- Oct 12, 2009
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Portugal - so sad
- Thread starter GoldenVision
- Start date
I will be keeping my fingers crossed that my Fulli tag works. We’ve not been to Portugal before so I hope it does otherwise it does sound like a bit of a palaver but I’m sure we’ll survive!
We are heading to Romania in September/October but it’s on an organised tour. Really looking forward to seeing your country. It sounds beautiful. One of our sons has worked with a number of Romanians over the past few years in London. I had no idea until then that Romanian was one of the Romance languages I thought it had the same root as the Eastern European languages. How ignorant was I. Matthew can speak Spanish and they were working with the homeless.
Whoops, I’ve gone off on a tangent!
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For electronic no toll boots just a gantry with electronic readers, all class 1 to 4 foreign plates need to register. This does not work on maned or automated tolls, on this ones you pay as you get to them. A2 and A13 it’s electronic only, maybe others as well.
- Oct 25, 2016
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Are the non motorway roads ok (size wise) for a 8mt MH towing a 4.5mt trailer?
Abacist
LIFE MEMBER
We didn't go near a motorway in Portugal on our last two visits and managed fine in our 9 metre tag axle.
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- Jul 18, 2010
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Extra busy these last couple of weeks.
Many with young families.
School mid-term break.
But generally yes, the world and his wife are down here (southern Spain) in their motorhomes.
….. and a much higher number of the big ‘uns too, along with their kitchen sinks.
Many with young families.
School mid-term break.
But generally yes, the world and his wife are down here (southern Spain) in their motorhomes.
….. and a much higher number of the big ‘uns too, along with their kitchen sinks.
HugoBNB
LIFE MEMBER
We have a Ulys account in France and have just upgraded it to cover Spain and Portugal. It was only a couple of euros on the contract. So saying, we try to avoid tge tolls and just tootle along at a leisurely pace.
I think that’s only useful on Tolls, as in boots on the motorway. How do you pay if you pass a gantry reads you plate and has no means of pay associated with your reg number? Maybe I miss understand your Ulys, have a read on this, scroll down for English
This is the one I have registered with, the rest you can pay on the spot, either cash or card or prepaid on via verde.
I have toured Portugal many times for extended periods and have never registered for tolls, the thing is it’s not really that big and you’ll miss a lot out on the big roads. And to be honest there’s not many and I can’t say that I’ve really seen a toll road there…
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I always said for Western France and Spain the channel ports are best.Wont you be starting in Rotterdam??
For Italy, Switzerland and eastern France, Germany etc. then Rotterdam is the best option.
So this year we have one trip from Plymouth/Santander (Portugal),
one from Portsmouth/Cherbourg (Brittany)
and one from Harwich/Hoek of Holland (Czech rep)
We have a Fulli tag. As we entered Portugal and pulled into a sort of 'aire' as directed as being a foreign vehicle, we went towards the toll both expecting some instruction or other. It simply asked us to take a ticket from the machine. We drove on and under the first 'gantry' our fulli tag beeped...we went under several more from Tavira toward Lagos and they all beeped. A quick look on the Fulli website makes no mention of us having to register the vehicle with Portugal so I'll wing it and hope the system sorts itself out...
You can get away with it, if you know which motorways to avoid, but, if you make a mistake, and jumped on a easy toll payment method only, you will be fined if there is no payment registered with your reg plate.I have toured Portugal many times for extended periods and have never registered for tolls, the thing is it’s not really that big and you’ll miss a lot out on the big roads. And to be honest there’s not many and I can’t say that I’ve really seen a toll road there…
I suspect we will be at Turiscampo when you arrive.We are visiting the Algarve in the van this year for the first time as part of a 6 week trip. We’re leaving on the 5th March . We booked a campsite for 10 days as it includes the Easter period. Got into Touriscampo. We booked within the last month BF crossings as well. I’m sure the Portuguese people will be as lovely as those I’ve met on my many visits to Porto plus my wonderful dentist Francisca. Maybe not the wingeing motorhomers though
Harvey Carpmart is right about the campsites being busy, we like to stay in one place relax for a bit so wanted a couple of weeks in one place first. We have managed to get 2 weeks at Cabopino but only just. We are having to really motor from Santander to get the spot. Obviously we are booking late but very little about along the coast. We wanted a change from the Beni area especially as we were heading across to Portugal.
HugoBNB
LIFE MEMBER
I think it is for all types of toll roads. I had to put my registration number in for Portugal so I guess that is for the gantry cameras. As per attached.
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There is payment registered...we have used the tag down thru France and a couple of times in Spain. It has beep at every location so I am imagining it will sort itself out....time will tell.
25th March we arrive, I’ve just checked for 2 weeks.
- Aug 18, 2014
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No it's worse.
As for Easter that starts here on the weekend of the 16/17th March as anyone partaking will be warming up, assembling all the things they need to partake & travelling if necessary. for aficianados Easter starts with 'Viernes de Dolores', Friday of Sorrows on the 22nd march being the first parade in most towns so sites are usually full long before then. Here in Lorca Easter starts with closure of the high street on the 16/17th March weekend to allow removal of all street furniture & shop signs that protrude & erection of 12 thousand banked seats.
high street is shut , basically except for access by vehicle for residents. No through traffic. Makes a difference when the high street is nigh on 2km long. & here , as in every year I have lived here,there is generally no type of accommodation that is not full.
