Alternative to Via-T in Spain?

Adrastea
Adrastea Forum Participant Posts: 6
edited March 2022 in Overseas Campsites & Touring #1

Hi 

We are going on our first overseas trip to Spain this Spring and have been advised to get the Via-T tag for tolls. However, a discussion with their agent revealed that Via-T is not suitable for our motorhome as it is too big for the Via-T system. It is marginally over the 3m height restriction and will 'break the beam' at the toll leading to all kinds of complications! Does anyone know of an alternative payment system in Spain? If we end up having to rely on bank cards and cash, what do the toll booths accept? Notes/ coin?

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2022 #2
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,569
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    edited March 2022 #3

    I agree with Deleted User User. We only paid €3,50 for the journey from Andalusia to the French border last year. That was for a short section that hadn't been made toll free yet because it was fairly new. My understanding is that tolls have been lifted on all motorways that have been in existence for over 25 years.

  • mnlatham
    mnlatham Club Member Posts: 108
    edited March 2022 #4

    We don't use a tag, wife jumps out and pays with a card, never had a problem.

  • Oxfordeagle15
    Oxfordeagle15 Club Member Posts: 115
    edited March 2022 #5

    I agree totally.  The equivalent of the M25 around Madrid is payable - from memory about Euros 14 a couple of months back but otherwise all the motorways appear free.  That said, stick as far as possible to the "A" roads - the "AP" ones might reveal a few which are still payable. Happy travels!!

  • Geejay
    Geejay Forum Participant Posts: 232
    100 Comments
    edited March 2022 #6

    Like a lot of things, it depends….First the 2m height issue seems to apply to France, not Spain. If a vehicle has a Luton then the tag has to be placed at the bottom of the screen rather than the top. 

    We prefer the satnav to take us the quickest route and if that means tolls then so be it, even if there are fewer at the moment, and so we have a tag. This year I’m on my own and my first leg from Santander included 2 tolls and having a tag made it simple considering the pay kiosk is on the “wrong” side. 

    Over the years I’ve seen plenty of people, including us, struggling to collect the ticket and struggling to pay. As I said “it depends”.  But for convenience I find it’s worth the extra charge. 

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,078
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    edited March 2022 #7

    "Over the years I’ve seen plenty of people, including us, struggling to collect the ticket and struggling to pay. As I said “it depends”. But for convenience I find it’s worth the extra charge."

    agreed, caravanner so know nothing about MH's with height restrictions etc, but was speaking to my daughter, who lives in the region of Murcia, and she said that in their area they are re-introducing tolls. I have read somewhere that Spain have to comply with some EU directive that says they must reintroduce tolls to repay loans from the EU to build those super roads

    slightly off piste

    Protest blockades over fuel prices in France today: what to expect
    HGV, taxi, coach and construction industry drivers are taking part in areas of the south-east, east, north and west

    and truckers are on strike in some regions of Spain and they are warning of possible food shortages in some supermarkets

    oh!!! the joys

     

     

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,851
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    edited March 2022 #8

    Adrastea, if your motorhome really is too big for a Via-T tag, and if you are driving solo with the problems Geejay has described, then you can get aTIS-PL box which will cover several countries and is for larger vehicles. TheTollTickets company can supply them.

    Previous posts have also said that a Telepass from the Italian company of that name can be extended to operate Europe wide and will include oversized vehicles, but their website is too difficult for me to comprehend.

    But to answer your final sentence …use a credit card.  It saves fumbling for cash and change.

     

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2022 #9
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • TobyLeeds
    TobyLeeds Club Member Posts: 146
    edited March 2022 #10

    Most toll booths in France and Spain are now contactless so it does make it easier - but not as simple as the tag!

    Ruffs

    - after a week of the lorry drivers strike in Spain some products are in short supply, mainly fish and some veg and fruit. (Watch the strawberries as they don’t like delays!)

  • montesa
    montesa Forum Participant Posts: 168
    edited March 2022 #11

    We are Car & Caravan outfit, 12 m plus, over 3.5t gross, under 3m, so a Cat2 through France (await correction). As said Spain mostly f.o.c. now so we continue to use the Motorways mostly. We pay cash or card to hand. Whilst briefly stopping at the booths are an irritation in does break the days journey - we don’t accord with hell drive days and mpg now really matters. With via Michelin route planning the toll charge is stated prior so we are ready for likely exact cost.

    We have been overcharge requested quite a few times, challenged & always reduced. We don’t usually challenge an under-request error.

    A pal has a 3.1m m/h and if he’s pinged will challenge - usually successfully. 

    Somehow don’t like getting an automatic & pre paid bill summary a few weeks later. 

    M

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