On holiday in France: toll roads, toll badge and Flux Libre

Going on holiday by car to France with your family or partner often means driving on toll roads and often getting stuck in traffic at the toll booths. This is especially common during busy holiday periods such as the summer holidays or other school holidays and on the infamous black Saturdays. If you are heading towards your holiday home in the South of France via the Route du Soleil (A6/A7) or via the Péage towards your holiday park in the Dordogne or Toulouse or the Autoroute l'Aquitaine (A10) towards Bordeaux, delays are the rule rather than the exception. But there are also advantages: the toll roads are well maintained and there are rest areas with gas stations and restaurants along the road. If you want to avoid traffic jams at the toll booths, you can purchase an electronic toll badge. A small investment that makes your journey much more pleasant and faster.

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Toll roads in France

Unlike the Netherlands, Belgium and Great Britain, France does not have road tax . Instead, both the French and tourists pay tolls when using the highways (autoroutes), bridges and tunnels. This system ensures that only the users of this infrastructure contribute to the costs. Those who make little use of the motorways also pay less. If you don't want to pay toll, you can take the (usually) quieter back roads. This often takes more time, but saves money. The proceeds of the toll are used for the maintenance of the motorways and parking lots (aires), the construction of new roads and infrastructure and the improvement of the facilities along the motorway, such as picnic areas and playgrounds.

Toll roads, route nationales and route départementales

France has two main types of roads for holidaymakers: the toll roads (autoroutes, marked with "A" and péage) and the toll-free alternatives, such as the route nationales (N-wegen in Dutch) and route départementales (D-wegen in Dutch). Almost all motorways with an "A" are toll roads, there are a few exceptions such as parts of the A16, A20, A31 and A28. You will travel quickly, comfortably and with many amenities. The disadvantage is that the costs can add up quite quickly. The average cost for a passenger car is about €0.10 per kilometer, for cars with a caravan or motorhomes this amount is higher. The route nationales and route départementales are toll-free and go past villages, towns and beautiful landscapes. These roads are cheaper, you see more of France and the roads are often well maintained. Travel time will be longer due to traffic lights, roundabouts and lower speed limits. Keep an eye on your speed seen as this is regularly policed. It would be a shame if you get a traffic fine. On tolls and motorways, the speed limit is 130 km/h, on other motorways usually 110 km/h. Outside built-up areas, a maximum speed of 80 km/h applies (on local two-lane roads without a median strip) or 90 km/h (on local two-lane roads with median strip or guardrail). In built-up areas, the speed limit is 50 km/h. In rainy weather, the speed limits can be reduced by up to 20 km/h. Please note that during your holiday in France, you will probably drive through environmental zones and therefore need an Crit'Air sticker from France.

Rest areas and charging stations

There are two types of rest areas next to toll roads:

Aires de repos: simple parking lots with a picnic area and sanitary facilities, you’ll usually see one every 10-20 km.
Aires de service: larger rest areas with a gas station, shop, restaurant and often facilities such as playgrounds, you’ll usually see one every 50-60 km.

Along the toll roads, there are more and more electric charging stations and fast charging stations available from providers such as Fastned, IONITY, Engie and Total, this ensures that you usually don't need to drive far to the next charging point. It is wise to plan the route in advance and check current charging points via apps such as ChargeMap.

Closed and open toll system

In most cases, you will need to pay the toll fees when leaving the toll road, in some cases you will be charged right at the beginning. That is the difference between the open and closed toll system.
Closed system: When entering the motorway, you take a ticket and when leaving the toll road, the amount is calculated based on the number of kilometres you have driven on the road. The toll fees are higher when you take a later exit on the toll road. This system is mainly used on longer routes.
Open system: There is a toll booth at the beginning or in the middle of the toll road at which you will be charged a flat fee regardless of how long you drive on the toll road. This system is more common on shorter routes, bridges, tunnels or in urban areas.

Toll booths and fare classes

For many motorists, it is unclear what the different logos and symbols above the toll gates mean. The red cross is self-explanatory, this gate cannot be used. A green arrow means that the gate is accessible without a subscription and that you can pay with cash. A gate with an orange 't' stands for 'Télépéage' and is only accessible to vehicles with an electronic toll badge. The logo with 'cb' stands for 'Carte Bancaire', here you can only pay by credit card. So check in advance which queue you want to be in. There are five different fee classes for paying tolls in France. 1. The normal passenger car; 2. A car with caravan; 3. Motorhomes; 4. Trucks; 5. Motors. The vehicle is automatically measured, after which the rate is calculated. A roof box, roof rack or other accessories on the roof are not included in this calculation.

