Several motorways in France are now barrier-free although toll payments still have to be paid by drivers who use them.
As of March 2025, four stretches of motorway in France have replaced traditional toll barriers with a modern free-flow (flux-libre) system that records the number plates or toll-badges (télépéages) of vehicles that pass through.
These are:
The A13/A14
The A79 between Saône-et-Loire and Allier
The A4 near Boulay
The aim is for the traffic to be more free-flowing and to ease pollution.
Tolls for these barrier-free motorway stretches can be paid in two ways.
The first is automatic payment through a toll-badge or an account with the motorway operator if the driver has set one up.
Alternatively, you can pay manually after (or with certain operators before) each journey at certain tabacs or by entering your vehicle’s details on the motorway concessionaire’s website.
In the case of the latter, you have 72 hours after your trip to pay.
Foreign-registered vehicles must also pay, and can do so by entering their number plate on the website of the motorway operator.
The 53-km long A69 motorway between Castres and Toulouse was in theory set to be tolled but barrier-free, however construction of the road has been halted after a local court ruled that the project was illegal.
There are currently no other solid plans for motorways to be adapted to the new system, although the government is in favour of wider introduction.
It claims the tolls are greener and helps drivers conserve fuel, with conversion of the A13/14 alone will save an estimated 95 million litres of petrol each year.
The changes also allow for quicker journeys, saving up to 30 minutes of travel time for some drivers.
Any future conversions will be well publicised – it took around three months to turn the length of the A13 flux libre at the end of 2024.
You can read more about barrier-free motorways in our articles below.
