French autoroute height restriction

[thehorse]

I’m planning on taking the Cali to France for the first time.

Is the following correct….?
The left hand autoroute toll lanes have 2M height barriers
If you go through these you’ll automatically be charged as class 1 (under 2M)

The lanes on the right have no height barriers, but use a camera to detect your height
If you go through these there is a chance you’ll be charged incorrectly as class 2. (Over 2M)

The concern I have is at the highest point on the awning rail my Cali is a fraction over 2M, by around 4-5mm.

So is it best to go under the 2M barrier and risk scraping the roof, or go in the lane without height restriction and risk getting as charged as class 2 vehicle.

Is it correct there is some safety margin on the 2M barriers? E.g, they are set to 2.1M etc., or shouldn’t I risk it?

 

[BristolCali]

I’ve driven through the right hand lane loads of times and never been incorrectly charged.

 

[Hawthorn37]

I reckon the highest point on our van is 1.97m so we should get under the 2m peage barriers - but we’ve never risked it! We’ve also been charged correctly every time.

 

[bigmac77]

You can only use the 2m 30km/h lane if you have a toll tag. The California fits no problem. There is often another auto lane on the right hand side, this is for HGV’s but any vehicle can use them. If you are miss measured, as often happens to me when I have a roof box on, and you have a tag you can very easily appeal via your tag account page.

Quick edit. You can use the 2m without a toll tag but you’ll just annoy the drivers who go into this lane so they don’t have to stop.

 

[wildslammer22]

You can only use the 2m 30km/h lane if you have a toll tag. The California fits no problem. There is often another auto lane on the right hand side, this is for HGV’s but any vehicle can use them. If you are miss measured, as often happens to me when I have a roof box on, and you have a tag you can very easily appeal via your tag account page.

This is interesting, I have a lift kit and a roof rack which tales my van to about 2.1m without any boxes on the top. If I read your comment correctly if I get a tag even if I get charged at 2m+ rate I can appeal it? Accepting I can’t use the 2m barrier lane this sounds like it might be a good fail safe/loophole?!

 

[bigmac77]

This is interesting, I have a lift kit and a roof rack which tales my van to about 2.1m without any boxes on the top. If I read your comment correctly if I get a tag even if I get charged at 2m+ rate I can appeal it? Accepting I can’t use the 2m barrier lane this sounds like it might be a good fail safe/loophole?!

Last year I went to France with my roof box and was incorrectly measured at something like 40% of the toll gates. You get a statement from Emovis itemising all your charges and you can easily check they are all correct. If not you click on the price for that section of your journey and then scroll down to ‘raise toll adjustment’ and you put in your vehicle details, colour and reg number and why the reason for the error. After a few days they are corrected. It’s easy.

 

[wildslammer22]

Last year I went to France with my roof box and was incorrectly measured at something like 40% of the toll gates. You get a statement from Emovis itemising all your charges and you can easily check they are all correct. If not you click on the price for that section of your journey and then scroll down to ‘raise toll adjustment’ and you put in your vehicle details, colour and reg number and why the reason for the error. After a few days they are corrected. It’s easy.

Thanks, this may make the investment in a tag worthwhile

 

[calibusje]

I have been using the 2m lane for years: easy and fast. Never felt the need to buy a toll tag. We also use the other lanes and have never been charged incorrectly. People ask a lot of questions about the French toll system, but it is kinda self-explanatory, you’ll see. Have a nice trip!

Edit: paying with the credit card is very easy: just keep it in front of it (don't even take it out of the folder or anything). On rare occasions you have to put it in a slot. With a tag it also goes fast, but I doubt it will go faster because it is mainly about which lane you choose and how smooth it is before you: things can also go wrong at tag lanes because, for example, someone wrongly chose this lane without a tag.

