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I'm new to motor homes and I'm looking to go over to France next month. I 've searched the message boards and found plenty of details about the roads including costs for a car or car and caravan but nowhere have I found out how they charge for a motor home.

My outfit is an Auto-Trail Scout, it is about 10ft tall, just over 24ft. long and weighs in at just under 4 tonnes. For UK road fund purposes it is classed as a Private Heavy Goods Vehicle.

Anyone help me please?

A secondary question, would I have to go into the HGV lane at the Toll Booth?

Thank you in anticipation your replies.

Not quite an answer to your question but in France most of the 'N' roads are very good and apart from taking a little longer to get to your destination they enable you to see a lot of the lovely French countryside.

Quite a few of the motorways are Toll free and when I plan my French hols I choose a mixture of 'N' roads and Toll free motorways.

If you use, for example, Via Michelin or Mappy to check routes on line you can enter that you want a Toll free route.

The lanes at Toll Booths are generally for all vehicles, some where you can pay by card do have height restrictions to stop the big stuff only paying the car rate.

if you try using via michelin web site there is a part for costing of tolls. go to settings and ajust it for MH.

or do a google search and there is a site that gives the operator of the toll road followed by a price.

or use this site if you have basic french for up to date prices

http://www.autoroutes.fr/index.php?id=167

and no you dont have to use the hgv lane. but dont use the lanes that are for people who have a chip for speedy access.

Thanks for that Billy.

Mr&MrsJones  you've just hit the nail on the head for me, my biggest fear, as I will now be travelling alone and I don't speak French!

The majority of Peage operators speak English and are very friendly, we travelled last years all the way from Calais to St Tropez on toll roads. From memory the longest distance was about €80.00 there are 4 toll sections in total so look to average €50.00 per toll. We paid using cash for the tolls rather than the machines.

As everyone else has stated the N roads are very good but can get busy as people will try to avoid the toll roads, every 20 or so miles there are Aires e Service, so you can rest a while, we stayed at many of these en route and found them OK with no trouble. Although you say you are travelling alone, if you use the Aires, try parking next to or near to a UK registration plate, if you can’t speak French, then it would be difficult communicating should you need help or assistance.

This may help plan the route and they detail mostly all you may need to know.

http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/homepage.html

Have a great time

Thanks Billy thats a useful tip.

I was planning my trip for the first week of May but have had to cancel as the registration document for my MH has not arrived. I phoned DVLA and they have not received the notification with the old registration document from the previous owner/dealer. Phoned dealer whole posted it and so I assume the document must be lost somewhere in the ether between Sandy and Swansea. Because I have Section 10 of the old Reg. Document I can apply using a form V62 downloaded from DVLA but it will take four to six weeks to process and issue me with a new Reg document in my name.

So it looks like I will not be making my first trip across the Channel until September.

The reg doc may come in time but as long as you have proof that you are the owner of the vehicle you should be ok. In all the many times I have crossed to and fro I have never been asked for the reg doc.

Phil.