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Original poster

FRENCH TOLLS - Does anyone know how much we should allow for these?

27 replies

PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 13:31

We are driving down to Parc Asterix next week (about 21 miles North of Paris) and wondered how much we should allow for the motorway tolls?

Also, I'm guessing you have to pay in Euros rather than credit card? DH wants to know so he can get the Euros. I told him I'd read on here that you also need to pay cash for petrol too. I'm sure someone said French petrol stations won't take British cards.....

Anyway, oh wise Mumsnetters, all advice appreciated. Ta!

OP posts:
NoBiggy · 31/03/2008 13:33

I paid tolls and for petrol with my Nationwide debit card last year.

I'll see if I can look up what the tolls cost in a mo...

Original poster
PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 13:34

Thank you!

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AnnabelCaramel · 31/03/2008 13:36

There is a website - Michelin or something - you type in your route, it tells you all the tolls exactly. Not sure of exact site though.

Original poster
PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 13:37

Merci!

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NoBiggy · 31/03/2008 13:41

Looks like on our trip from Disney to Calais we paid about £10, but we went on to local roads part of the way.

Ellbell · 31/03/2008 13:42

Hi PM. Are you driving from Calais? We just drove back from Italy via France this last weekend, and I'm pretty certain that the toll from where we stayed the night (near Laon) to Calais was in the region of 20 euros, though I'm not 100% sure.

You can pay the motorway tolls with credit cards. You'll see that some booths are labelled 'cash' (there's a picture of some coins!) and some 'credit cards' (yup, you've guessed it... a picture of a credit card). You just stick your ticket in the machine, and it tells you how much to pay, and then you put the card in and it does it all automatically (you don't need to enter a PIN or anything). The 'cash' booths are usually manner, whereas the 'card' ones are automatic (and usually quicker to get through).

We paid for all petrol by credit card with no problem. A few years back (OK... not a few... probably 10 years or more come to think of it, because it was pre-kids!) French credit cards worked on a different system to ours (before ours went all chip-and-pin) and sometimes (but not always) didn't work with British cards. However, I have a feeling that even back then petrol stations were fine - I only recall having problems in small shops that weren't really set up for dealing with foreign visitors. But in recent years cards (both Visa and Switch/Solo) have always worked fine. You'll be fine paying for petrol with credit cards.

You will also be able to get euros once you're there out of any 'hole-in-the-wall' machine (labelled 'Bancomat'), though they do charge you for this.

Oh, and if you're changing ££ to euros, do it at the Post Office, as they don't charge you to change it back if you don't spend it all. (You probably already knew this, but just in case...)

Have a great trip.

Ellbell · 31/03/2008 13:43

Oops, that should say 'the cash booths are normally manned' (or, if I'm being properly PC, it should have said 'staffed' ).

Original poster
PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 13:48

Thank you so much for all that info Ellbell, tres useful. Yes, we are using the Eurotunnel to Calais and then driving down. It was a better option for us as both me & dd2 get seasick if it's the teeniest bit choppy.

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Ellbell · 31/03/2008 14:03

The Eurotunnel is fab. My dh also gets seasick if he so much as looks at a boat, but it's also SOOOOOOOO much quicker and easier. We made good time on the way back and managed to get on a train two hours ahead of the one we'd booked.

Ellbell · 31/03/2008 14:04

Also, it's very easy to get out of the tunnel and onto the motorway network. No fannying around with roundabouts and things.

Anna8888 · 31/03/2008 14:07

www.viamichelin.fr

Original poster
PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 14:08

Ellbell, you have made me very Thank you!!

DH has very kindly said I can do the UK driving and he will do the French side. Therefore, as navigator, I am relieved that you say it's quite easy to get on the right road once you're through. (Please don't let this be my famous last words )

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Original poster
PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 14:08

Thanks Anna!

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GrapefruitMoon · 31/03/2008 14:09

It's probably worth having some Euros though - when we were in France last summer one of the service stations was unable to take credit cards for some reason - we would have had to try to find another petrol station locally if we hadn't had enough cash to pay...

Ellbell · 31/03/2008 14:13

You're welcome! I find the French motorway system quite easy to navigate (that's always my job too - I find it staves off divorce proceedings if I let dh drive!), though I've got a bit lost around Lille before now. (Not sure if you have to 'do' Lille to get to where you're going, but I suspect you might!) They generally give you plenty of warning before any junctions and/or motorway interchanges (unlike in Italy, where by the time you've noticed the junction you've already gone past it...!). If you get an AA European Road Atlas it has the motorway junction numbers on it, and that is also helpful.

Original poster
PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 14:26

Good point Grapefruit, we will definitely have some Euros aswell. I'm starting to get excited now, only a week to go

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missmama · 31/03/2008 14:40

Dont forget that you will need a tin hat as 'navigator' cos when DH is in the wrong lane or cuts somebody up they will think it is you driving.
I find it helps to cover my face, not because of DH but because it scares the French drivers who think I am driving

Original poster
PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 14:41

Oooh! I didn't think of that

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MrCSWS · 31/03/2008 15:22

I have found this website useful too. It shows a picture of the road signs to expect on the route! Also seems quite accurate when we used last year.

Original poster
PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 16:26

Thank you MrCSWS.

But does anyone know how much tolls are each time? It would be handy so we can guess-timate the amount of Euros to take with us.

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Brangelina · 31/03/2008 16:34

If you look on the via Michelin website it gives you a choice of routes with the total cost of tolls for each one. there's also an English language version to the link Anna gave you, it's .com instead of .fr.

Won't you need Euros anyway, if you're going to be in France for a few days? Or even in anywhere in Europe in the next few years? I appreciate that now's not the best time to buy but a) it's never going to devalue/change, unlike some of the previous currencies so you'll be able to use them even in a few years time and b) you'll have a crappy exchange rate plus a commission with the credit card anyway, non?

Brangelina · 31/03/2008 16:35

If you want to know tolls per autoroute, just input that leg of the journey into the via michelin site and you'll have the cost of that leg only.

Original poster
PestoMonster · 31/03/2008 16:41

Thank you, am playing about with the website as we speak!

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CantSleepWontSleep · 01/04/2008 08:46

on the mappy site, it tells you both where the toll gate is and how much to pay on the route you enter (i guess the viamichelin site is similar, haven't looked).

the reason i use the mappy site is that a collegue (french) uses it - i always think that is a goodish sign!

ScienceTeacher · 01/04/2008 08:50

Use your debit card to go through the Carte Blue lanes.