Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tolls:
Four hours on the autoroute costs about €25 in tolls. American credit cards are
notacceptedunlessit'sachip-and-PINcard,butcashis—andit'sbesttohavesmallerbills
ready since payment machines won't accept €50 bills. Tolls are pricey, but the alternative
tothesesuper-“feeways”usuallymeansbeingmaroonedincountrysidetraffic—especially
near the Riviera. Autoroutes save enough time, gas, and nausea to justify the splurge. Mix
high-speed “autorouting” with scenic country-road rambling (be careful of sluggish tract-
ors on country roads).
You'll usually take a ticket when entering an autoroute and pay when you leave. At
pay points, avoid booths that are only Télépéage and those only showing a credit-card
icon. Look instead for green arrows above the tollbooth or icons showing bills, which in-
dicate they accept cash (booths often allow more than one payment method). Many exits
are entirely automated (if you have a problem at the toll booth, press the red button for
help). Shorter autoroute sections have periodic tollbooths, where you can pay by drop-
ping coins into a basket (change given for bills, but keep a good supply of coins handy
to avoid waiting for an attendant). Autoroute gas stations usually come with well-stocked
mini-marts,Wi-Fi,cleanrestrooms,sandwiches,maps,localproducts,andcheapvending-
machinecoffee(€1.30—Idigthe
cappuccinosucré
).Manyhavesmallcafésormoreelab-
orate cafeterias with reasonable prices. For more information, see
www.autoroutes.fr
.
