French autoroute costs - HOW MUCH???
Discussion
Just got another invoice from SANEF making my total almost £150 for 4 days in France - Calais to Monaco via Reims and Lyon, then Como. No France at all for the return trip. They also charge 5E per month for having an account to pay them!
To my mind that is excessively high. What is the deal here? I know the motorways are a private business - are they run by Sepp Blatter types and their cronies?
This was an interesting read :
http://www.drive-france.com/blog/toll-roads-rip-fr...
Also the pricing seems inconsistent - the below example cited was coming off the motorway 50 miles before destination to save 36E:
If driving from Paris to Bordeaux and southwest France, do not follow the A 10 motorway all the way. Leave the A10 at Orleans, following A71 > A20 Toulouse. At Limoges, follow N141 > Angoulême. At Angoulême, follow the N10 for Bordeaux. All but about 60 km. of this alternative route to Bordeaux is on autoroutes or dual carriageway, but after Vierzon, it's all free. Saving: about 36 €uros less in tolls, for a distance of about 15 miles extra.... and cheaper off-motorway petrol if you need it.
To my mind that is excessively high. What is the deal here? I know the motorways are a private business - are they run by Sepp Blatter types and their cronies?
This was an interesting read :
http://www.drive-france.com/blog/toll-roads-rip-fr...
Also the pricing seems inconsistent - the below example cited was coming off the motorway 50 miles before destination to save 36E:
If driving from Paris to Bordeaux and southwest France, do not follow the A 10 motorway all the way. Leave the A10 at Orleans, following A71 > A20 Toulouse. At Limoges, follow N141 > Angoulême. At Angoulême, follow the N10 for Bordeaux. All but about 60 km. of this alternative route to Bordeaux is on autoroutes or dual carriageway, but after Vierzon, it's all free. Saving: about 36 €uros less in tolls, for a distance of about 15 miles extra.... and cheaper off-motorway petrol if you need it.
It's a difficult one, isn't it? We tend to use autoroutes to save time when we know a route well and aren't on a voyage of discovery, and cough up for the privilege. We do steer well clear at peak times (mainly summer holidays) though.
The trick is to remember not to use pay autoroutes for short distances. A trip from one junction to the next can cost an eye-watering 4 euros, while 100 miles-plus of time-saving can cost a reasonable-sounding 20 euros.
We've never bothered with an account for the peage, after realising that you queue for just as long to get to the telepeage lanes at busy times, and only save a few seconds driving through.
Chacun a son gout...
The trick is to remember not to use pay autoroutes for short distances. A trip from one junction to the next can cost an eye-watering 4 euros, while 100 miles-plus of time-saving can cost a reasonable-sounding 20 euros.
We've never bothered with an account for the peage, after realising that you queue for just as long to get to the telepeage lanes at busy times, and only save a few seconds driving through.
Chacun a son gout...
I think Abertis that owns Sanef are making over 50% profit before tax. Surprised the French haven't got a bit of goût to tackle this. Makes my £515pa 'road fund licence' (traditional term...) look good value!
Key figures 2015 :
Total revenues : €4,378Mn
Net profit of : €1,880Mn
EBITDA : €2,692Mn
Web site :
www.abertis.com
Key figures 2015 :
Total revenues : €4,378Mn
Net profit of : €1,880Mn
EBITDA : €2,692Mn
Web site :
www.abertis.com
We had a couple of detours and cost includes 'finance charges' and 'active service fee' and tag 20E refundable deposit fee. And I drove over a catseye once giving a 1E surcharge!
To be honest we had quite a few tailbacks and queues, and given the land mass of France v UK (esp densely populated South East) I don't see it remotely as value. But I am quite tight
To be honest we had quite a few tailbacks and queues, and given the land mass of France v UK (esp densely populated South East) I don't see it remotely as value. But I am quite tight
Sounds about right to me and you should probably have worked out the tolls and costs before you went.
For me the small charge for having a doofah is massively good value for the convenience factor and time saved. That and you get invoiced the month after the tolls.
You pays your money.
For me the small charge for having a doofah is massively good value for the convenience factor and time saved. That and you get invoiced the month after the tolls.
You pays your money.
I never imagined paying more than the missus' 12m road tax for 4 days of driving! Champagne prices! Dont get me wrong I'm not losing my house over this 
but I consider it extremely expensive and someone somewhere is having a ball... Hopefully my positing will flag this us to similarly poor Euro route planners!
but I consider it extremely expensive and someone somewhere is having a ball... Hopefully my positing will flag this us to similarly poor Euro route planners!Cost per mile is about half the cost of the actual fuel in a 6.0L V12 at 22mpg.
