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Most French autoroutes charge tolls: of 11,752 km of autoroutes, 9,211 km are run by concession companies that charge a péage. You pay at a toll barrier by card or cash, or automatically with a toll tag on your windscreen. A growing number of autoroutes, including the A13 and A14 between Paris and Normandy, have no barriers at all: you must pay online, at a payment point or with a tag within 72 hours, or face a fine.
How French tolls work
Toll autoroutes are signed in blue, and the word péage (toll) on the signs tells you a toll is coming. There are two main kinds of toll barrier:
- Ticket barriers: you take a ticket from a machine when you join the autoroute and pay when you leave, according to how far you’ve driven. Keep the ticket somewhere safe.
- Fixed-price barriers: you pay a set amount as you pass.
The price depends on your vehicle class and on the motorway company: each company sets its own prices, which change every 1 February. In 2026 the increases were between about 0.6% and 1.4%, depending on the company.
Choosing your lane at the barrier
Signs above each lane show how you can pay there. Bison Futé, the French government’s traffic information service, lists these lane types:
| Lane | Who it’s for |
|---|---|
| All payments (voie ouverte) | Everyone: cards and cash accepted. |
| Staffed booth | Pay a person, in cash or by card. |
| Cards only | Automatic machine, bank cards only. |
| Cash only | Automatic machine taking coins and notes, giving change. |
| Télépéage | Only cars, vans and motorbikes with a toll tag. You slow down and the barrier opens when it reads your tag. |
| Télépéage 30 km/h | Toll tag holders only: you drive through without stopping, at no more than 30 km/h. |
| Heavy vehicle télépéage | Lorries and coaches with a tag. |
Without a tag, never use a télépéage lane: the barrier won’t open for you, and you’ll hold up the traffic behind. If you’re not sure, follow the lanes showing a card or coins.
In a right-hand-drive car, the machines are on the passenger side. With a passenger, hand them the ticket and card; on your own, pull up as close to the machine as you safely can.
We’ve never had a card refused, but it is much slower, and because the machine is on the passenger side it’s a pain if you are driving alone. The tag means you don’t have any problems.
Paying by card or cash
The French motorway companies’ association, ASFA, lists Visa and Mastercard among the cards accepted at toll barriers, so most UK credit and debit cards work. Your bank may add a foreign transaction fee, so check before you go, and take a second card in case one is declined. Cash lanes take euros.
Barrier-free tolls (free flow)
On free-flow autoroutes there are no barriers: gantries over the road read your number plate, or your toll tag, as you drive under them at normal speed. This is the toll that catches out the most British drivers, because nothing makes you stop and pay.
According to the French government, free flow was introduced on the A79 in central France in 2022 and on the A13 and A14 between Paris and Normandy in 2024. The A13 is the main route from Caen to Paris, so anyone landing at Caen and heading east is likely to use it. More sections are being converted, and signs on the road tell you when you’re on one.
How to pay a free-flow toll
- Online on the motorway company’s website, using your number plate, within 72 hours.
- At a NIRIO payment point in France, in cash or by card.
- Automatically with a toll tag: the toll goes on your tag account.
Only pay through the motorway company’s own website. Be wary of texts and emails asking you to pay a toll: Sanef, which runs the A13 and A14, warns of fake payment requests and says to check with it directly.
If you don’t pay in time: the French government told parliament in November 2025 that an unpaid toll brings a €90 penalty, reduced to €10 if you pay within 15 days. After two months unpaid, it becomes a €375 fine. For a first missed payment, the company can waive the penalty if you pay within 10 days.
Toll tags for UK drivers
A toll tag is a small box on your windscreen that pays your tolls automatically. You use the télépéage lanes, drive through or slow down while the barrier opens, and pay later. It also pays free-flow tolls without you having to remember.
Emovis Tag sells French toll tags to UK drivers, paid in pounds from a UK bank account. Its own website gives these charges (checked October 2026):
- a €20 deposit for the tag, refunded when you return it
- a one-off €10 admin charge
- €10 a year, plus local tax
- a fee for each calendar month you use the tag on a toll road, capped at €14 a year
- the tolls themselves, at the same price you’d pay at the barrier, collected monthly by direct debit in pounds, with a 2% currency conversion charge
Emovis Tag’s French tags work for class 1, 2 and 5 vehicles, which covers cars, most motorhomes up to 3 metres high and 3.5 tonnes, and motorbikes. If you’re towing a caravan, it says to use a télépéage lane without a height limit. French companies such as Bip&Go and Ulys also sell tags: check that they deliver to the UK and take UK payment before you order.
