French alps and tolls

French alps and tolls

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thebullettrain

Original Poster:

1,050 posts

246 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
quotequote all
I’ve driving to the French alps via a detour into Geneva and driving back via Turin.

The Michellin app is showing tolls in France and the need to buy a vignette for Switzerland.

The vignette I’m told I can buy on the border at the time. However, for France I’m looking at tolls equaling my fuel cost.

I can avoid the tolls, but to the extent we use the toll routes what options are available to reduce them: I assume paying at the booth is pricey. Should I look to get a some form of access which is the Télépéage via the Emovis Tag?

hiccy18

2,984 posts

74 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
quotequote all
I don't think you can reduce the tolls, but we have the Emovis tag and highly recommend it: no faffing around for payment, you don't even need to stop. The bill comes the following month, yes it's big, but away from Paris you will have little to no traffic and the easiest motorway driving you will find.

Vignette in Switzerland is only required if you use the motorways.

psi310398

9,708 posts

210 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
quotequote all
Unless I have time to use the RNs, I tend to avoid crossing France because of the tolls.

Going toll free through Belgium, Lux and Germany and then into Switzerland, you can cross the Simplon or Great St Bernard Passes and drop down to Turin (paying only the Swiss vignette and some fairly trivial road tolls in Italy). Getting back into the Alps via Aosta or Susa is quite achievable on the state roads, so no tolls.

CABC

5,797 posts

108 months

Saturday 16th July 2022
quotequote all
RNs can double the journey time easily.
There are faster and more pleasurable sections, like leaving the Autoroute before Troyes and driving directly to Dijon rather than the Autoroute's dogleg. After Dijon you can also take a direct route via Lons-le-saunier. the easiest 2euro saving is to exit at Cluses (second page after Geneva) which seems to be a tourist tax a few kms. Like the UK, when off the Autoroute fill up your tank!

Been doing this for many years. I think halving the Autoroute time is reasonable and I take time to enjoy the countryside sections. Trying to rush the RNs would be stressful.

psi310398

9,708 posts

210 months

Sunday 17th July 2022
quotequote all
There’s an article on Swiss Postbuses and the Swiss high passes (Susten/Gotthard/Nufenen and Grimsel) in the FT travel section this weekend that might repay reading if you can lay your hands on it.

thebullettrain

Original Poster:

1,050 posts

246 months

Saturday 30th July 2022
quotequote all
psi310398 said:
There’s an article on Swiss Postbuses and the Swiss high passes (Susten/Gotthard/Nufenen and Grimsel) in the FT travel section this weekend that might repay reading if you can lay your hands on it.
What a feast of a read, thank you.

psi310398

9,708 posts

210 months

Saturday 30th July 2022
quotequote all
thebullettrain said:
What a feast of a read, thank you.
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