Quote: Originally posted by OliverDay on 11/8/2011
When arriving at the peage to pay for the section of autoroute travelled make sure you check the vehicle classification category that you are being charged for is correct for you vehicle.
We have bikes attached to the back of a Ford Galaxy and tow a trailer tent. At about half of the peages the automatic sensors classed us as category 2 instead of category 1 as the bikes took us over the 2 meter height sensor.
We got into the habit of checking the display before inserting the credit card. If it is wrong just press the help button to ask the operator to correct the category before paying. They always corrected the payment to category 1 without any problem.
Category 2 is about twice the price as category 1 so well worth the extra effort to get it corrected.
Ditto. A lot of the peages are un-manned, so not much you can do about that?
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Slightly off topic something similar happened to me boarding a ferry in Denmark to Norway. I got the fright of my life when they came up with some outrageous fare. When I questioned it she showed me a height reading which I said was impossible.. After 10 min of arguing I scrambled to the top of my van and undid the ariel and as if my magic the height and fare was adjusted. She told me to keep the Ariel off while on the ferry.
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Quote: Originally posted by Val A on 25/1/2012
There's still a 'help' button, manned remotely, but they can still change the category, or raise the barrier for you, if you have problems.
Yes, we have done that. They seem to have cctv so they can check you aren't telling fibs and really have an artic on the back!
If you want to check what rate they have put you down as, it shows it on the display under the window of the booth, right alongside the passenger door, on a UK car/van, just make sure it has Classe 1 displayed before you put your card in to pay.
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Our VW campervan is exactly 2m high. When we first got it, we went through all the manual tolls to check, and it was always class 1, so now we use auto tolls, either cash or card, and have never been overcharged. The only times we have been overcharged, by a person, was on an umpty bridge in Norfolk where I did argue, but it was only 20p more, the Frejus Tunnel, where I asked, but the lady said (in fast French) that though we were class 1 normally, in the tunnel it was class 2, ouch!. And the 3rd time was on 1 of the fixed toll sections above Nice, I argued again but the bored lad insisted, I suspect he pocketed the difference, he seemed to be Sunday staff.
We had this last summer with our car and caravan, and ended up in category 3 instead of 2. I measured the height of car+bikes at 2.99m. 3m and above and you're in category 3 - along with buses and lorries. Didn't realise until after the journey.
Quote: Originally posted by franbee on 25/1/2012
Our VW campervan is exactly 2m high. When we first got it, we went through all the manual tolls to check, and it was always class 1, so now we use auto tolls, either cash or card, and have never been overcharged. The only times we have been overcharged, by a person, was on an umpty bridge in Norfolk where I did argue, but it was only 20p more, the Frejus Tunnel, where I asked, but the lady said (in fast French) that though we were class 1 normally, in the tunnel it was class 2, ouch!. And the 3rd time was on 1 of the fixed toll sections above Nice, I argued again but the bored lad insisted, I suspect he pocketed the difference, he seemed to be Sunday staff.
Strictly speaking your vehicle is class 2. The criteria for class 1 is vehicles under 2m. You are lucky that you can get away with using the auto lanes.
Also both the Frejus and the Blanc tunnels, use exactly the same vehicle classifications as the rest of the French motorway network, so the operator was correct in charging you class 2. There has to be a cut off point somewhere and unfortunately you are just above it.
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You need to let a bit of air out of the tyres! Our camper is 1.97 high, only been measured once by a man with a stick at the peage, and he agreed it was class 1
Quote: Originally posted by Andy R on 25/1/2012
We had this last summer with our car and caravan, and ended up in category 3 instead of 2. I measured the height of car+bikes at 2.99m. 3m and above and you're in category 3 - along with buses and lorries. Didn't realise until after the journey.
I thought the height related just to the vehicle, not to the height including any bike or roof box?
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Quote: Originally posted by Ellesbelles1 on 29/1/2012
I thought the height related just to the vehicle, not to the height including any bike or roof box?
It does, however on the auto lanes the sensor often gets fooled by roofboxes etc. and measures the overall height. Hence why you should always check the display to see what class you have been charged. If wrong you use the intercom before paying and the staff will correct it for you.
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Topic: Autoroute toll category warning
