Télépéage - version 2

Thu, 19/04/2012 - 18:18 -- James Oakley

(Last updated 16th July 2016)

Back in September 2010, I posted on my experience (as an Englishman) procuring and using a Télépéage gadget for use on the French motorways. I wrote that post just in case it happened to help someone. Since then, it has become more than 3 times as popular as any other page on this website and the last time I checked it was #3 on google.com (searching for "telepeage" from the UK). It would seem that it has been helpful.

Since then, two things have happened. First, there are now 80 comments on that post. Lots of those comments are people asking questions, and lots of the same questions come up again and again. Second, a new UK-based player has entered the market as a "midddle-man" for obtaining these Télépéage gadgets.

So I thought it was time to repost my original post, bringing it up to date, and including an FAQ section at the end. That way, I can close the original post to new comments, and people can read answers to the most common questions without having to trawl through 80 comments to get there.

OK? Here goes:


The original post - brought up to date

I've just been asked again how an English motorist can take advantage of télépéage. I thought I'd post my answer here, in case it helps anyone else.

Gare de peageThe French motorways are usually toll roads. The amounts you have to pay are not a round number; Calais to Paris or Rheims costs €20.20 at the moment. So you're either trying to find the right change, on the wrong side of the car, or you're using a credit card for each transaction. Depending on your route through France, you may not just be paying the once; sometimes you have to pay for the stage you've just driven, then pay again a bit later on. Our recent French holiday to the south of Burgundy involved paying 3 times each way - 6 transactions in total. The other inconvenience is the queues. A lot of traffic travels on the French motorway network, and that creates a bottle-neck at the gares de péage, the pay stations.

telepeageThere is an answer to this, and it's called télépéage. Similar to the gadgets you can get for the Severn Bridge, the Dartford Crossing or the M6 Toll, this is a small electronic transponder that you attach to your windscreen just behind the rear-view mirror. As you approach the barriers, a device by the barrier can read your gadget, extract the account details from it. You are let through, without having to stop, and you get billed later. Surprisingly, even lots of French cars don't seem to use them, but they speed up and simplify the journey considerably. This no longer needs to be a little secret kept by the French.

There are three ways to do it.

  1. The cheapest way is to deal directly with the French. The company APRR run the motorways to the south and east of Paris. They will let you have a toll reader from them, and bill it to an English credit card; most other French motorway companies won't do that. Whenever you get a télépéage gadget from one French motorway company, it works throughout France, so it's just a matter of finding a company that will let the English have one. APRR is your friend at that point. They charge you a (refundable if you return it) €11 for the gadget; they then charge you €1.60 per month, but only for those months when you use it. Other than that, you pay the same tolls as the cash price. There's no charge when you don't use it. You sign up at http://www.aprr.fr/fr/souscrire_telepeage_liber_t. But you need a little French to do it!
  2. The not quite so cheap way is to use one of two companies who act as intermediaries.
    1. Sanef, the company that operates the motorways in the North-East of France, have set up a UK subsidiary company called Sanef Tolling. You get English language customer support. They allow you to obtain a Sanef transponder, but be billed by Direct Debit in Sterling from a UK bank. They charge you €10 + VAT to send you the device - that's a fee not a deposit. They charge a €20 deposit that you get back if you return the deivce. The actual road tolls cost no more than they do in France, but you pay between €6 and €16 per year (again, +VAT) as a recurring account fee.
      Sanef Tolling have kindly offered a €5 discount off the first invoice for new customers who sign up by clicking on one of the links in this article.
    2. Toll Tickets is a German company, again with an English language website and customer support. They also offer similar services for other European countries. They charge you €7.90 to send you the device, and you don't get that money back - again, it's a fee rather than a deposit. You then have two choices.
      1. If you wish to keep the device long-term, there is an annual fee of €35 and they add 7% to the toll charges.
      2. If you want the device just for one trip, there is no monthly or annual fee, but the surcharge rises to 9%. Be careful though, as they start charging €0.25 per day after the first 21 days.

