France motor way peage tag
Discussion
Gunk said:
I know I sound really boring but I just set the cruise control to just over 80, I can’t see the point of deliberately breaking the law, loaded up with luggage and the family on board 80 is fine
This is what I did. On the way down to the South and back I had a roof box on so just set it to 70mph and bimbled along. Didn't see the benefit of the additional speed due to risk of cameras and the cost of fuel which was noticeable with the roof box. The French cameras are also very sneaky so easy to miss particularly at night.omniflow said:
A lot of precise detail, and I'm not sure how accurate it is.
My understanding is that the cut-off is 40Km/hr over the speed limit, so if it's not raining then the magic number is 170Km/hr. Below this it's a €90 on the spot fine (no need to carry cash, they have mobile card readers). Above this it's a €750 on the spot fine and an instant 30 day ban. However, if it's your first time being stopped in France and you're doing over 170Km/Hr then it's possible that you'll be let off with a €90 fine and no ban.
I was baseing my number on https://english.controleradar.org/speeding-fines.p... - and they seem to tally with reports of people who get stopped speeding to Le Mans.My understanding is that the cut-off is 40Km/hr over the speed limit, so if it's not raining then the magic number is 170Km/hr. Below this it's a €90 on the spot fine (no need to carry cash, they have mobile card readers). Above this it's a €750 on the spot fine and an instant 30 day ban. However, if it's your first time being stopped in France and you're doing over 170Km/Hr then it's possible that you'll be let off with a €90 fine and no ban.
//j17 said:
I was baseing my number on https://english.controleradar.org/speeding-fines.p... - and they seem to tally with reports of people who get stopped speeding to Le Mans.
If you look properly at that website, you will see that it says that the fines are reduced by 50% if paid within 15 days.Given that these days, the only fine you'll be getting in / from France is an on-the-spot one (unless you're in a hire car), then you'll never pay €135
As above right now due to brexit there's no means of european plod getting your address details to send you a bill so unless it's a roadside stop you'd be ok.
I used Waze on my last trip, plus a dashcam with a speed limit database built in - between them they were spotting fixed camera sites in France and Spain plus a few extra 'police spotted' pings on Waze. First time I've used either - well worth it although in France I was religiously sticking to no more than a couple of kmh over the satnav speed reading as their enforcement people do have a reputation. Spain and Portugal I was sat at 150 kmh, or more if I could lock on to someone obviously local. Does knock hours off when you can add 15-20% to the estimated speeds on a long journey.
I used Waze on my last trip, plus a dashcam with a speed limit database built in - between them they were spotting fixed camera sites in France and Spain plus a few extra 'police spotted' pings on Waze. First time I've used either - well worth it although in France I was religiously sticking to no more than a couple of kmh over the satnav speed reading as their enforcement people do have a reputation. Spain and Portugal I was sat at 150 kmh, or more if I could lock on to someone obviously local. Does knock hours off when you can add 15-20% to the estimated speeds on a long journey.
Returned home to Surrey on Sunday evening after 2 weeks on Il de Rè. Had to take the tunnel due to having our dog with us, so a longer drive. Split the journey on the way there with an overnight at the Hotel de France in Le Chartre sur le Loire but had to do the whole return journey in one day on Sunday. Either way, we always have our Emovis tag in the car. Just knocks so much time and inconvenience off at the peages. It’s about £8 p/a to have, but wouldn’t be without it. Effortlessly gliding through tollbooths as others queue unnecessarily.
Would heartily recommend it to anyone. Even my 80 y/o father in law has one (the outlaws were with us) and he’s a seasoned traveller on the continent, but he won’t be without it now.
Would heartily recommend it to anyone. Even my 80 y/o father in law has one (the outlaws were with us) and he’s a seasoned traveller on the continent, but he won’t be without it now.
fiatpower said:
This is what I did. On the way down to the South and back I had a roof box on so just set it to 70mph and bimbled along. Didn't see the benefit of the additional speed due to risk of cameras and the cost of fuel which was noticeable with the roof box. The French cameras are also very sneaky so easy to miss particularly at night.
