French Tolls (1 Viewer)

[Sidders]

800 miles in and we’re in Chenonceaux, hoping to go up in a hot air balloon tomorrow if we can talk the kids into it
The old girl drove amazingly well and the cruise control was a treat on such a long run.
Question re French Tolls, I’ve noticed we’ve been getting spanked as a Class 3 - I think technically we are, though have heard of people challenging this saying it’s their tv aeriel/satellite etc on the roof that’s taking them over the height and getting let through as a class 2.
Has anyone done this or have experience of doing so?
We took a wrong turn at a service station and ended up on a toll which we had to pay only to turn back round. We did explain on the ‘help’ button but they they weren’t very ‘helpful’
Thanks

 

[Figaro]

Normally if you press the button and say bonjour je suis camping car et classe deux

They will usually change it

 

[MichaelT]

How tall are you?

 

[varaizian]

800 miles in and we’re in Chenonceaux, hoping to go up in a hot air balloon tomorrow if we can talk the kids into it
The old girl drove amazingly well and the cruise control was a treat on such a long run.
Question re French Tolls, I’ve noticed we’ve been getting spanked as a Class 3 - I think technically we are, though have heard of people challenging this saying it’s their tv aeriel/satellite etc on the roof that’s taking them over the height and getting let through as a class 2.
Has anyone done this or have experience of doing so?
We took a wrong turn at a service station and ended up on a toll which we had to pay only to turn back round. We did explain on the ‘help’ button but they they weren’t very ‘helpful’
Thanks



View attachment 929475

 

[varaizian]

My previous post seems to have gone walk-about. Just to say the French club for motorhomes and caravaners negotiated a flat Class 2 rate for all MoHos even if overheight (and provide a special tag for their members to ensure this) but the principle is there so try asking nicely. You might have been unlucky with the operator that time.

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[royandsharont]

I’d be pretty sure from your photo you’d be over 3m and therefore a class 3, and you may also be over 3.5t making it a class 3 too.

 

[Bessy765]

We’re just under 3 mtr but over 3500kg so class three. That’s why we dont use the toll roads,

 

[Neil S]

I'm 3.1 metres with the aircon , on recent trip down the east side of France the Toll Tag worked faultlessly , when moved over the Western side of the country on 4 occasions the Tag refused to work and we had to press the help button and explain we were a camping car class 2
Every time they obliged without hesitation

 

[Fdhadi]

When we had our Burstner A747 we used to press the help button and say:

Camping car classe 2 s'il vous plaît

Worked 90% of the time and makes a huge difference.

Personally I think all uk vehicles should be exempt from paying road tolls in France, after all, we don’t charge them anything when they come here

 

[MichaelT]

Personally I think all uk vehicles should be exempt from paying road tolls in France, after all, we don’t charge them anything when they come here

But apart from the M6 toll and some bridges and tunnels we don't have tolls, nor does Germany so should they also not pay, I'm sure that will go down well with the French

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[Fdhadi]

But apart from the M6 toll and some bridges and tunnels we don't have tolls, nor does Germany so should they also not pay, I'm sure that will go down well with the French

But we pay a Road Tax to use our roads.
Thanks for reminding me, yes German cars should also not pay although they do charge a road tax for hgv’s.

 

[varaizian]

We’re just under 3 mtr but over 3500kg so class three. That’s why we dont use the toll roads,

How on earth would the system know what you weigh. There are no weigh bridges there; especially in front of the drive=through barriers.

 

[Carpmart]

Normally if you press the button and say bonjour je suis camping car et classe deux

They will usually change it

In my recent and extensive experience, that used to work 70% of the time, but sadly not any more!

 

[MichaelT]

But we pay a Road Tax to use our roads.
Thanks for reminding me, yes German cars should also not pay although they do charge a road tax for hgv’s.

So do the French I believe.... perhaps it should just be free for EU citizens

 

[varaizian]

So do the French I believe.... perhaps it should just be free for EU citizens

No, we don't actually pay any form of road tax. Don't go giving the ideas!

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[nicholsong]

No, we don't actually pay any form of road tax. Don't go giving the ideas!