So the second and third options cost more, but you can deal with them in English — It's up to you.

Let me summarise:

Company APRR Toll Tickets Sanef Tolling
Operate out of: France Germany UK
Customer service in: French English English
Pay in: £*
Deposit for Device €11 n/a €20
Initial Fee for Device n/a €4.50 €12
Annual Fee €0.00 €35.00 n/a €7.20**
Monthly Fee €1.60 n/a €0.00 † €6 (max €12 p.a.)
Added Charge for each Toll 0% 7% 9% 0%

* Converted into Pounds Sterling during invoicing.
** Per account - if you have more than one tag on your account, this fee is charged once.
† There is no monthly fee as such, and the device is free for up to 21 days. After 21 days the fee is €0.25 per day - the pricing is designed for those who only keep the tag for the duration of their trip.

Some items you may find useful for your trip

Frequently Asked Questions

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of these providers; I'm just a member of the public passing on my experiences in the hope it helps others. The answers I give below are based on my personal experience, or on comments left on my previous post. I cannot guarantee these answers!

Q1: How do I enter my UK postcode on the website for APRR?
A1: Updated 2016: The You used to have to put a fake postcode in (people used 62100 successfully). They now take British addresses, but you may need to put your postcode without a space.

Q2: APRR's website seems to reject my English credit card.
A2: I imagine that could be for a number of reasons; even English websites can reject a card. Someone reported that they could not get the payment to go through at the weekend, but succeeded when they retried during normal business hours. That may help.

Q3a: What do I order with a roofbox?
A3a: A roofbox may take the height of your car to over 2m, but the car remains a Class 1 vehicle. At the toll station, you head for a telepeage enabled lane that does not have a height restriction. It's your responsibility to make sure the badge you have covers the vehicle you're driving.

Q3b: How do they know that my car, with its roofbox, is only Class 1?
QAb: Automated cameras carefully measure vehicles passing through the lines that have no height restriction. Check your statement, as very rarely mistakes get made and cars with roofboxes get charged as Class 2. If this happens, contact your tag issuer to resolve this - the excess can be refunded. (Both Toll Tickets and Sanef Tolling will take this up with the French companies on your behalf).

Q3c: How about towing a caravan?
A3c: A caravan would make you a Class 2 user; you apply for a Class 1 tag anyway, and you will be charged at the Class 2 rate, which is usually a fixed multiple of the Class 1 charge.

Q4: Do I need to activate my transponder in any way before I use it for the first time?
A4: I don't know about Toll Tickets. You do with Sanef Tolling. My personal experience of buying directly from APRR is that it works straight away.

Q5: How do I fasten it to my windscreen?
A5: Simply follow the instructions you receive with the device. In case the French is not clear to you, however, this may help:

Step 1: Use the alcohol wipe they've given you to clean the area of the windscreen where the device will go. Usually this is behind the central rear-view mirror. Heated windscreens usually have an area here that is not heated to help with this kind of gadget. (In the instruction book I got, that's "Figure A" on page 4).

Step 2: Take the plastic clip. If the actual gadget is attached to the plastic clip, just slide it off. In fact, you may wish to practice sliding the gadget on and off the clip a few times - it's a little stiff, but easy when you've got the knack. There is a self-adhesive strip on the back of the clip. Peel off the backing.

Step 3: Stick the clip onto the inside of the windscreen, in the area you just cleaned. Leave alone for 5 minutes or so to make sure it's well and truly stuck.

Step 4: Slide the gadget onto the clip you've just attached.

Step 5: Put car on ferry / shuttle and go.

Q6: How do I change the credit card APRR uses to bill me?
A6: Although there is an area of their website where you can log in to your account, one thing you can't do there is change your card details. They advise e-mailing them the new details; that is not something I would advise because e-mail is very insecure - anyone can read it in transit.