Ships in the night then. We leave 23rd March. One tip. Forget using the toll roads the others are more than adequate and not at all busy. If you want tips about TC drop me a pm, we are on our 6th winter visit. Love it.
cliffanger
LIFE MEMBER
Motorhome Friends in Centieira near Paderne, Pedro and Mireille
Just Googled it and it looks like it’s permanently closed.
Just Googled it and it looks like it’s permanently closed.
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- Oct 25, 2016
- 6,148
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- Bailey Autograph 79-
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- Lots but slow learner.
If all goes according to my plans we will be back in UK on the Thursday before good Friday.
Riverbankannie
LIFE MEMBER
OP
OP
Totally agree about the friendliness of the Portuguese, and, yes, we have found many off-site locations while we've been here, but they are few and not necessarily where you would choose to stay.I don't recognise the Portugal you are posting about...
I find plenty of off-site locations if I so choose... the "ban" doesn't seem to affect me... and I'm more interested in the charm and friendliness of the locals than the height of the manholes and their covers...
I hope you enjoy yourself next season in Spain and Morocco.
(Pray tell me... where have the local police been lining their pockets?)
JJ
As I said I'm happy to pay for campsites/Aires, but this is now the highest season - more so than any other time of the year - and Portugal's clamp down on wild camping means that they are absolutely rammed.
Staying off-site in Portugal now means spending the night with many others, and that's not my idea of wild camping. And the reason for that is that everyone has to choose their location very carefully, or just hope that they will be lucky and the police don't come calling in the middle of the night.
The comments in SfS and P4N detail exactly how and where the local police line their pockets if you choose badly. Cash fines. Always. (I wonder why?)
And the non-motorway road surfaces are truly atrocious - nobody will convince me otherwise.
I'm afraid it all adds up.
Portugal is still a wonderful country to visit, but it's nothing like as wonderful as it was.
And that's just sad.
Maybe they will learn from their mistakes - but I won't be coming back to find out.
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Lenny HB
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- Oct 18, 2007
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You can register after best to do it by midnight on the day you can register or buy virtual toll vouchers online. If you have a problem their helpline speak English and are very helpful.
JockandRita
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- Aug 2, 2007
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We did ours by the roadside pull in terminals, registering with a credit card, then received a print out as confirmation.
The only mistake I made, was going through the Via Verde twice, thinking it was all part of the same system, for which I received holiday snaps of the ar@e end of the MH several months later, along with an invitation to
Cheers,
Jock.
I enquired about any outstanding tolls/ fines our Spanish registered MH might have pinned on it, by a quick call to the help desk...I wasn't in Portugal....but the MH had been..I was advised that they couldn't recognise our number plate as it wasn't Portuguese..No fine..
However as I had said before...a friend in a UK registered car was approached by two officials in a service area.
"Morning Sir...would you be so kind as to tell us, how are you paying today for the use of the motorway?"
"Sorry my friend replied, it's the first time in Portugal"
Official..." Is that right sir, so can you tell us about all these recorded journeys?" Showing him a laptop, with his vehicle and all records of non payment....
He paid up and learnt his lesson.
However as I had said before...a friend in a UK registered car was approached by two officials in a service area.
"Morning Sir...would you be so kind as to tell us, how are you paying today for the use of the motorway?"
"Sorry my friend replied, it's the first time in Portugal"
Official..." Is that right sir, so can you tell us about all these recorded journeys?" Showing him a laptop, with his vehicle and all records of non payment....
He paid up and learnt his lesson.
Thats my complaint with the Portugese toll system, there seems to be three of them; the one we all register for, the cash only ones and then the via verde. I also got caught with a via verde, not realising on one complicated junction that you had to divert around to get to the regular toll barrier. I got to the other end ( only about 20kms) and held my hands up but the operator said the only way he could lift the barrier was if I paid the fine (E200 I think) I refused because thats a ridiculous price for a very simple error, so he suggested I reverse out and go through the Via Verde lane. That was about 6 years ago and nothing yet.We did ours by the roadside pull in terminals, registering with a credit card, then received a print out as confirmation.
The only mistake I made, was going through the Via Verde twice, thinking it was all part of the same system, for which I received holiday snaps of the ar@e end of the MH several months later, along with an invitation tosend some moneypay the fine.
Cheers,
Jock.
tbc I accept its their country so their rules and was prepared to pay a reasonable penalty but felt that was excessive. In my defence the signage should have been clearer and the system should be easier.
- Oct 25, 2016
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Some are giving a picture of Portugal that makes one consider doing a U turn and not bothering.
As said in a earlier post, if it don't suit when you get there a couple of hours driving East and you are out.
That's the mind set i'm going with.
As said in a earlier post, if it don't suit when you get there a couple of hours driving East and you are out.
That's the mind set i'm going with.
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