Please warn your readers about the new card-only toll booths in France.
Bad news for visitors to France. The cash pay booths on the Autoroutes in Southern France have been replaced by ‘card only’ machines. The queues are horrendous! We saw a three kilometre queue near Aix-en-Provence on 7 September at midday. Fortunately we were going the other way so our line of 15 vehicles took a mere 12 minutes to clear. I reckon it would have taken hours to clear the other side especially as the tailback blocked the Autoroute joining from Marseilles & Toulon. I calculated the average time is 50 seconds per vehicle to insert ticket, see price display, insert credit card, recover same and drive on. Of course if you are alone in a RHD car you have to walk around to the machine.
Asked on 14 December 2013 by TP, via email
Answered by
Honest John
Many thanks for that warning. The answer is to get a Liber-t Telepass before you go. The service for UK residents is now operated by Sanef Tolling; if you go to www.saneftolling.co.uk payment will be made from your bank account through a Direct Debit authority. This means that if your Telepass is stolen you will be liable for the thief’s Autoroute journeys.
Tags:
driving abroad
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