The other approach is to telephone them. The number is +33 325303241. Either talk to them in French, or ask them if there is someone there who speaks English and they'll hand you over to their relevant colleague who can help you in English. They charge your new card (I think it's) €2 to test it works, but they then refund that test payment about a month later. At least, that's what happened for me.

Q7: Does my telepeage tag work on the Spanish motorways?
A7: Sorry, but no. The French motorway networks all collaborate on this, but other European countries each operate their own system. Toll Tickets can also obtain tags for other countries.

Q8: What does the leaflet that came with the device mean, when it says I need an "RIB"?
A8: Don't worry about that. Unless they change their policy, APRR are happy to take an English credit card to take your monthly payments from. They send a leaflet inviting you to take out a prélèvement (equivalent of Direct Debit), and you'd need to send them a copy of your RIB (piece of paper with your French bank details on) to do so. But as that's only applicable to those with French bank accounts, most British users will stay with their credit card. They're only inviting you to pay by direct debit, you don't have to.

Q9: I enjoy the experience of jumping the queues in the other traffic lanes, and of seeing the staff at the gares de peage rushing out to warn me that I'm in the wrong lane only for the barrier to open. Is that wrong?
A9: Not at all - that's all part of it! Enjoy your holiday in France! Lots of French people don't seem to use them, but they speed up and simplify the journey considerably. This no longer needs to be a little secret kept by the French!

Note: Comments on this post now extend to more than one page.

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Comments

JIm Ayres's picture
Submitted by JIm Ayres on

I have just obtained a tag from www.saneftolling.co.uk which arrived in 2 days.

I am now wondering where to mount it as the black dotted area around the rear view mirror on my Alfa Romeo Giulietta is not wide enough to take the tag with its long axis horizontal. I have not yet managed to find out if I have an athermic windscreen; if I haven't then it doesn't matter. Otherwise can I mount the tag with its long axis vertical or attach it to the plastic housing which hides the rain sensor electronics?

Any helpful comments will be gratefully received.

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

My instinct is that it wouldn't matter if you mounted it vertically. (Just be careful that you don't prevent yourself from being to slide the tag out of the self-adhesive mount). The toll stations don't scan a barcode, they pick up a radio signal that contains a unique identifier. That should mean that it doesn't matter which way round the tag is rotated.

In your shoes, I'd ring Sanef Tolling given their selling point is their English customer service. Please come back here to let us know how you get on (on the phone to them and/or in France) - there'll be others who would benefit from hearing what you do and how it works for you.

JIm Ayres's picture
Submitted by JIm Ayres on

Having recently returned from France I can report that my Sanef toll tag worked a treat. I held the tag behind the rear view mirror as I approached the first peage barrier and it worked! I the stuck it in place with the long axis horizontal. The slightly unnerving thing is that the nose of the car was within a metre of the barrier before the tag was dtected and the barrier opened - on a 30kph tag only lane it was a comfortable 5m or so.

Whilst Sanef tolling may not be the cheapest, it was easy to get setup and the monthly bill accurately reflected our use of the various Gare de Peage.

 

Roger's picture
Submitted by Roger on

I use Chrome browser and it has an automatic translation facility which is pretty good and helps if you are using APRR.

The downside I had with APRR was that the confirmation managed to scramble my address pretty badly, not showing my postal town or post code - so I will be interested to see if the gadget actually arrives. It may just be the way they format their acknowledgements.

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Let us know whether it comes... As you say, hopefully it will just be the acknowledgement e-mail that was unclear.

Hilary's picture
Submitted by Hilary on

Thank you for your really helpful blog. I have attached my toll thingy this eve and ready to set off and have a trial run for two days in France before the big journey in the summer hols. They accepted my debit card details so I hope payments will just ping out of my bank account here in the uk! Here goes......

Claire's picture
Submitted by Claire on

Can you tell me if the telepeage gadget can be moved between cars? The car we travel in varies depending on how much luggage we have, and I don't want to pay for 2 seperate devices. 