1000 mile toll = £120 ish
1000 miles at 22mpg = 45 gallons at £4 = £180 ish
When I put it like that? Are my maths correct?
Its their country but we should all beware as big business will be after a big slice of that if they can 'provide solutions' for government...
1000 mile toll = £120 ish
1000 miles at 22mpg = 45 gallons at £4 = £180 ish
When I put it like that? Are my maths correct?
Its their country but we should all beware as big business will be after a big slice of that if they can 'provide solutions' for government...
Zulu 10 said:
A few minutes prior to departure to identify those right beside motorway junctions (e.g. the Auchan on the St Omer Road at Boulogne, the Carrefour at Tinqueax (Reims) etc) and I think you could probably have saved tens of pounds.
Top tips mate - close to a tight@rse like me's heart 
. I actually used that Carrefour by Reims which meant a few more quid in the 'really nice hotel' fund - http://www.lechateauderilly.com/ was amazing :-) Far better appropriation of funds!>They also charge 5E per month for having an account to pay them!
Only for each month that you use the tag
Try driving a RHD car without a passenger and see how easy it is without the Tag,
Even with a passenger it's a ball ache to get the car close enough for them to lean out of the window
Neither do you queue if you use the 30kph ''t" lane - in fact you don't even stop.
And without the Tag you don't get the fun of smiling at the bloke queuing who flew past you at 100-plus leptons five minutes earlier
Only for each month that you use the tag
Try driving a RHD car without a passenger and see how easy it is without the Tag,
Even with a passenger it's a ball ache to get the car close enough for them to lean out of the window
Neither do you queue if you use the 30kph ''t" lane - in fact you don't even stop.
And without the Tag you don't get the fun of smiling at the bloke queuing who flew past you at 100-plus leptons five minutes earlier
Edited by audidoody on Tuesday 25th October 15:57
Driving 2600km from Manchester to Marbella in January, I passed through perhaps 12 peage stations. Over 3 days, getting out to pay, or pick up a ticket, is not really challenging.
Like Magooagain, I think that having Spanish and French tags just seems unnecessary for such a minor inconveience.
Like Magooagain, I think that having Spanish and French tags just seems unnecessary for such a minor inconveience.
I think they are charging for the extra convenience - probably way too much though in my opinion.
I had a TAG for the Severn toll and the cost was just £30 for the tag device - and this cost was refundable on return (French company too - Vinci)! These French big business toll operators are making a killing not only on the HUGE tolls themselves but also on the means of giving them auto money!
Its a little like Fast Track at Heathrow - convenience over rip-off value... Our call I guess...
I had a TAG for the Severn toll and the cost was just £30 for the tag device - and this cost was refundable on return (French company too - Vinci)! These French big business toll operators are making a killing not only on the HUGE tolls themselves but also on the means of giving them auto money!
Its a little like Fast Track at Heathrow - convenience over rip-off value... Our call I guess...
My Vinci tag was/is 15 €. Then it's 2 € forany month in which I use it, plus the standard toll charges. If I don't use it for 14 months there's a 10 € charge.
It also works in many car parks, although I worry that it thinks I've been parked in Nantes airport since Easter 2014....
Although I got it to save the hassle of hopping out of a RHD car, the extra cost is so small that I don't understand why everyone with a chargeable french bank account hasn't got one. Sometimes at busy péages I come out of the traps alongside cars that passed me many miles before.
Incidentally on a recent trip an overhead gantry on the autoroute north of Bordaux had my registration number on it alonside TROP VITE. Not seen that before, bit of a shock. Won't be long before it has our names on it.....and pehaps charge the tag account with the fine......
Steve
It also works in many car parks, although I worry that it thinks I've been parked in Nantes airport since Easter 2014....
Although I got it to save the hassle of hopping out of a RHD car, the extra cost is so small that I don't understand why everyone with a chargeable french bank account hasn't got one. Sometimes at busy péages I come out of the traps alongside cars that passed me many miles before.
Incidentally on a recent trip an overhead gantry on the autoroute north of Bordaux had my registration number on it alonside TROP VITE. Not seen that before, bit of a shock. Won't be long before it has our names on it.....and pehaps charge the tag account with the fine......
Steve
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