Millau Bridge tolls

[Guest JudgeMental]

The "significant advice is:

 

HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE CALCULATION OF THE TOTAL HEIGHT:

• The load on the roof of a vehicle or trailer

• Accessories, such as antennas, trunks or roof bars, flashing signs, taxi, parables, skylights, solar panels.

 

HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE CALCULATION OF THE TOTAL HEIGHT:

• Items added to the base vehicle, such as living cells, air conditioners, refrigeration units.

 

 

 

So Patricia is right it seems........ I was lucky to get away with it *-)

[Patricia]

I suspect that the charge for air-con is because most of these would be mounted on commercial vans, not motorhomes.

[onecal]

Its funny a lot of people one day going one direction can be charged €9 and another day on return route, without changing or adding physically to the hight of the motorhome charged a higher classe 4 on the return????????

Regards

Brendan

[Patricia]

I think the living cell referred to above is what we would call a roof pod i.e. extra sleeping accommodation and I can't say I have ever seen one of these on a motorhome, a car or Landrover yes.

 

Onecal the reason for the differences in charges, for the same vehicle, can be because of the time of year, the the day of the week and the time of the day. The autoroute companies change the charges according to how much traffic they expect and it is the French way of trying to avoid congestion at holiday periods.

[Derek Uzzell]

onecal vw - 2010-11-06 8:13 PM

 

Its funny a lot of people one day going one direction can be charged €9 and another day on return route, without changing or adding physically to the hight of the motorhome charged a higher classe 4 on the return????????

Regards

Brendan

 

The answer is simple - toll-booth attendants are human and not infallible.

 

If you look at the current Millau Bridge tolls shown on:

 

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

 

you'll see that (from September through June) the Classe 2 tarif is €9.20 and the Classe 4 tarif (correct for whisturx's Frankia) is €29.50.

 

When crossing the Millau Bridge, whisturx should have been charged the Classe 4 tarif of €29.50 in both directions (ie. a total of €59.00) rather than the €38.70 (€9.20 + €29.50) he paid as a result of the first toll-booth attendant's error. The really funny thing is that, having 'profited' by €20.30 from an obvious mistake, he seems to feel aggrieved!!

 

The vast majority of French motorhomes have 2 axles and don't exceed 3500kg chassis-weight or a height of 3m, and that will also be so for many 'foreign' motorhomes using French autoroutes. These vehicles will correctly attract a Classe 2 toll-tarif. Consequently, toll-booth attendants will have a natural tendancy to mentally consider all motorhomes to be Classe 2 vehicles tarif-wise because, in most instances, this will be true.

 

It's bound to be the case that quite a few 2-axle, sub 3m-tall motorhomes ('foreign' ones particularly) should be in Classe 3 rather than Classe 2 due to their chassis-weight exceeding 3500kg. But confirming the chassis-weight often can't be done at a glance, so these 'overweight' motorhomes are likely to be charged the Classe 2 tarif.

 

However, motorhomes that have more than 2 axles will almost always exceed the 3500kg weight limit even if they stay below 3m height. So it shouldn't be visually difficult for a toll-booth attendant to place a 3-axle motorhome accurately in the Classe 4 tarif-band. Plainly, in this instance, the first toll-booth attendant slipped up and whisturx benefited, whereas the second toll-booth attendant got it right and whisturx didn't.

[Brian Kirby]

Patricia - 2010-11-06 11:12 PM I think the living cell referred to above is what we would call a roof pod .........

Hi Patricia.  What the legal position may be I don't know, but the term "cellule habitable" (usually abbreviated to "la cellule") is commonly used to describe the living area of a motorhome.  This is to distinguish it from "la cabine", which is the driving cab.  What I think the rule is intended to say is that even a motorhome will be charged at the higher rate if its bodywork exceeds 3.0 M in height.  I assume that an aircon unit has been interpreted as being an intrinsic part of the cellule, possibly because it cannot readily be removed (large hole in roof!) whereas a dome, which merely encloses a satellite dish is not, as it can be removed more or less at will.

