French Road Toll Tags

[bullet7]

I'm heading to France this year and was considering one of the tags that automatically charges your credit card to save you stopping to pay at tolls. My V8V has the heated front screen that has the wire elements running through it from top to bottom. Does anyone know if the tags work with these windscreens? They suggest the tags are fitted around the rear view mirror, but there is no clear glass area there. The company that supplies the tags (Emovis) doesn't appear to know the answer.

[AstonV12V]

The emovis tag works fine with the filament based windscreen heating in the V8V.

P

[Simpo Two]

If it doesn't work do you come home to find a thousand-euros-worth of fines on your doormat?

We went to the south of France last year and stopping a few times for 10-15 seconds wasn't a big deal. I'd rather do that than add a layer of tech that might fail.

[blueg33]

Simpo Two said:

If it doesn't work do you come home to find a thousand-euros-worth of fines on your doormat?

We went to the south of France last year and stopping a few times for 10-15 seconds wasn't a big deal. I'd rather do that than add a layer of tech that might fail.

Don’t be daft. The barriers don’t open if the tag doesn’t work.

Tag makes a huge difference if you are on your own in a right hand drive car.

[LunarOne]

Also, the tag beeps to let you know it's been read successfully.

Does your windscreen not have a clear area around the rear-view mirror? If not, you can always hold the tag out of the window while you drive under the sensor. It still beats stopping and paying, especially in an RHD car.

I used to have an Emovis tag but returned it and got a French Bip&Go tag instead. It's the exact same hardware but the fees are less and it also works in Spain, Portugal and Italy as well as France. The woman initially refused me, saying that they couldn;t set it up with a UK bank account. But I insisted and it works fine.

[bullet7]

Thanks for all the responses and to you AstonV12V for confirming. There are actually two narrow strips running next to either A pillar that are clear, but they are not terribly wide and the screen is at a slight angle at that point, so I am not sure if the sensors would pick up the tag if placed there. Either way it is worth the gamble of getting one and I'll have a look at the alternative one you mentioned Lunar.

[zbc]

bullet7 said:

Thanks for all the responses and to you AstonV12V for confirming. There are actually two narrow strips running next to either A pillar that are clear, but they are not terribly wide and the screen is at a slight angle at that point, so I am not sure if the sensors would pick up the tag if placed there. Either way it is worth the gamble of getting one and I'll have a look at the alternative one you mentioned Lunar.

Mine is also attached using a clip and I've seen people waving them out of the window so in the worst case you could just unclip it at a barrier and hold it up. Not ideal but netter than some of the alternatives.

[bullet7]

Simpo Two said:

We went to the south of France last year and stopping a few times for 10-15 seconds wasn't a big deal. I'd rather do that than add a layer of tech that might fail.

We did the same last year, but I managed to kerb one of the alloys! My wife is not terribly tall and I was obliged to get as close to the toll booth as I could so she could reach with the credit card. Unfortunately I got a little too close...........

[Marc_G]

I read this with interest as i plan a Euro tour for the first time i hope this year.

Looking at their website...
https://www.bipandgo.com/

They seem quite happy sending the unit to the UK but the help pages suggest certain UK banks (there is a list) dont take DD in Euros.

You can also on an annual plan connect payment to an Amex and get your luvverly Avios points.

[blueg33]

I’ve used bip and go for years. They are very good

Comment above about waving it out of the window. It seems to work less well than fixed.

[zbc]

blueg33 said:

I ve used bip and go for years. They are very good

Comment above about waving it out of the window. It seems to work less well than fixed.

I don't recommend it as a good solution. Only as temporary fix when there's not another solution that works

[V8 Minotaur]

I’ve also been looking into this and was thinking of the Bip&Go tag until I saw they determine the exchange rate and bill you in GBP.

Likely not a big difference really but I’ll probably go for the Vintrica one, billed in Euro, which gets slightly better reviews and looks good value for occasional use.

[bogie]

Used the Emovis tag for many years but never mounted it to the screen as I use it across cars/bike. Just carry it in door pocket and hold it up as approach the barrier. No issues with use.

[Simpo Two]

blueg33 said:

Simpo Two said:

If it doesn't work do you come home to find a thousand-euros-worth of fines on your doormat?

We went to the south of France last year and stopping a few times for 10-15 seconds wasn't a big deal. I'd rather do that than add a layer of tech that might fail.

Don t be daft. The barriers don t open if the tag doesn t work.

Thought you could go straight through in a special lane if you have the tag. If you have to stop and wait for a barrier to open you may as well buy a ticket!

If you don't have a passenger I can see the tag would be an advantage though with a RHD car.

[zbc]

Simpo Two said:

Thought you could go straight through in a special lane if you have the tag. If you have to stop and wait for a barrier to open you may as well buy a ticket!

If you don't have a passenger I can see the tag would be an advantage though with a RHD car.

You do go through a special lane. At the moment you have to slow down a bit and sometimes there are barriers but you don't need to stop unless it doesn't beep. I believe they are transferring to cameras which might change things I suppose but they haven't reached us yet

[blueg33]

Simpo Two said:

blueg33 said:

Simpo Two said:

If it doesn't work do you come home to find a thousand-euros-worth of fines on your doormat?

We went to the south of France last year and stopping a few times for 10-15 seconds wasn't a big deal. I'd rather do that than add a layer of tech that might fail.

Don t be daft. The barriers don t open if the tag doesn t work.

Thought you could go straight through in a special lane if you have the tag. If you have to stop and wait for a barrier to open you may as well buy a ticket!

If you don't have a passenger I can see the tag would be an advantage though with a RHD car.

The special lane has a barrier, but you just slow down, you rarely have to stop, it detects the tag and opens. Also on busy days you get quote long queues at the tolls for the non tag lanes.

I often do road trips in France and some of my mates don't have tags. On a 4 hour drive, if we don't wait for them after the toll we can easily be at the destination 20 minutes before them. In August heading down to Bordeaux we ended up an hour ahead because of the toll queues without a tag.

[camel_landy]

I have literally just applied for one this morning, as trying to use the toll-booths in France can be hilarious for the car behind... Especially if I'm in my Cerbera as it's sooooo low and the windows are tiny!!

I've ended up going for the Emovis tag, as most of my travel is in France, Belgium or Germany and they appear better setup for a DD on a UK bank.

When you sign up, you need to give them the reg of the car, so I suspect they will fall back to that if there has been a problem with the tag not recording when going through the toll. IIRC - Most tolls have a barrier but some allow you to pass at 30km/h.

M

[OLDBENZ]

I have a Bip&Go which I have used successfully on my V12VSM which will have the same windscreen.

I have a few cars I take abroad and you cannot easily share the bracket that sticks on the windsceen. On some I just wave the zapper around when I approach the toll which seems to work but in my experience doing this means the signal takes a little longer to be picked up than using a fixed mount.

I am aware that 'freeflow' tolls systems are being introduced/trialled in France and Italy which do away with toll booths which I think will require fixed windscreen mounts unless you get good advanced notice of where the fob readers are.

I do a bit of driving in France and Italy by myself in RHD cars and when doing so my Bip&Go is my most valuable possession.

[chukka]

I’ve been using one for nearly 20 years, wouldn’t drive on a French autoroute without one. Never stuck it to the inside of the windscreen, just leave in the centre console and wave it around near the rear view mirror as I approach the barrier/sensor (you can see the sensor on a pillar above the barrier). On a couple of occasions I’ve had to open the window and wave it around but always works.

[olv]

Another vote for bip&go from me. Works fine in my 07 heated windscreen by the mirror. Makes a huge difference, toll booths in a low, rhd car, even with a passenger are a right pain!