Will my toll badge work on French barrier-free motorways?
We also review how cars with non-French number plates can pay on new ‘barrier-free’ tolls
The new ‘flux libre’ tolls are coming into force across multiple motorways in France
wuthrich didier / Shutterstock
Reader Question: I have been using a ‘Bip&Go’ toll badge, but I am unsure if it will work on the new barrier free tolls. Also, If I bring my UK car to France, how will I pay for the tolls?
You are right that an increasing number of roads in France are bringing in ‘barrier-free’ (flux libre) motorways where tolls are not paid at traditional booths.
Read more: LIST: where barrier-free motorway tolls are starting in France and when
Tolls on these motorways can be paid via the following methods:
using télépéage badges (such as the Bip&Go you mention) which are identified automatically by motorway sensors
by registering an account on the motorway’s website with your vehicle’s number plate and payment details
or by ‘paying as you go’ for each journey online, via the motorway operator’s website
The latter two must be done within 72 hours of passing through the toll.
Some other routes, such as the A13/14, allow for manual payment in certain tabacs. If paying this way, it also must be completed within 72 hours.
Bip&Go says that using a télépéage badge is the easiest way to pay the barrier-free tolls, as the badge should be detected automatically by the cameras and scanners installed by motorway operators.
The fees you owe are then taken the following month from the bank account linked to a Bip&Go badge via the typical prélèvement, as they are currently if used at manual booths.
The badge should be placed on the windshield of a vehicle to be detected.
However, in the case where it is not detected when passing through a barrier-free motorway, some services (including Bip&Go) have notifications to inform the driver that their number plate was detected passing through but their badge was not, allowing them to pay manually and then check to see if there is an issue with the badge.
You will need to check with your specific tollbooth badge operator for the exact rules.
Read more: Why French motorway péage tariffs could be set to rise (a lot)
Registration country of the car does not affect toll payment
The rules are the same for all vehicles, whether they are registered in France or another country, with the detection systems picking up all number plates.
The rules on payment – and methods for paying – will remain the same for non-French vehicles, including the 72 hour deadlines (where applicable).
Drivers who do not pay may be liable to fines being sent to their address, whether in the UK or abroad.
Although the UK and France do not have a system for sharing information about speeding tickets, motorway operators are private companies, and may be able to track down the address of non-residents who do not pay tolls.
If you receive a fine, it will cost €10 plus the original price of the toll if paid within the first 15 days after receiving notice of the fine.
If paid within 15 days and 2 months, this rises to €90 plus the original price of the toll; and over this, it rises to €375, with payment needing to be made to the police tribunal.
Read more: Drivers complain over barrier-free French motorways - and their fines
