Problems travelling abroad

[eugene]

One difficulty that I found when traveling abroad is that you have to be careful when approaching the motorway tolls.
On some tolls your vehicle has to be right up to the barrier, or the machine will not sense you and will not issue a ticket,much to the annoyance of other motorists behind you.(don't ask)
The other problem at the tolls is if you get in the wrong lane, it is impossible to change lanes, as other vehicles are behind you. Some of the lanes are cars only, and you risk damage to the roof of your motorhome.
One last problem, some lanes are the correct cash only, and if you enter those lanes, you will have to find an attendant with the correct change unless your French language is good enough to ask what the correct toll is.

[eugene]

I must apologise for making the toll booths on French motorways seem so difficult. Most of the toll booths are automatic, you just drive up to the barrier and the booth senses your presence and automatically issues a ticket.
You then drive to the next motorway booth where you give the ticket to an operator with a credit card, and they deduct the right amount from your card,
"Simples"

[peterholden]

Simpler still, avoid toll autoroutes and travel on the N roads you see more of the country

Peter

[MOS]

Simpler still, avoid toll autoroutes and travel on the N roads you see more of the country

Peter

Too true
there is much more of France on the little roads ,
MOS

[anchorman]

Apart from using the obligatory bridge tolls, havn't used a motorway toll on our last seven trips to France. Love the back ways, as Peter says, you see the country.

Tony Anchorman

[eugene]

I agree with everything that is said about avoiding motorways and their tolls, but sometimes it is necessary when you need to go quite a long distance, as avoiding the motorways can take much longer.
That said I always take the scenic route when possible. But France is such a big country that distances between locations are much greater than the UK.

[MOS]

The biggest problem tha we have when going abroad is as allways we
HAVE TO COME BACK

[GeeCee]

France and Spain

How I agree that it is best to avoid the toll roads. We are now in Fuengirola, Costa del Sol with the 2008 HyLo and what a joy it has been to meander down using minor roads and minor cafe/bars. The Berlingo has lived up to its reputation, absolutely suitable and usable. Duvalays made the bedding perfection, and the biggest query was would the toilet, being in such a small compartment, be properly usable? The answer to that was definite yes. It is a great vehicle and eminently usable in places like France and Spain, and think of the fuel saved not using toll roads, plus that fabulous m.p.g. To all those who have the chance but haven´t tried France and Spain yet, give it a go. You´ll love it. Graham and Carole We´ll be back to join a few more weekends September onwards.

[GeoNomad]

I also ignore the toll roads and enjoy taking the scenic route as much as possible.

Once in a while it isn't possible and the most annoying thing that has happened is that the automatic sensor on entering the autovia/autoroute decides that my van is an HGV.

I hear the little printer print the ticket but nothing comes out the slot. Once I even backed up and went into another lane to try again.

It took a while for me to notice that there is a second slot a few feet above the one by my window, out of sight and out of reach. It is there for the lorry drivers who are up high.

That is where the ticket is...

[gadgetman]

I also ignore the toll roads and enjoy taking the scenic route as much as possible when driving south in Spain from Bilbao to Mojacar, the big problem I find is I drive on my own and have to get out to get a ticket or to pay, this is annoying to vehicles behind me, mind you not many Spanish drivers use the toll roads so you do seem to have all the time in the world at the booths. :so happy:

[di allen]

Like Bryan I am also on my own in the Avalon and found it really difficult to: a] get the ticket and b] pay, when we were in France recently. We didn't use tolls for the majority of the trip but there were a couple of times when we did. The problem was that, because of my dodgy hip I needed my steps to get back in to the van. They were therefore stored on the passenger seat for easy access. So I either had to hold every one up whilst getting out to collect the ticket and the same when paying at the booth or lean across the passenger seat, open the window and hope I was near enough to the booth. I also had to remember not to clutter up the seat with the last minute odds and ends.

It would be so nice if the ticket machine and booths were on both sides but I suppose that's too much to wish for. I don't know whether the very few tolls in the UK cater for continental drivers but I suspect they don't.

Di.

[BrianTheSnail]

On our recent trip we also took the roads less travelled through France and Switzerland. In Switzerland this was not 100% through choice. To use the motorways there you need to purchase a vignette which is good for the entire year. All the guide books said these would be readily available at the border posts. Trouble is entering Switzerland via a non-major route over the Jura the border patrol didn't look interested so we thought we'd be bound to find one elsewhere. Wrong!

Sometimes having to avoid jumping on the motorway for 10 miles or less meant interesting detours, but some made driving hard, such as being taken through the centre of Lucerne (if you are reading this, my most humble apologies to the guy we accidentally carved up very badly on a large roundabout).

I think, with hindsight, a vignette would not necessarily been good value for money but using short motorway link sections occasionally would have made driving much easier and route planning far more straightforward.

[MOS]

Like Bryan I am also on my own in the Avalon and found it really difficult to: a] get the ticket and b] pay, when we were in France recently. We didn't use tolls for the majority of the trip but there were a couple of times when we did. The problem was that, because of my dodgy hip I needed my steps to get back in to the van. They were therefore stored on the passenger seat for easy access. So I either had to hold every one up whilst getting out to collect the ticket and the same when paying at the booth or lean across the passenger seat, open the window and hope I was near enough to the booth. I also had to remember not to clutter up the seat with the last minute odds and ends.

It would be so nice if the ticket machine and booths were on both sides but I suppose that's too much to wish for. I don't know whether the very few tolls in the UK cater for continental drivers but I suspect they don't.

Di.

When i travel alone on the wrong side of the road i carry a pickie stick (the type with two rubber lips on the end ,great for reaching tickets and handing over notes and such ,i have also screwed a small plastic cup to the side near the end for change .gets some funny looks but i can stay in the drivers seat ,i cant seem to train it to enter my pin yet so its not much use for cards ,(and it helps if you have elecy windows )also has the benefit of retrieving worthers origionals from distant places after vigerouse cornering and the like MOS

[VonUK]

What a brilliant idea I could do with using something like this when ticket dispensers are on the right side of the road! - I often find I've stopped just a bit too far away to reach the machine without having to hang halfway out the window

[di allen]

I now feel very silly as I actually have one of the gadgets MOS describes and I had it with me when we were in France. The thought of using it never crossed my mind
Because of my dodgy hip I couldn't stand on the bed to reach the luton and had to rely on friends to get stuff out of it for me. When we got back home one of the folks who'd helped out mentioned using the steps to get on to the bed - not one of the four of us had thought to use them for anything other than getting in and out of the van and a seat when emptying the waste water tank! All I can put it down to is severe cases of 'senior moments'

Di.