Going to be heading down south soon on a solo trip. I know I could get a tag but it's likely to be the last French road trip for a long time and I would rather spend the €20 on the tolls! I'm assuming the gates stay open until until it senses that a car has driven through? Just thinking of the scenario whereby I have to get out of the car and run around to the machine!
Cheers
Yes they stay open until you drive through so drive up, walk to machine, take ticket or pay then le mans start.
I learnt to shuffle across and use the passenger window pretty quickly, and have done a fair number of trips over there solo. The barrier will wait patiently. Occasionally the car behind you won't be so patient, even though they can clearly see what you're doing!
One other point. I sometimes find barriers that won't accept my card(s) so always have a few notes quickly to hand. The first one after Calais always seemed to do that, but its pretty random! And no, its not due to the bank stopping the card as I'm abroad and then catching up, its happened between successful uses on a few occasions.
Just get a tag. You can send the tag back after if you like and get your deposit back, you just lose the postage.
But to answer your question yes you’ll be fine running out and round, but you’ll get some strange looks and when your card doesn’t work on a small peage barrier and you’re in the way of a queue of people... or if you go the reach over route don’t clip the concrete side you can’t see in the left, blow a tyre out and again be in the way of a queue of French people...
Funnily enough I got a tag several years ago after those 2 incidents!
Don't mess around. Get a tag.
You can use it again or return it.
Just had to buy another as ours was lost. Bit annoying but not as annoying as messing around with money and tickets.
Just get a tag. You can send the tag back after if you like and get your deposit back, you just lose the postage.
And the application fee, and the monthly charge.
Don't recall ever having a card not work on the tolls. Petrol stations is another matter though. Worth having a few different cards.
Shuffle across to passenger window, don't forget to put handbrake on ... Carry lots of change so you can lob it into the basket for cheaper ones. Plus the gate waits for you anyway so do what you like.
The tag is so much easier and faster!
Honestly get a tag, for the small cost it is worth it. Saves so much hassle and you can then use the 30kph barriers. Monthly fee is 5 euro only in the months you use it, with a maximum of 10 euro a year. We got ours in 2015 and will be using for the third time this summer.
If you use the link below to sign up we both get 5 euro towards the monthly fee.
<mod edit: referral links aren't permitted, sorry>
The first time you're sat in a queue watching cars with tags drive through the 30 KMH lane without stopping you'll think that was the daftest 20 euros I ever saved!
The Euros are well aware of the English penchant for back tracking, so they don't bat an eye lid if you just reverse through the gate.
And the application fee, and the monthly charge.
Still worth it to avoid the hassle. No queuing and you can also use the express lanes where you don't have to stop.
Decent exchange rate. Might be better than your card or high street costs with cash.
If I was left hand drive I might consider it, but even then, group of us hired a car from Geneva when skiing and others were just going to do cash for the tolls, but took my tag and overwhelmingly agreed it was worth it. Minor point though is doesn't cover Mont-Blanc tunnel, but then then Mont-Blanc Unlimited lift pass gets discount on the tunnel, at least in the winter.
If you are going to annoy everyone behind you by running round don't forget the Bojo mask to add insult to injury.
Have used a tag for many years , its not just the ease of not having to dive out the passenger window etc - but the problem of keeping hold of the ticket and messing about with your card or cash each time , misplace any of those and it gets stressful .
Don’t recall ever having a card not work on the tolls.
We were there a couple of weeks ago with a Starling card that wouldn't work in the toll machines, despite being Visa Debit.
So, yeah, have a spare card just in case.
Quite a few comments there - more than I was expecting! Last year when we drove the same route in late July (I was passenger in a mates car) we didn't hit any major queues at the gates and my Monzo card worked in all booths. Will driving down on a Fri and back on a Monday so hopefully not as busy as the weekends but it will be Aug though, so holiday time for the French.
Decisions....!
Simply reverse in. 👍
Got a tag a few years ago. When we drove with just a roof box, it was fine and I’d recommend it for the reduction in faffage. However, if you’re carrying a bike on the roof, a lot of the express, drive thru lanes have height restrictions so you might need to take that into consideration. You just end up queueing with everybody else.
Yes I enjoyed my first non stop toll booth until I heard a massive bang and realised my bike was on the roof. In my defence there was no height restriction sign on that one. Checking at the next thousand booths it is completely random, if the height barrier is there or there is a sign? Luckily the roof rack snapped before the bike did, picked up some lovely string that held it on for the next two weeks and 2000km!
Sorry about the referral link. Just seen that eurotunnel are still doing the deal where you don't have to pay the application fee and the annual fee is less.
https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/promotions/emovis-tag/
That promo is pretty good but unfort not via the Tunnel this year as they wanted £500 for the pleasure, which is scandalous!
You can get the bip and go tag which is cheaper than the emovis tag....but of course when you go to buy the bip and go it says "uk people use this site" which directs you to emovis tag and inflated prices. Emovis = €5 per month, bip and go €1.7. Emovis €6 per year, plus 10 euro activation fee, bip and go 10 euro one off fee, no annual fee. Great way to rip off UK people 🙂
Before I bought a tag I did the stroll around the car technique. Nice to stretch the legs tbh. Screw running though, they can wait.
On a trip down to watch le Tour many years ago, my son in the passenger seat was in charge of paying the tolls.
It's he perfect job for a young lad with short arms who can't stay awake for more than an hour in the car 🙂