Home > Camping, Caravanning and Holidays > French toll tags? |
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kestrel Member Since: 18 Jan 2024 Location: Stein Posts: 8 |
I travel once per year from Switzerland to Southern France and since last year I got the
https://www.bipandgo.com/en/ tag. The nice thing is that they offer the possibility to only pay when using the the tag. Last edited by kestrel on 1st Mar 2024 7:04am. Edited 1 time in total |
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31st Jan 2024 7:01am |
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Norfolk-n-chance Member Since: 01 Sep 2019 Location: Usually in the garage! Posts: 80 |
Morning Kestrel!
Welcome to the forum! I should have posted an update to this last year. So the Fulli tag arrived and like a happy chap I set off with wife and dog from Norfolk to the Costa Brava. “Don’t worry love” says I, “ this year I have done something wonderous, so you won’t have to be hanging out of the defender window to try and grab that little ticket anymore!” (Brownie points earned! ) Once we arrived at our first toll, I tapped her on the knee and said “sit tight love, watch this baby take all the stress out of it” and tapped the Fulli tag fixed to the windscreen exactly as the instructions. Our turn comes and…… Nothing…. In a panic I snatch the tag off the windscreen mount and tell her to hold it out of the window her side to mimic a left drive car… Nothing… So, out of the window she goes to grab the ticket. When we get to the payment point an hour or so later I assure her everything will be fine, we’ve got a tag it’ll work. It didn’t.. Holding the tag up, out of the window, wave it about, nothing. So I get out and walk around to the pay machine and press the button. We’ve got a tag but it doesn’t work I tell the helpful voice. “It is not functioning monsieur, you will have to contact the company” Thus ensues a frantic scramble for a credit card to use, all the while being hooted at by irate French drivers who assume the stupid English have done it wrong. She finds my credit card, great, slap it on the pad, nothing, not working. Try the Amex, doesn’t work, they don’t take it, of course not, no one does! Try Apple Pay using the same credit card that wouldn’t work a moment ago, and.. green light! Anyway, I contacted Fulli who didn’t get back to me until after we were sitting back at home in Norfolk! And they came up with a load of crap about I have to complete a direct debit instruction and send it to my bank before the tag will work. They’d already had money from my bank otherwise I wouldn’t have the tag in the car. I also told them that the direct debit form they asked me to submit to my bank must be submitted by them, not me. Let’s just say we’ve parted company. But, I’ve now found out that Bip&Go have an account that you can pay for with your Amex (someone does take it) which I think makes them the only French toll company to accept a credit card for their tag. Hopefully this will help anyone else going this year “a committee is a group of people who individually can do nothing, but as a group decide nothing can be done.” |
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31st Jan 2024 9:20am |
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Moo Member Since: 01 Oct 2021 Location: UK Posts: 1379 |
I've been using Emovis for years travelling through France when we had our French home. Simple and Painless.
As for Amex, we live on it as a family - points mean prizes I never really have many issues using it when I'm travelling. I get the odd one but not many. Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy. |
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31st Jan 2024 10:00am |
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TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 1060 |
Hate to say it, but I think you are overthinking the whole toll thing. Technology is not your savior, it is just a trick to get you hooked and pay more. Forget becoming a member of any 'club' that provides you convenience. Less is more. Just pay with your card, its really not that big a delay and it means something less to keep track off.
I use Revolut for all my banking (yes you can sign up online in the UK too). You just get a debit card and it works typically everywhere, or as you say use your own bank card with a phone. I lived in places where you have to take a tag because there is no other option, but at least mostly you can just fly by at 60mph, in France you still need to stop for that darn gate to open so I don't really see the benefit and i live in France. |
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31st Jan 2024 1:45pm |
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Moo Member Since: 01 Oct 2021 Location: UK Posts: 1379 |
I find its just less hassle in a right hand drive car to have a tag, particularly when driving on my own. It also smooths things out and means less stop starting and queuing.
The tag costs about £10 a year and the toll is collected by direct debit. Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy. |
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31st Jan 2024 1:53pm |
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pistonfields Member Since: 29 Mar 2022 Location: Zurich Posts: 72 |
oh I never thought about the hassle RHD cars experience with toll booths here in Europe.
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31st Jan 2024 2:10pm |
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Mo Murphy Member Since: 01 Jun 2008 Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts Posts: 2229 |
I use Emovis, it's been faultless for many years. I wouldn't be without it for motorway toll travel in France.
Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen. 50 Shades of Pennine Grey |
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31st Jan 2024 3:07pm |
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ickle Member Since: 22 Jul 2010 Location: South Vendee Posts: 1782 |
I'm with Texas, before we moved here I would use change on the return leg back to the UK to get rid of it and now we use a card - you'd be surprised though how many times a Defender and trailer would get flagged & charged as a lorry at huge cost, press the button, tell them your problem and it was adjusted there and then before payment - I guess they look at CCTV from somewhere as there is rarely any sign of humans in the booths.
Keith |
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31st Jan 2024 4:33pm |
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