That does remind me of a scenario in which these tags would be useful!I've done a couple of French trips with bikes on the roof, and the gates that issue the tickets often do so automatically as you approach, presumably to help save a second or two of having to press a button. Great until the sodding thing clocks the bikes, thinks you're in a truck and squirts the ticket out of the top slot, 8 feet off the deck!
biggles330d said:
Definitely worth the small amount they charge. I was really surprised at how few French cars have them.
I've an idea that not many French people actually use the paege network. Traffic density away from the big cities at least is usually far lower than it is in the UK and just as in the UK most peoples journeys will be short rather than long so there's maybe no call for them to be on one.They're sometimes heavy with convoys of trucks, especially in the south west corner around Baritz with all the commercial traffic squeezed onto a narrow corridor heading down to Spain but we've spent hours and hours on the toll routes and out of the busy periods frequently not had another car in sight.
Marvelous.
Jaguar steve said:
I've an idea that not many French people actually use the paege network. Traffic density away from the big cities at least is usually far lower than it is in the UK and just as in the UK most peoples journeys will be short rather than long so there's maybe no call for them to be on one.
They're sometimes heavy with convoys of trucks, especially in the south west corner around Baritz with all the commercial traffic squeezed onto a narrow corridor heading down to Spain but we've spent hours and hours on the toll routes and out of the busy periods frequently not had another car in sight.
Marvelous.
You’re right, most of us going through the 30kph lane were German, Swiss, or UK registered carsThey're sometimes heavy with convoys of trucks, especially in the south west corner around Baritz with all the commercial traffic squeezed onto a narrow corridor heading down to Spain but we've spent hours and hours on the toll routes and out of the busy periods frequently not had another car in sight.
Marvelous.
Jaguar steve said:
I've an idea that not many French people actually use the paege network. Traffic density away from the big cities at least is usually far lower than it is in the UK and just as in the UK most peoples journeys will be short rather than long so there's maybe no call for them to be on one.
They're sometimes heavy with convoys of trucks, especially in the south west corner around Baritz with all the commercial traffic squeezed onto a narrow corridor heading down to Spain but we've spent hours and hours on the toll routes and out of the busy periods frequently not had another car in sight.
Marvelous.
There's also the fact that the French don't trust the authorities, so they don't want to be "tracked".They're sometimes heavy with convoys of trucks, especially in the south west corner around Baritz with all the commercial traffic squeezed onto a narrow corridor heading down to Spain but we've spent hours and hours on the toll routes and out of the busy periods frequently not had another car in sight.
Marvelous.
Well - maybe not - but I definitely knew someone in the US who gave this as a reason why he didn't have a toll tag
Gunk said:
Jaguar steve said:
I've an idea that not many French people actually use the paege network. Traffic density away from the big cities at least is usually far lower than it is in the UK and just as in the UK most peoples journeys will be short rather than long so there's maybe no call for them to be on one.
They're sometimes heavy with convoys of trucks, especially in the south west corner around Baritz with all the commercial traffic squeezed onto a narrow corridor heading down to Spain but we've spent hours and hours on the toll routes and out of the busy periods frequently not had another car in sight.
Marvelous.
You’re right, most of us going through the 30kph lane were German, Swiss, or UK registered carsThey're sometimes heavy with convoys of trucks, especially in the south west corner around Baritz with all the commercial traffic squeezed onto a narrow corridor heading down to Spain but we've spent hours and hours on the toll routes and out of the busy periods frequently not had another car in sight.
Marvelous.
Long queues only seem to happen a small amount of the time at a small fraction of toll gates, so if you're not having to do a very long run on a specific day, I'm sure they're easy to avoid.
There was one we used go through back in the eighties when I was a kid (so obviously tags weren't an option) which my father mentioned to a colleague, who just recommended getting off a junction early, going to a nice little restaurant in a nearby village and then rejoining a junction later. Perfectly civilised, nice food and no queues!
MrB. said:
Either way, we always have our Emovis tag in the car. Just knocks so much time and inconvenience off at the peages. It’s about £8 p/a to have, but wouldn’t be without it.