 

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Claire,

As I understand things, the device is issued for you not for the car. When I signed up directly with APRR, they never asked me for a Vehicle Reg Number.

If you get a device from one of the third-party companies I mention, it's possible they have a policy of one device per car - you'd have to ask them when you sign up (and then come back here to tell the rest of us what you discover!)

Claire's picture
Submitted by Claire on

I had done some more digging and it seems that you actually get 2 clips with an SANEF device, enabling you to use it in 2 cars. You can then buy extra clips if you need to. See http://www.saneftolling.co.uk/support/faq .

Unfortunately despite lots of searching and translating of the APRR site, I can't find out how many clips are initially provided with their device. Maybe you could let me know how many arrived with yours? 

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

I only got the one from APRR. That said, I have a tag for the Dartford Crossing, and they're interchangeable. That gave me a second clip.

chezqui's picture
Submitted by chezqui on

I must be lucky, I received two clips from APRR.

Rosemary's picture
Submitted by Rosemary on

I have used my telepeage machine on several different cars and even on my van. It does not make any difference. If you need to move the 'windscreen box' to another car then gently heating it with a hairdryer softens the glue and you can restick it on another car.

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

That's a good tip. Thank you.

They will send out other windscreen clips if you order them. Alternatively, they're made by the same manufacturer as most other toll tags (M6, Dartford Bridge, Severn Bridge, etc.) so if you've got any of those you'll have a tag from them, too - then you can keep one tag in each car.

Sarah Fenton's picture
Submitted by Sarah Fenton on

Maybe I've missed it and someone has already posted, but it looks ike they've now oficially set things up so you can by the device easily from the UK.

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Hi Sarah,

Nobody's posted this in the comments, but it's in the body of the blog post itself. (Look at the comparison table in the middle of the page). There are 2 firms that have set things up so that you can get the device from the UK. In return for them making it easier for you, it will cost you slightly more than if you got it directly from France.

The two firms work out their charges differently from each other, which is why I'm trying to help people work out the best way for them to get one.

If you do go with Sanef Tolling, clicking through the link in this post will save you a fiver.

Andy's picture
Submitted by Andy on

I'm considering using the Télépéage for our trip down to the south of France in August. Can anyone tell me how the billing actually works ? I've read in the blog that the bill is sent out monthly so for our trip from 01 August to 20 August can I expect a bill in September frequiring payment by the end of September ?

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

All I can tell you is how it worked for me, using APRR directly.

They sent me an invoice dated the last day of the month (in your case, 31st August). The invoice contains a detailed breakdown of which motorways were used, the dates, and so on. They then debited my card automatically three weeks later (on 20th September).

Hope that helps. Enjoy your trip!

Katherine's picture
Submitted by Katherine on

I've only just found this blog and we're off to France in 2 weeks time. Any idea how long delivery will take if I go through APRR ?

Also, can you fix to a motorbike ?

Many thanks.

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Hi Katherine

Mine arrived in about a week, so you're probably alright - they were certainly surprisingly efficient and prompt. I guess nothing is guaranteed, though.

I don't know about fixing to bikes - if anyone else reading this page has experience it would be good to hear from them. Motorbikes are classified as "class 5" - which means that (as with a roofbox) you can use the same device as an ordinary car, and a camera at the toll station works out that you were riding a bike. The fact that the ordinary Liber-T boxes are intended for use with bikes too suggests it should be doable, but I have no personal experience of that.

Anyone else?

Peter Fouché's picture
Submitted by Peter Fouché on

I now live in France. When I go on the Autoroute on a bike I take the telepeage out of the car and put it in my top left jacket pocket. Works fine. You cannot go throught the car only lanes though. I have to stop then the barrier opens but that means I can the 'class 5' appear on the screen which means I have been identified as a bike and charged at the reduced rate.

Claudio Garcia Solca's picture
Submitted by Claudio Garcia Solca on

Hi,

I'm french, I use the telepeage system with my scooter (Honda Forza 300).