I use Emovis Tag, it’s great. On a long drive we always use autoroutes as they are much quicker, and we have a toll tag as it makes paying much easier. No stopping, just use the 30 km/h lane and drive straight through. Payment is taken direct from bank account on our return.
Is it worth it? For one short trip on a few toll sections, paying by card costs less. If you drive long distances on autoroutes, travel alone, tow a caravan or go to France more than once a year, a tag saves queues and fuss.
Vehicle classes: cars, caravans and motorhomes
Toll prices are set by vehicle class. These are the classes set by the French motorway companies:
| Class | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Class 1 | Vehicles up to 2 metres high and 3.5 tonnes: cars, people carriers, small vans, most 4x4s. Also a class 1 vehicle towing a caravan or trailer up to 2 metres high. |
| Class 2 | Two-axle vehicles over 2 and under 3 metres high, up to 3.5 tonnes, such as large vans and high-roof motorhomes. Also a class 1 vehicle towing a caravan or trailer between 2 and 3 metres high. |
| Classes 3 and 4 | Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, or with three or more axles and 3 metres or more high: lorries, coaches and the heaviest motorhomes. |
| Class 5 | Motorbikes, sidecars, trikes and quads. |
Roof boxes and loads on a roof rack don’t count towards the height. The weight that counts is the maximum authorised weight on your registration certificate. Caravans vary in height, so measure yours: if it’s over 2 metres, expect class 2 prices. Find out more in our guide to caravans and motorhomes in France.
How much do French tolls cost?
There’s no single price per mile: it depends on the motorway company, the section and your class, and prices change every February. To price your journey, use the calculator on a motorway operator’s site, such as VINCI Autoroutes, or the French motorway companies’ association site, autoroutes.fr. Our France route planner shows the drive time from each ferry port and the Eurotunnel terminal, so you can compare routes before pricing the tolls.
Avoiding tolls
You can cross France without paying tolls by using N and D roads, which are almost all free, or by setting your sat nav or phone to avoid tolls. The trade-off is time: free roads go through towns and villages, with lower speed limits, roundabouts and traffic lights, and on a long journey you’ll use more fuel. Many drivers use autoroutes for the long, fast stretches and free roads near their destination. More in our guide to French road types.
French toll roads: how to pay, toll tags and free-flow tolls FAQs
How do I pay tolls in France?
At most toll barriers you can pay by card, in cash at lanes that take it, or automatically with a toll tag on your windscreen. On barrier-free (free-flow) autoroutes such as the A13, A14 and A79 there's nowhere to stop: you pay online, at a NIRIO payment point or with a toll tag, within 72 hours.
Can I pay French tolls with a UK credit or debit card?
Yes. The French motorway companies' association lists Visa and Mastercard among the cards accepted at toll barriers. Card lanes are automatic, and the machine is on the left, the passenger side of a UK car, so it's awkward if you're driving alone.
Is it worth getting a toll tag for France?
If you use autoroutes a lot, a tag saves queuing and reaching across the car. Emovis Tag, which sells tags to UK drivers, charges a €20 refundable deposit, a €10 admin charge, €10 a year plus local tax and a fee for each month you use it (no more than €14 a year), with tolls collected in pounds by direct debit. For one short trip, paying by card is cheaper.
What is free-flow tolling in France?
Autoroutes with no toll barriers. Gantries read your number plate or toll tag as you drive under them. In France it has been used on the A79 since 2022 and on the A13 and A14 between Paris and Normandy since 2024, and more sections are being converted. Signs on the road tell you when you're on one.
What happens if I don't pay a free-flow toll in France?
You have 72 hours to pay. After that the toll is owed plus a €90 penalty, cut to €10 if you pay within 15 days. If it's still unpaid after two months, the fine rises to €375. These are the figures the French government gave parliament in November 2025.
How much are tolls in France?
It depends on your route, the motorway company and your vehicle class. Prices change every 1 February: in 2026 the companies' increases were between about 0.6% and 1.4%. Use a motorway operator's calculator to price your journey.
What toll class is a car towing a caravan in France?
A car is class 1 if it's no more than 2 metres high. Towing a caravan or trailer no more than 2 metres high keeps you in class 1. If the caravan or trailer is between 2 and 3 metres high, you pay class 2. Roof boxes don't count towards your height.
What toll class is a motorhome in France?
A motorhome up to 3.5 tonnes and under 3 metres high is class 1 if it's no more than 2 metres high, and class 2 if it's taller. Motorhomes over 3 metres high or 3.5 tonnes pay a higher class.
Can you drive through France without paying tolls?
Yes, on N and D roads, which are almost all free, or by setting your sat nav to avoid tolls. The journey takes much longer, through towns and villages, and uses more fuel.