French Tolls

[Caddies104]

Hi

Just for info as I know it gets asked a lot if going to France. Have only used the Tolls twice in 5 weeks but both times it worked out at around :-

€1 per7.3 km,,,,     Or €1 per 4 1/2 miles. 
prefer the wide open roads of France, but sometimes the Tolls can be useful 

[Derek Uzzell]

The autoroute toll charge for a Classe 2 vehicle is ROUGHLY 0.165€ per kilometre.

So travelling in a common-or-garden motorhome from Caen to Bordeaux (about 600km of autoroute) should cost about €99 in toll charges.

[davidmac]

Hi, last year A28 Rouen - Le Mans €57.10. The toll cost more than the fuel. 
Regards David 

[Derek Uzzell]

This link may be of general interest

https://www.tollguru.com/toll-calculator-france

It offers two Rouen-Le Mans routes -  the quickest/most-direct using the A28

or a longer/slower route combining the A13/A11 and non-autoroute roads.

Current toll charges for a  Classe 2 motorhome using each route are shown below, and (as davidmac has said) the toll-charge for the A28 route significantly exceeds the (estimated) fuel cost.

[Minstrel]

We used the A28 last year and thought it a very expensive motorway, no details though.  I think the A26 Calais to the south is expensive also.

The A75 Clermont Ferrand to Beziers motorway is the cheapest as it's free.  It also has the benefit of being one of the most scenic routes in either direction.  It goes up to an altitude of 1200 metres.

The A9 from Beziers to Spain is also very cheap.

I'm certain they are charged as to whether there are lots of British holidaymakers straight off the ferry dashing  south!

[teccer]

1 hour ago, Minstrel said:

We used the A28 last year and thought it a very expensive motorway, no details though.  I think the A26 Calais to the south is expensive also.

The A75 Clermont Ferrand to Beziers motorway is the cheapest as it's free.  It also has the benefit of being one of the most scenic routes in either direction.  It goes up to an altitude of 1200 metres.

 

is this route over the millau bridge, that cost me 34 euros last time I used it

[Derek Uzzell]

Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers via the A75 autoroute will be free of tolls EXCEPT for the Millau Viaduct.

I remember teccer's Millau Viaduct experiences being mentioned here before (when he was posting using the teccer1234 user-name)

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/topic/62824-rouen/page/2/

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/topic/42748-french-motorway-toll-classification/

and, having read his recent tyre-related postings, the present Millau Viaduct tariff for his motorhome would now be 46€.

The current (as of February 2024) Millau Viaduct tariffs can be found here

https://www.leviaducdemillau.com/home/tarifs-du-peage.html

and are summarised here

A common-or-garden motorhome (gross weight not exceeding 3500kg height less than 3 metres, two axles) should attract a Classe 2 tariff of 16.30€ from 16 September to 14 June, or 20.00€ from 15 June to 15 September.

However, teccer's Hymer motorhome not only has a gross weight well in excess of 3500kg, but it also has a tandem rear-axle chassis (ie. it has 3 axles) and this 'double whammy' puts the vehicle squarely in Classe 4 with an all-year-round tariff of 46€.

[laimeduck]

It is very simple to avoid the toll over the Millau Bridge as described in the links Derek provided. Leave the A75 at J45 onto the D911all the way down to the D809. Follow that along the river Tarn to the bridge, then continue on the D809 up the hill and out of Millau and rejoin the A75 at J47 near La Cavalerie. Probably 10-15 mins longer and you don't drive through the centre of Millau.

There are a couple of Aires and loads of campsites in Millau and it is a great and interesting base from which to explore the Gorges du Tarn and surrounding area for a few days. The view of the Viaduct from underneath on the D41 en route from Millau to Peyre along the Tarn is far better than driving on it and there are a few good little restaurants along there as well.

I avoid Autoroutes as much as possible and only use them judiciously as a way of avoiding major towns and cities as I would rather see the countryside than motorway embankments.

Jeremy

[teccer]

On 02/07/2024 at 08:22, Derek Uzzell said:

However, teccer's Hymer motorhome not only has a gross weight well in excess of 3500kg, but it also has a tandem rear-axle chassis (ie. it has 3 axles) and this 'double whammy' puts the vehicle squarely in Classe 4 with an all-year-round tariff of 46€.

I'm glad we don't go that way now.

[mtravel]

I haven't been back to France for a while but I think I've laid out a spiderweb of itineraries over the country.
With the exception of the Menton-Frejus stretch, from Italy almost obligatory to bypass Monaco, Nice and the crowdy Cote d'Azur, I haven't used the French toll motorways for years.
Even when I go to Spain and return from there.

1. Because I'm on holiday, no one is chasing me and I'm not in a hurry.
2. Because they are quite expensive.
3. Because the time saved doesn't compensate for the costs.

The same applies in any other French region.

[GandJP]

I use the toll roads as and when I need to and whatever the cost using a Emovis tag has made our life so much easier that its (almost) a pleasure going through. Going for a short time years ago I was desperate to get down to the south so only used the tolls there and back so we had the maximum stay in the south but now retired and going for a month and more and several times a year means we can potter far more so now we usually get to the south of Tours and then potter and then only rejoin a toll road if we need to. As to the Millau bridge we usually stay on the aire in the village of Roquefort sur Soulzon so mostly end up driving under it which is the best way to see the bridge anyway, quite a mind boggling site, and you can get some cheese at the caves in the village at the same time.I attach 2 pics one from the top and the other from underneath. You probably need to see it both ways anyway. 

Edited July 3 by GandJP