I use to put the device inside the upper, external, left side pocket of my jacket,  it work perfectly in the south (used from Saint-tropez to Monaco).

The motorbike have a cheaper toll cost, compared with cars.

The bike is automatically detected and charged, only twice my bike was not detected and I had to call for assistance, my be because it's a small 300cc bike.

I hope this info is useful for my British neighbours.

Singing Dwarf's picture
Submitted by Singing Dwarf on

There is another way - with no upfront costs or deposit to pay.
ATMB (Autoroutes et Tunnel du Mont Blanc) will post a tag to the UK and bill to a UK credit card.  The tag can be used across the French motorway network, as well as the Mont Blanc Tunnel itself.
 
They are currently (until 27th August 2012) running an offer where the badge is free for 12mths.  There are no upfront costs and no deposit is required.
 
Currently, the only charges are a €1.50/mth for the months when the tag is used (assuming you use online billing) - there is no charge in the months when the tag is inactive (for the first 12mths at least).
 
It is not clear what the charges are following the 1st anniversary, however there is no commitment and the tag can be returned after (or during) the first year.
 
I have subscribed using a UK credit card and received my tag without any problems.
 
Conditions of the offer can be found in the PDF:
http://www.atmb.com/telepeage_evasion_ete/cond_ope_commerciale_Evasionet...
 
Basic details can be found in English here:
http://www.atmb.com/telepeage_evasion_ete/index.php?lang=en

AlanR's picture
Submitted by AlanR on

Thanks to singing dwarf for that - it does seem to be the best deal at the moment, even though there is a €20 deposit to pay, it is refundable.

I had trouble with the online payment by Credit Card, maybe due to being out of hours - but oddly, within 5 minutes of the transaction being refused, I got a phone call on my mobile phone from someone claiming to be from my bank, saying that they had decected an unusual spending pattern on my card, and started asking 'security questions'.

I had given my mobile phone number on the ATMB website, but it is a fairly new number and as far as I know, my bank doesn't have it - they usually contact me on my works landline if they need to.

Anyone else had this happen after using the site?

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Hmm...

That would bother me! The correct thing would be for the bank to ring you, using the contact details they already had. They shouldn't assume that the contact details supplied by the person posing as a buyer are correct.

If I were you, I'd phone your bank and check with them if that really was them.

One other caution on this supplier for folks to bear in mind. If you ever found a problem with your device while you were in France, you'd need to swap it at a regional office or a motorway service area in the region covered by the supplier. Unless you travel to the Alps often, that's not going to be easy.

Jackie Becker's picture
Submitted by Jackie Becker on

Yes if you're alone in a RH drive car then télépéage makes sense.  But on the whole route from England to where I live in the Alps I pay only two tolls these days instead of several.  I live most of the time in France and just use cash, and I find that as more and more people use the télépéage, frequently that's where the queues are, particularly at commuting times.  I'd suggest people get themselves prepaid currency cards (I use one which has recently one awards for being the best) which they can load with euros when the exchange rate is good (I load only 200€ at a time - the rate might be even better the next day).  Then you draw out euros from any ATM when you're abroad, keeping the credit card for emergencies only.  The exchange rate is good and there are no withdrawal charges.

BarryE's picture
Submitted by BarryE on

Jackie and others may be interested to know that it you have an account in the UK with the Norwich & Peterborough Building Society, you can use their Debit Card at ATMs throughout Europe with any "Cash Withdrawal Fee" or "Currency conversion Fee".  They simply charge you at the Euro rate on the day the UK account is charged.

I have had an N&P account for many years, and this is one of the attraction for a frequent European traveller.  The N&P are now part of the Yorkshire Building Society group so it seems likely that the Yorkshire may offer a similar concession - you'd need to check that though as I have not.