You might want to check out some of the other tag providers as £8pa sounds a lot...when others are free/just charge for months used. Worth checking around Christmas too as Mango for example had a Black Friday deal that dropped all the sign-up/tag postage costs too.andy43 said:
As above right now due to brexit there's no means of european plod getting your address details to send you a bill so unless it's a roadside stop you'd be ok.
I used Waze on my last trip, plus a dashcam with a speed limit database built in - between them they were spotting fixed camera sites in France and Spain plus a few extra 'police spotted' pings on Waze. First time I've used either - well worth it although in France I was religiously sticking to no more than a couple of kmh over the satnav speed reading as their enforcement people do have a reputation. Spain and Portugal I was sat at 150 kmh, or more if I could lock on to someone obviously local. Does knock hours off when you can add 15-20% to the estimated speeds on a long journey.
I'm intrigued by this, as I've been wondering if it is possible to get access to a database or map containing speed limits, particularly to aid route planning for roadtrips off the motorway, particularly in UK but also for abroad. I started a thread to get an answer for this question, but didn't have much luck. As I'm on the mobile and PH isn't particularly functional on mobile browsers, I can't find the thread right now in order to take the conversation there (assuming you mean what I think you do), so apologies for the thread segue. I used Waze on my last trip, plus a dashcam with a speed limit database built in - between them they were spotting fixed camera sites in France and Spain plus a few extra 'police spotted' pings on Waze. First time I've used either - well worth it although in France I was religiously sticking to no more than a couple of kmh over the satnav speed reading as their enforcement people do have a reputation. Spain and Portugal I was sat at 150 kmh, or more if I could lock on to someone obviously local. Does knock hours off when you can add 15-20% to the estimated speeds on a long journey.
bolidemichael said:
andy43 said:
As above right now due to brexit there's no means of european plod getting your address details to send you a bill so unless it's a roadside stop you'd be ok.
I used Waze on my last trip, plus a dashcam with a speed limit database built in - between them they were spotting fixed camera sites in France and Spain plus a few extra 'police spotted' pings on Waze. First time I've used either - well worth it although in France I was religiously sticking to no more than a couple of kmh over the satnav speed reading as their enforcement people do have a reputation. Spain and Portugal I was sat at 150 kmh, or more if I could lock on to someone obviously local. Does knock hours off when you can add 15-20% to the estimated speeds on a long journey.
I'm intrigued by this, as I've been wondering if it is possible to get access to a database or map containing speed limits, particularly to aid route planning for roadtrips off the motorway, particularly in UK but also for abroad. I started a thread to get an answer for this question, but didn't have much luck. As I'm on the mobile and PH isn't particularly functional on mobile browsers, I can't find the thread right now in order to take the conversation there (assuming you mean what I think you do), so apologies for the thread segue. I used Waze on my last trip, plus a dashcam with a speed limit database built in - between them they were spotting fixed camera sites in France and Spain plus a few extra 'police spotted' pings on Waze. First time I've used either - well worth it although in France I was religiously sticking to no more than a couple of kmh over the satnav speed reading as their enforcement people do have a reputation. Spain and Portugal I was sat at 150 kmh, or more if I could lock on to someone obviously local. Does knock hours off when you can add 15-20% to the estimated speeds on a long journey.
Any French residents able to confirm?
In France, Waze has 'average speed check zones' which are broader areas that they are allowed to publish.
Specific camera sites are reported by other Waze users as part of the community - they are reported as police presence. In general they are very reliable, but occasionally one is not shown.
The police icon is quite large and obvious, so I struggle a bit in the UK where the speed camera icon is much less obvious
and yes - fines for camera databases and radar detectors
Specific camera sites are reported by other Waze users as part of the community - they are reported as police presence. In general they are very reliable, but occasionally one is not shown.
The police icon is quite large and obvious, so I struggle a bit in the UK where the speed camera icon is much less obvious
and yes - fines for camera databases and radar detectors
Another endorsement of the toll tag here - just returned from a holiday in Nice, first trip onto the continent for me and it was invaluable. Didn't encounter any queues at the booths but we still managed to leapfrog people who were using the regular lanes.
