Motorways/Autoroutes
France has more than 8000 kilometres of motorways (freeways) of which most
are toll roads — autoroutes des péages. These are split
up into eight privately owned networks funded by tolls collected as
vehicles enter and leave. Compared to the congestion common in the UK, the
French autoroutes are excellently maintained and allow high average
travelling speeds. The speed limit is 130km/h (80mph; 110km/h when wet).
For more information click here!
Autoroutes Toll Payments
Tickets are issued at the start of each motorway network. Payments are
calculated on the distance travelled and are paid when leaving the motorway,
or motorway network. Payments at the péages (toll gates) can be made by all
major credit cards. A journey from Calais to the south of France will cost
around £50, one way. For short journeys it's worth keeping handy plenty of
small change for making payments if you don't want to use your credit card.
Payments vary depending on the type of vehicle driven, with different price
bands for: cars, vans, cars with trailers, lorries and motorbikes. Here's
where you'll find a detailed guide to Autoroute tolls.
Route Nationales
If you're on a limited budget and not in too much of a hurry, France has an
excellent network of trunk roads, the N-denoted routes nationales.
|