The other useful card I always take abroad is my Halifax Clarity Credit card, which similarly does not charge any fees for European transactions.  We use this to pay for fuel and restaurant meals etc and the savings are significant.  The interest rate is not so attractive though, so It is usually settled in full each month by Direct Debit, or else I use a "0% balance transfer" to move a larger bill to another card.

In summary: We use our N&P cards for Euro cash withdrawals and the Halifax Clarity card for non-cash Euro transaction.  Haven't paid any "Foreign charge" penalties in recent years.

Haydn Davies's picture
Submitted by Haydn Davies on

Hello,

http://www.atmb.com/telepeage_evasion_ete/index.php?lang=en

Just signed up for this (after a bit of a schoolboy french translation issue.)

The page making the offer is in English, but when you clik onto "subscribe" it is all in french !!!

A couple of things.

If you go to the french offer page, the Google translate makes it out as:

  • Valid on all French motorways.
  • Fast: the gate opens automatically as you pass in the lanes.
  • Toll-free for 12 months, then only € 1.50 a month where you take the highway!
  • Simple: you receive a single bill and pay only once a month.

Hmmmmmmm.... "Toll-Free" ..... I guess this is a Google translate problem (Nice if it were true though !)

The other thing is that the English company acting as "Middle man" for SANEF give the impression that it will soon be impossible to use a GB credit card to buy these thing. I don't want to go back to check, in case I lose all that I have typed so far, but i "Think" they said "The majority" of companies will no longer take UK credit cards. I felt it was a bit of a "Then the only way out is to go with us."

You need to check it, as i may have got it wrong .

But their prices are, in my opinion, not cheap.

 

Regards,

Haydn Davies.

joanie's picture
Submitted by joanie on

I am too late for my trip tomorrow

can you buy in france at the telepeage?

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

At most gares-de-peage on the motorways there are clearly signed pull-in areas where your can stop and subscribe for a tag. Obviously you can only sign up with the company that operates that stretch of motorway, so near Calais you're on SANEF ground. At least online SANEF don't accept card payments any more, only French directs debits, but in person they may be more amenable. Or it may work once you get a bit further south and you're into APRR territory. Whatever company, this is all fine for the French but I've never heard of anyone try and sign up with a british payment card at a service point. If your French is up to it give it a go, and please let us all know how your get on.

Ivan's picture
Submitted by Ivan on

I tried to buy the tele blip device at a Telepeage service center on the A13 near Caen last week (Aug 2016). The lady there would only take a French debit card, which I happen to have, and a RIB (details of account provided by the French bank), which I did not have on me. The RIB, from my experience, is usually a simple print out without any bank letter head or other identifable branding, and doesnt appear to provide any information that the bank card itself doesnt provide. However, the lady refused to be maleable in any way and wouldnt allow me to buy the device at her booth. She added that it would have worked immediately, and she could not accept a UK account. The French are so incredibly retrograde when it comes to paperwork and the application of European-wide integration laws as regards common services etc etc (we still have a few years before Brexit kicks in!!) ! 

Rosemary's picture
Submitted by Rosemary on

We bought our telepeage machine at a service cabin on the autoroute about 9 years ago through Vinci autoroutes. We travel from Cherbourg down the west coast almost to the Spanish border several times a year and it has made our journeys so much quicker and simpler. No queues, no searching for the right money etc. We actually have a French bank account so it made buying and billing much easier because it means I have a French debit card. If you are asked for a RIB it is the piece of paper in either the front or back of a French cheque book which gives all of the bank details and proves that you have a French bank account. We pay just 1.60€ for each month that we use the telepeage plus the journey fee. Well worth the trouble of getting one.

Lesley's picture
Submitted by Lesley on

Thanks for all the information everyone. Basic french got me through the APRR site and just got a confirmation email. Hope it will come in time for my holidays (10 days away) but if not, I figure it's useful to have for future trips.