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Payment options on toll roads

Credit card: At almost all toll booths you can pay with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express). A PIN code is usually not required. Prepaid credit cards are not accepted.
Cash: You can pay with coins and notes (up to €20) at most toll booths. Look out for the blue signs with coins on them for cash payment. Not all gates accept cash.
Toll badge (télépéage): With a toll badge, you pay automatically when driving through the gates with an orange 't'. You do not need to stop.
Bank card: Bank cards are only accepted on a few routes (mainly the SANEF network and the Fréjus tunnel).
Company passes: On some journeys, you can also pay with special fuel or company cards (such as DKV, EuroShell, Total GR).
Online: This is only possible at the Flux Libre toll roads in France.

Toll badge or toll box France

A toll badge for toll roads in France is a small electronic device that automatically regulates toll payments in France. You attach it to your windscreen and from then on you can use special lanes for toll badge users, so you no longer have to stop at a toll station. The system works via radio frequency (RFID) and ensures that the toll is automatically debited via a linked account. It is important to keep a distance of at least four meters from the person in front of you and to limit your speed to 30 km/h. This gives the toll booths space to scan your toll badge. If all goes well, the toll box will beep, the traffic light will turn green and the barrier will go up and you can drive on immediately, which saves a lot of time during busy holiday periods. You can also use the French toll badge in Spain and Portugal and in about 450 car parks in France. There are two types of subscriptions. In both cases, the purchase of the device is approximately € 23. If you only use the toll badge during holiday periods or school holidays, the 'Ad hoc' subscription is recommended. You pay approx. € 1.90 per month, only for the months in which you use the toll badge and you will of course need to pay the toll fees. If you regularly drive on toll roads, you can opt for the Frequent season ticket for which you pay approximately € 16 per year. With the gradual introduction of the Flux Libre toll collection, you always have the certainty that the toll will be paid automatically. And that you can avoid high fines. Due to delivery times, make sure you buy the device at least 14 days before departure. Upon arrival, the Toll Badge is immediately ready for use.

Advantages of using a toll badge in France

Drive faster through toll booths: No long queues due to the special toll booth lanes.
Automatic payment: The toll is automatically deducted from your account, eliminating the hassle of cash, cards or tickets.
Clear administration: You will receive a clear overview of all toll costs.
Validity in multiple countries: Most toll badges can also be used on toll roads in Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Use for parking: Pay with the badge at many car parks in France.
Avoidance of fines on free flow roads: Automatic toll registration.
Additional benefits: Some providers offer additional benefit programs, such as discounts on activities.

Flux Libre: Toll road without toll booths

Flux libre is a new electronic toll system. Instead of passing toll booths; your license plate and/or toll badge will automatically be registered by cameras and sensors above the road. Roads with a Flux Libre toll road are the A79 (Montmarault – Digoin), A13/A14 (Paris – Caen) and A4 (Boulay – Strasbourg). In 2025, the A69 between Toulouse and Castres will also become a Flux Libre toll road. These toll roads in France are indicated by a sign "Péage Flux Libre", after which you will drive under a metal arch with cameras and sensors. The French government plans to transform many more traditional toll roads into invisible toll roads in the coming years. A big advantage is that there are no more traffic jams and CO2 emissions are significantly reduced. Payment is easiest with a toll badge, this eliminates the risk of forgetting to pay. In addition, online payment and direct debit is also possible, for the A79 on https://www.aliae.com/en and for the A4 and A14/A13 https://www.sanef.com/index-en.html or via a payment terminal at a rest area or in a NIRIO store. Pay on time otherwise you will be fined anything between € 90 to € 375.

Toll roads France map: calculate the costs

The toll costs vary per route, but when using a toll box you will always have insight into these costs. The following routes are known to be expensive:
A19, A29 and A65: These motorways have relatively high toll rates per kilometre, partly because they are less busy and investments have to be recouped.
Viaduc de Millau (A75): To use this bridge you pay a separate, hefty fee

Mont Blanc- and Fréjustunnel: These tunnels are very pricey, with toll rates of over 30 euros per passage.
Autoroute du Soleil (A6/A7, Lyon–Marseille):This is the most popular route to the south of France and is almost entirely a toll road. If you drive the entire route from Paris, you can expect to pay around €80–85 in toll for a one-way journey with a passenger car.
A10 (Paris–Bordeaux):This western route that also turns south towards the Gironde is mostly a toll road and this can add up considerably in costs. The average toll price in France is about 9 cents per kilometer, but on the roads mentioned above it can be significantly higher. On the website of the ASFA, the umbrella organisation of toll road operators, you can find the current toll rates. You can calculate the toll for a particular route, download a leaflet listing the main rates and read up on the special rates. The map of toll roads of France indicates the toll road fees on the right. Pay attention , however, seen as these costs can be adjusted annually by the operator.

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