This French motorway's toll barriers (but not charges) will end on Tuesday

The A13 from Paris to Caen is to become the first entirely free-flowing motorway in France when its toll barriers are replaced by electronic gates on Tuesday (December 10). 

Free-flow motorways use a system that automatically tracks vehicles and bills drivers according to their distance travelled.

Several operators have introduced these systems on stretches of motorway, however, the 250km from Paris to Caen will be the longest yet.

Operator Sanef says the new system means “just one payment per trip rather than paying at every toll”.

It also champions the ecological merits of the new system, which should result in less fuel wasted at toll booths.

Read more: Recap: the French motorways which have barrier-free tolls, or soon will

Barrier-free motorways are managed by different groups and the exact payment modalities vary.

However, for all of them, drivers can either get a motorway payment badge or pay after travelling based on how far they went on the motorway.

Payments are made either online or at a designated payment point within a certain period of time. 

For the new system on the A13, drivers will have 72 hours to settle their bill. They can either do this by:

• connecting to the motorway operator’s website (sanef.com). This can be done after each journey or in advance by registering your number plate and payment details,

• at a Nirio group affiliated Tabac-presse. You can find a list of their locations across France at this link,

• via an automatic payment badge which can be purchased here