Allan & Helen McDowall's picture
Submitted by Allan & Helen M... on

James - Please, does the telepeage gate distinguish between cars and motorcycles ? And - what is a homepage ? Also, Helen & I do go to Church - we need a framework for our living and a focus for our gratitude. As an addition to the Bible, one should read : A short history of nearly everything ( Bill Bryson ). If you are not utterly boggled by the time you have absorbed that, I shall be surprised. Great site, James. Allan

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Hi Allan

Great to hear from you - which church do you go to?

As for motorcycles, yes - they are camera-detected the same as roofboxes, and they almost always get it right, but sometimes you could find yourself having to appeal the wrong classification if it gets confused.

What's a homepage? I don't quite follow the question - sorry.

Yes, I've got Bryson's book - but not yet read it all. I like his writing, and that book is somewhat different from the others. Notes from a small island is just wonderful.

Steve Perry's picture
Submitted by Steve Perry on

Hi

Can anyone tell me where/how I can buy a clip for my APRR badge. I have just replaced my car, and although I remembered to slide off my badge, I did not feel it was fair to the new owner of my car, to try and prise off the clip.

Many thanks

 

Steve

Steve Perry's picture
Submitted by Steve Perry on

To add to my question, I must admit to not being able to speak French!!

Howard Tate's picture
Submitted by Howard Tate on

I curently have a French Sanef provided transponder and pay automatically by a UK Sterling credit card that has no commission and the exchange rate given is the inter-bank rate. This has a distinct cost advantage to the UK Sanef system adminstered in Harrogate who charge around 2.4% commission and are not very close to the inter-bank rate of exchange. My card expires 07/13 and I am worried I will not be able to update the payment method when the replacement card arrives. I have changed the credit card once before on telephone +33 970 808 709. What are the propects of being able to do this again in future?

Also what is the impact of the recent administration being changed to BIP&GO?

I have stopped several times at Aires where the motorway signs indicate that there is a Telepeage service centre but I have never found one that is manned, the small booths are always closed.

 

Regards

 

Howard

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Hi Howard

Thanks for asking. As I said in the post, I'm no expert - I'm just a user who wanted to share what I've learnt. Over time, the comment thread has become an informal forum for UK users trying to use the telepeage system, which is absolutely fine - but this only works because we all share what we discover. There are no official answers here!

I use APRR (as I said). Clearly there is a chance that SANEF will refuse to alter your payment details. I'm guessing they'll probably keep rolling existing accounts over, but just refuse to take new ones. If I were you (given the booths are often unmanned), I'd ring and change the card. If they take the new card details, you're on! When I changed my card details with APRR over the phone, they took a small charge from the card to test it was valid, the refunded it a few weeks later. You're in even better luck if SANEF have a similar system, because you then get proof they've accepted the new card before you travel. In practice, if they've taken the new details, the're going to use them because otherwise they've got an unsettled bill as soon as you use the transponder.

Anyway - what would be a real help to others is if you came back here to let us all know how you get on. Other users will also have cards linked to their SANEF accounts that will expire soon, so it would be good feedback to report back on. All the best!

Jim's picture
Submitted by Jim on

Hi - great, very helpful blog! :)

I've just started filling in the APRR Telepeage page (using the Chrome translator - thanks Roger) and there's one charge you haven't mentioned which is e10 to send the tag... there's also no mention of the intial e10 being refundable, rather it's a commissioning cost. The page translates as:

Commissioning costs (1) : 10,00 incl         (the (1) indicates it's taken from the first invoice).

Shipping outside France: 10.00 TTC

 

Is this what others have found?

Thanks

Jim

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Hi Jim

Thanks for coming to let us know - when I got mine, there was only the €10 to pay it was clearly marked as a deposit. Postage was free. Sounds like they may have changed their policy on this.

Like you, I'd be interested to hear what others have found. I'll update the page if others confirm this.