RE speeding, we drove from Calais to Grenoble on the way down (to then do Route Napoleon) and then Nice to Calais on the way back on the autoroutes. Stuck to an indicated 83/84 and saw about four gendarmes the entire time we were travelling. Waze is great as others have said for spotting camera sites and disguising them as police officers. Generally speaking, I didn't get overtaken much travelling at the speed limit so I think most people are aware of the enforcement and don't chance it. In fairness, unless you're used to travelling at warp speed through Germany, the distance you can cover sat at 80 for hour after hour is pretty good anyway. Certainly far better than our motorway network as I found out when trying to get back to Sheffield from Folkestone on Friday afternoon
RE speeding, we drove from Calais to Grenoble on the way down (to then do Route Napoleon) and then Nice to Calais on the way back on the autoroutes. Stuck to an indicated 83/84 and saw about four gendarmes the entire time we were travelling. Waze is great as others have said for spotting camera sites and disguising them as police officers. Generally speaking, I didn't get overtaken much travelling at the speed limit so I think most people are aware of the enforcement and don't chance it. In fairness, unless you're used to travelling at warp speed through Germany, the distance you can cover sat at 80 for hour after hour is pretty good anyway. Certainly far better than our motorway network as I found out when trying to get back to Sheffield from Folkestone on Friday afternoon
I've just come back from France, and found no real delays at the Peage's. Maybe 1 or 2 cars ahead on some of them. Wasn't really a problem. (driving to Souilliac on the A20).
However the A20 is a nightmare on a Saturday, so drove north via the route nationals, and D roads, to get to my destination (Tours) 20 mins ahead of the other family who chose to drive all the way via A20.
Not sure that toll tickets are worth it, and French countryside alongside very lightly trafficked country roads was amazing.
However the A20 is a nightmare on a Saturday, so drove north via the route nationals, and D roads, to get to my destination (Tours) 20 mins ahead of the other family who chose to drive all the way via A20.
Not sure that toll tickets are worth it, and French countryside alongside very lightly trafficked country roads was amazing.
A lot of French people use the TGV… or the sleepers.
When ashford to Marseille is back up and running it’s 5/.5 hours, and may well do that once twice a year.
Those that drive tend to use the free autoroutes/RN/biz.
The maintance fee on my tag is 8/9£ Pa, if I’m going to spend 400/500e a year to use the peage 4 times a year why not spend 9£ not to queue.
When ashford to Marseille is back up and running it’s 5/.5 hours, and may well do that once twice a year.
Those that drive tend to use the free autoroutes/RN/biz.
The maintance fee on my tag is 8/9£ Pa, if I’m going to spend 400/500e a year to use the peage 4 times a year why not spend 9£ not to queue.
Have the Emovis one. UK based. Note that when you receive the tag it must be activated on their web site.
Also be aware of new speed limits on French roads that came into effect a few years back, so not so new.
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-in-euro...
Driving on a dead straight "N" road restricted to 50mph can be a bit painfull, and they do have speed cameras
Active camera detectors are illegal (a mate got his confiscated by Les Flicks and a big fine).
Anything that warns you of Speed cameras id also illegal.
Tom Tom have got around this by warning of "Risk areas"; where your wallet is at risk.
Also be aware of low emmision zones and the requirement to have a "Crit D'aire sticker.
Quick to get online and only about a tenner.
Get one using RAC or AA website link, don't get scammed!
Also be aware of new speed limits on French roads that came into effect a few years back, so not so new.
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-in-euro...
Driving on a dead straight "N" road restricted to 50mph can be a bit painfull, and they do have speed cameras
Active camera detectors are illegal (a mate got his confiscated by Les Flicks and a big fine).
Anything that warns you of Speed cameras id also illegal.
Tom Tom have got around this by warning of "Risk areas"; where your wallet is at risk.
Also be aware of low emmision zones and the requirement to have a "Crit D'aire sticker.
Quick to get online and only about a tenner.
Get one using RAC or AA website link, don't get scammed!
Edited by Bluetec350 on Wednesday 17th August 13:03
Edited by Bluetec350 on Wednesday 17th August 13:04
Edited by Bluetec350 on Wednesday 17th August 13:04
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