our "Maximum Allowed Mass")

poids total autorisé en charge

[Guest JudgeMental]

My van is 2.9 measured at hightest point I guess.....but with the roof a/c I often get done for class 3 at auto tolls. So I press the button and argue the point and it normally gets changed to class 2

[Derek Uzzell]

Tony Jones - 2010-11-05 11:13 AM

 

I assume they have automatic measuring kit, as the M6 Toll does here.

The website seems quite clear, I don't understand the confusion as long as you can translate the French.

 

CLASS 1 has a height limit of 2m, so only the most compact MHs could get away with that. The rest of us are straight into

CLASS 2, as long as our whole outfit is under 3m high and 3.5 tonnes "PTAC" (which I think is our "Maximum Allowed Mass"). Exceed either of those, and we're going to be

CLASS 3, as long as your vehicle (excl trailer) has only 2 axles. So tag-axles must be CLASS 4.

Unless there's some provision, as there is at Dartford, for ALL Motorhomes to be classed together. If there is, it's not on this link.

 

How hard can it be?

The only bit I don't understand is the two columns of tariffs under each season - HT & TTC. Any French scholars out there interpret these?

 

There's no doubt whatsoever that a motorhome with more than 2 axles should be charged as CLASS 4 where French tolls are concered.

 

HT = Hors Taxe

TTC = Toutes Taxes Comprises

 

It's equivalent to our VAT EX and VAT INC.

 

Try adding the French TVA (Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée) of 19.6% to the HT figure and you'll see that the result is the TTC.

[rolandrat]

what a feat of engineering, we detoured just to experience the sheer size of it, I think it was 9euros at the time. It had just been opened and they gave us a post card, whether they still do I don't know.

[Patricia]

The classification on the bridge, as explained by Tony, is exactly the same as on all the other autoroutes. The problem usually is the height measurement as many of the new m/homes are now just over the 3m.

 

"If the vehicle is under 3m but has an antenna e.g. Camos Dome fitted that still counts as under 3m but air-con (Judgemental) is not allowed so you have to pay for at least classe 3. You were therefore very lucky Judgemental!"

 

All this is in the small print" and I found this out the hard way a couple of years ago. My van is quite legally class 2 but despite my best efforts I failed to get a refund from one of the operators although Autoroutes de Sud de la France sent a cheque by return. I now have to brave all the horn blasting from behind and get out and use the telephone if I go through an unmanned peage. They have always changed the charge to class 2 immediately but you must do this before you pay if you want to avoid the problems that I had.

[Derek Uzzell]

There are masses of useful autoroute-related information on the website www.autoroutes.fr including maps, tarifs, vehicle-class definitions, etc.

 

Although I confidently said earlier that "There's no doubt whatsoever that a motorhome with more than 2 axles should be charged as CLASS 4 where French tolls are concerned", this may not be as clear-cut as I thought.

 

There seems to be nothing in the published rules specifically limiting Classe 2 vehicles to 2 axles.

 

Classe 3 relates to vehicles with 2 axles AND a height of 3m or above OR a chassis-weight over 3500kg.

 

Vehicles with more than 2 axles fall into Classe 4, but (so it would seem) ONLY if their height is 3m or above OR their chassis-weight is over 3500kg.

 

Although it's certain that Whisturx's Frankia, with 3 axles, a height exceeding 3m and a weight exceeding 3500kg, falls into Classe 4, it does beg the question of whether or not a vehicle with more than 2 axles, but up to 3500kg chassis-weight AND under 3m tall, should be Classe 4 or Classe 2. While fully accepting that few vehicles will meet those criteria, the kit-based Starcraft 6-wheel motorhome would, and might present a dilemma at the Millau bridge toll-booth.

 

If you are unfamiliar with the Starcraft, see:

 

http://starcraftmotorhome.weebly.com/

[Patricia]

In my case, I am confident that it is the height over 3m which leads to the incorrect class 3 charging. I had no problems whatsoever before the Camos Dome was fitted.

[Derek Uzzell]

Patricia - 2010-11-06 8:18 AM

 

In my case, I am confident that it is the height over 3m which leads to the incorrect class 3 charging. I had no problems whatsoever before the Camos Dome was fitted.

 

There's information on what counts height-wise on

 

http://www.autoroutes.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/Preparez_votre_voyage/Classification.pdf

 

The significant advice is:

 

N’ONT PAS D’INCIDENCE SUR LE CALCUL DE LA HAUTEUR TOTALE :

• Le chargement sur le toit d’un véhicule ou d’une remorque

• Les accessoires, tels que : antennes, coffres ou barres de toit, gyrophares, enseignes taxi, paraboles, lanternaux, panneaux solaires.

 

ONT UNE INCIDENCE SUR LE CALCUL DE LA HAUTEUR TOTALE :

• Les éléments ajoutés au véhicule de base, tels que : cellules habitables, climatiseurs, groupes frigorifiques.