We want to make your journey easier, so we have prepared a short guide covering the main rules you need to follow to avoid surcharges on French motorways.
📊 The 2 most common causes of surcharges
1. ⏱️ Exceeding the maximum permitted transit and parking time
One of the most common causes of surcharges is exceeding the maximum permitted time within the network, calculated between the transit time recorded at the entry gate and that recorded at the exit gate.
To avoid additional charges, it is important not to exceed the maximum permitted time for transit and for stopping in motorway car parks or service areas.
| Concessionaire | Maximum permitted duration |
|---|---|
| ADELAC, ALIENOR, AREA, ASF, ESCOTA, SANEF, SAPN, SFTRF, ARCOUR, ALBEA | 24 hours |
| ALIS, APRR, ATMB, COFIROUTE | 48 hours |
2. 🔄 U-Turn manoeuvre
Avoid successive entries and exits through the same motorway toll gate.
Such a manoeuvre may be identified by the system as a non-compliant transaction and may result in the TLPC (longest possible route) being charged.
In the event of a U-Turn, the device is read each time the vehicle enters the motorway, and the information is transmitted to the system and subsequently charged.
These transactions are frequently recorded in the following areas:
- A10: Orléans-Nord, Gidy, Artenay toll gates;
- A81: Laval Est toll gate;
- A28: Alençon Nord toll gate;
- A87: Les Herbiers, Cholet Sud, Cholet Nord toll gates;
- A65: Caloy toll gate;
- A19: Auxy toll gate;
- A1: Ressons toll gate.
The French motorway network is managed by several concessionaires, each of whom has specific rules regarding transit times and parking or stopping periods. Following these rules helps you avoid additional costs resulting from transactions recorded by the system.