Dillon's picture
Submitted by Dillon on

Hi all,  great info here.  I've just obtained an APRR tag for some journeys I will be doing,  Very straightforward used my UK credit card and and had it posted to my French address; it arrived within 5 days of applying.  Yes they charged an intial €10 fee,  but having had my first invoice,  that has been deducted from the total.  They have also sent me the blurb asking me to send them my French bank details and RIB.  Although I've filled it in,  James implies they are happy to keep billing my credit card, which I would prefer;  any thoughts experience?  Secondly,  in the literature that accompanied the badge (dated Jan 12)  talked about an annual fee of €25,  again any experience of this from anyone, either is it still charged,  and if so when?

Very impressed with the tag - makes life so much easier particularly if you are driving solo in a brit car.

Keep up the good work

Matthew Gardner's picture
Submitted by Matthew Gardner on

Howard Tate - my card ran out and got a letter from BIP&GO just before.  Just had to return a form completed with new end date and the card number plus a photocopy of the card (don't like that much but had little choice I guess).  Any way all appears ok with updated end date in my account area on the SANEF site.  It appears from this that if you have a SANEF account you can carry on.  Hopefully it will be OK in the summer - always a bit nervous the 'first time' every holiday!

Charlie's picture
Submitted by Charlie on

Can you pay with a UK debit card instead of credit card?

DT's picture
Submitted by DT on

Highly useful postings here, many thanks...Have signed up with ATMB who have another subscription free offer.  The site says that this offer saves 38 Euro, so I'm assuming that both the 20 Euro deposit and 1.5 Euro/month fees are waived in the first 12 months.  Like others, used Google Chrome which translated the majority of the pages, supplemented with Google Translate when I needed to check something that Chrome did not translate.  Accepted my UK credit card although I did have to call the issuer to ask them to authorise the card for ATMB (ATMB seem to take a 1 Euro authorisation).  Am using a Post Office Master Card which is free from exchange costs so hopefully, all in all should work out a good deal.  ATMB's deal can be found at: 

https://espaceprospects.atmb.net/Default.aspx?tabid=144

Julian's picture
Submitted by Julian on

Just signed with APRR before I got as far as the bit on ATMB!

In the confirmation email is says:

"Jusqu'au 8 septembre 2013, profitez de l'offre télépéage. 3 mois de frais de gestion vous sont offerts !
Vous bénéficiez de 3 mois de frais de gestion offerts"

Which freetranslation.com has kindly translated for me to:

until the September 8, 2013, take advantage of the offer electronic toll system. 3 Months of management fees are offered to you!
You get 3 months of management fees offered

Might only save be 1.5 Euro a month used but hey - its a saving!

Great blog - thanks for the tips!

Heather's picture
Submitted by Heather on

I have just ordered a tag for our trip to France in 2 weeks. We have a roof box, which will take our height to over 2m. According to the Sanef website there are Telepeage lanes without a height restriction. Do you know whether these are to the left of the manual lanes, or on the right with the HGV lane? I would hate to get stranded on the left and find there was no suitable lane!!

Thanks for all the information,

Heather. 

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Hi Heather

From memory, they're usually to the left of the height-restricted lanes. Sadly, they're not always well signed, and it can be different at each toll station - I found I had to drive slowly and head to the left, but keep my eyes peeled for where I should be going.

Philip Morris's picture
Submitted by Philip Morris on

Hi and thanks for the informative blog.

Inspired by this thread i've taken the plunge and bought an APRR device (which arrived in 3 days).

I think i was expecting it to need a battery - but there is no where to fit one. Without a power source, how does it work?

Also, echoing Steve's post from December 2012, does anyone know how to get a spare clip?

regards

 

James Oakley's picture
Submitted by James Oakley on

Hi Philip

It has an internal battery, which powers it for ~ 5 years.

Always put the device in the static-shielded bag it comes in if it's not in the car. I'm told that if it's left in strong radio field of a mobile phone (say, in the same handbag as a phone), the interference from the phone makes the device use it's battery power much faster.

Spare clip? Sorry - no idea. Except to say that all the electronic tag providers in the UK use the same clip fitting, so you could the clip that comes with Dartford, M6, etc. would all be interchangeable.

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