I can see a logic in charging by weight, which presumably has some bearing on road wear, and even by number of axles (but only if axle loadings were taken into account), but charging extra on grounds of height (for some reason, especially on a bridge! :-)) seems completely illogical, unless they are charging for additional air displacement!

[malc d]

Patricia - 2010-11-06 11:12 PM

 

I think the living cell referred to above is what we would call a roof pod i.e. extra sleeping accommodation and I can't say I have ever seen one of these on a motorhome, a car or Landrover yes.

 

Onecal the reason for the differences in charges, for the same vehicle, can be because of the time of year, the the day of the week and the time of the day. The autoroute companies change the charges according to how much traffic they expect and it is the French way of trying to avoid congestion at holiday periods.

 

 

With a bit of luck I will be able to attach a picture of a motorhome with extra sleeping accommodation on the roof:

[Patricia]

Thank you Malc - this is exactly what I meant. I searched the internet yesterday to find one but could only find pictures of those on cars, Landrovers etc. I spoke at length last evening with my French neighbour on the subject and this is what he described as being a "cellule habitable" and said they were quite common in France, although I can't say I have ever seen one on a motorhome.

 

As for your comment about charging for height, especially for small light equipment seems totally illogical to me too but there you are! Very similar to the height definitions on ferries and the tunnel - why have so many divisions? If the vehicle is too high for the normal area (on ferries cars and lorries are all parked together anyway) and likewise in the tunnel.

[onecal]

In answer to Derek,

Yes ou are correct, but the toll attendant slips up quite often for a French Motorhomes I am told,(both ways) Hmmmmm, I wonder why? Regardless of height or weight, One would think it should be a level playing field?????

Regards ,

Brendan

[alan]

Clive - 2010-09-26 3:41 PM

 

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

 

Couldn't agree more with Clive, although the drive across the bridge is spectacular, if you go into the town of Millau itself and call at the tourist office they sell tickets (on our last visit) for 10 euro which gives you an open top bus ride around the sights including one area underneath the bridge which is only accessible through a locked gate (on the guided tour). Before returning to the town you end up at a service area alongside the motorway and given time to climb to a viewing platform near to the bridge - the whole thing from this viewing area is absolutely amazing (Scottish design, of course). Unless you are making a quick dash to and from Spain, well worth the trouble. Alan

 

 

[Patricia]

Thanks for that tip Alan. I have crossed the bridge numerous times now but did not know about the bus ride - it sounds well worth the money - as long as I can get on with the dog!

[tonyishuk]

Brian Kirby - 2010-11-07 11:25 AM

Patricia - 2010-11-06 11:12 PM I think the living cell referred to above is what we would call a roof pod .........

Hi Patricia.  What the legal position may be I don't know, but the term "cellule habitable" (usually abbreviated to "la cellule") is commonly used to describe the living area of a motorhome.  This is to distinguish it from "la cabine", which is the driving cab. 

Just a passing thought, Is the "Living Cell", the roof space used on lorries as a bunk / living area above the cab on some pan european lorries ? Rgds

[Brian Kirby]

That's really why I said I don't know what the legal definition is.  I subscribe to a French Motorhome mag, and their reviews always refer to la cellule (habitation) or la cabine (driving cab).  It would liberally translate as living space, so I guess even those strange pod like trailers beloved for some reason of the Germans, that they tow behind coaches to sleep in, might qualify!  :-D

[Derek Uzzell]

In the autoroute toll-charges leaflet, there's a drawing in the Classe 2 section relating to "Les pick-up avec cellule habitable". This relates to a demountable motorhome with its 'caravan-component' in place.

 

As far as toll charges are concerned, I believe the term is being used (as Brian has suggested) merely as a generic example. Basically, it's saying that, when a vehicle has living accommodation, that accommodation 'counts' towards the vehicle's overall height. I don't believe the term specifically relates to anything unusual - like a roof-mounted sleeping 'pod'.

 

You may well ask why it needs to be said at all, as it seems to be stating the obvious. Can't answer that I'm afraid.