There is also no Road Tax in Poland.

 

[varaizian]

Whisper it quietly but we don't pay a television licence either.

 

[varaizian]

So do the French I believe.... perhaps it should just be free for EU citizens

Perhaps you meant for HGVs. I have no idea about that.

 

[Alex and Lesley]

How on earth would the system know what you weigh. There are no weigh bridges there; especially in front of the drive=through barriers.

Surely Angles Morts will announce this quite loudly! Pretty sure that was the reason we were charged Class 3 on every toll we used this year. “Camping Car Class Deux” por favor didn’t cut it lol.

 

[DandJ]

When we had our Burstner A747 we used to press the help button and say:

Camping car classe 2 s'il vous plaît

Worked 90% of the time and makes a huge difference.

Personally I think all uk vehicles should be exempt from paying road tolls in France, after all, we don’t charge them anything when they come here

If the A747 was over 3.5t, wouldn't that effectively be fraud? Lying to get a cheaper toll payment

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[nicholsong]

If the A747 was over 3.5t, wouldn't that effectively be fraud? Lying to get a cheaper toll payment

See post #5

 

[DandJ]

See post #5

I'd seen that...but can't find any reference to it and the Autoroute.fr and sanef website simply state...Over 3.5t..class 3. (Not that it actually concerns me) Might be handy for owners of +3.5t to be able to access the site that shows the agreement ?

Vehicle classification on french motorways - ASFA

Vehicle classification on french motorways. The Association of French Motorway Companies (ASFA) helps you plan your motorway travel in France: motorways network map...

www.autoroutes.fr

Motorway tolls: what category is my vehicle? | SANEF

Light, heavy or 2 wheels … each vehicle belongs to a specific class. There is a toll rate for each type of vehicle. Find on this page which category corresponds to your vehicle!

www.autoroutes.sanef.com

 

[Fdhadi]

If the A747 was over 3.5t, wouldn't that effectively be fraud? Lying to get a cheaper toll payment

I was just asking the question, they decide the answer

The Motorhome we have now is less than 3mtrs high, is 7mtrs long but uprated to 3.7t. It goes through all the tolls as class 2. Do you think I should press the button and try to explain in my best euro grunt that I’m not being charged enough

 

[DandJ]

I was just asking the question, they decide the answer

The Motorhome we have now is less than 3mtrs high, is 7mtrs long but uprated to 3.7t. It goes through all the tolls as class 2. Do you think I should press the button and try to explain in my best euro grunt that I’m not being charged enough

Not quite you typed above....

Camping car classe 2 s'il vous plaît

 

[Fdhadi]

Like I said, just asked the question

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[DandJ]

Right...OK

 

[Nirvanauk]

I was just asking the question, they decide the answer

The Motorhome we have now is less than 3mtrs high, is 7mtrs long but uprated to 3.7t. It goes through all the tolls as class 2. Do you think I should press the button and try to explain in my best euro grunt that I’m not being charged enough

My missus would.

 

[nicholsong]

When we had our Burstner A747 we used to press the help button and say:

Camping car classe 2 s'il vous plaît

Worked 90% of the time and makes a huge difference.

Personally I think all uk vehicles should be exempt from paying road tolls in France, after all, we don’t charge them anything when they come here

If the A747 was over 3.5t, wouldn't that effectively be fraud? Lying to get a cheaper toll payment

There was no statement about weight nor height, only a request which could be acceded to denied. So no fraud.

 

[DandJ]

There was no statement about weight nor height, only a request which could be acceded to denied. So no fraud.

We'd have to agree to disagree on this. My understanding of the classification on autoroutes is a class two is sub 3m high and sub 3.5t. Someone with a 3.7t+ van makes the statement/request "Motorhome class 2 please" (but in french)...and when describing it states that it 'works 90% of the time'....So was he asking the toll operator if he was class 2 or stating it? I somehow doubt the person at the end of the phone would know one way or another by looking at a small CCTV screen.

 

[nexxo698]

Was in France last month and used the tolls a lot as we had places to be. I'm over 3.5t but 2.9m high. Was only ever charged Class 2, never needed to ask for anything different.