 

[babble]

Most 2m barrier lanes are for paying with credit card only (not cash), some are combined card or tag. One or sometimes two lanes are reserved for tag only (on the far left). On all other non restricted lanes, or indeed any lane), if you are incorrectly classified as class 2, you can simply press the help button and politely say 'i am class 1' (bonjour, je suis classe un) , and they change it in seconds before you pay. (There is someone who can see you via a video)

 

[andyinluton]

I’m planning on taking the Cali to France for the first time.

Is the following correct….?
The left hand autoroute toll lanes have 2M height barriers
If you go through these you’ll automatically be charged as class 1 (under 2M)

I am sure you will be fine height wise - more importantly the left most lane 99% of the time is a 30kmh non-stop lane reserved for those with tags. You will not be popular if you try and go through without a tag.

 

[edocali]

I’ve driven through the right hand lane loads of times and never been incorrectly charged.

Same

 

[Andyhcfc]

Interesting post about the height of barriers. I have a Cali with a VW Bike Rack which, when loaded with my bikes pushes my height above 2m (another reason to use a tow bar rack rather than a VW Bike Rack). After a tricky manouver through a 2m TAG barrier using my Bip & Go tag, I have used the lorry lane, or normal TAG lane without height restrictions ever since. I never thought I might be charged incorrectly as a lorry, and must check this out as July's trip cost me 225 Euros!

 

[inthemidnighthour]

We have been charged incorrectly before as had a kayak on the roof , simple online form to fill in and refunded following month no quibbles

 

[flymartin]

Interesting post about the height of barriers. I have a Cali with a VW Bike Rack which, when loaded with my bikes pushes my height above 2m (another reason to use a tow bar rack rather than a VW Bike Rack). After a tricky manouver through a 2m TAG barrier using my Bip & Go tag, I have used the lorry lane, or normal TAG lane without height restrictions ever since. I never thought I might be charged incorrectly as a lorry, and must check this out as July's trip cost me 225 Euros!

Approaching a French toll station, it’s fun to find the fastest way through - picking a side and then a lane as I get closer and can size up who is queuing and whether any lanes are empty or will empty before I get there. More fun if in convoy with friends.

As a result I routinely go through the left-most 2m lanes with bikes on the bike rack. I have the Ulys tag. The flappy bits that enforce the height limit obviously graze over the handle bars and saddles, as they probably top out around 2.5m, but there’s never any damage or scrapes on the bikes. I only ever get charged the sub-2m rate, and this is correct since the 2m rate allows for roof boxes and bikes etc to be on the roof of a sub-2m car.

I imagine it looks awful/comical to other drivers, but it works.

Also, not to be repeated driving on the autoroutes through Paris since the tunnels are likely to be less forgiving.

 

[Andyhcfc]

Approaching a French toll station, it’s fun to find the fastest way through - picking a side and then a lane as I get closer and can size up who is queuing and whether any lanes are empty or will empty before I get there. More fun if in convoy with friends.

As a result I routinely go through the left-most 2m lanes with bikes on the bike rack. I have the Ulys tag. The flappy bits that enforce the height limit obviously graze over the handle bars and saddles, as they probably top out around 2.5m, but there’s never any damage or scrapes on the bikes. I only ever get charged the sub-2m rate, and this is correct since the 2m rate allows for roof boxes and bikes etc to be on the roof of a sub-2m car.

I imagine it looks awful/comical to other drivers, but it works.

Also, not to be repeated driving on the autoroutes through Paris since the tunnels are likely to be less forgiving.

I drove through the Paris tunnels on my very first trip abroad in my old (1993) T4 Eurovan, which frightened the life out of me and was a never-experienced again route.

 

[andyinluton]

Also, not to be repeated driving on the autoroutes through Paris since the tunnels are likely to be less forgiving.

Thats a bit of an understatement, the A86 southbound tunnel height checker is an extremely substantial steel beam with no dangling flappy bits!

 

[The Tall Luthier]

I’m planning on taking the Cali to France for the first time.

Is the following correct….?
The left hand autoroute toll lanes have 2M height barriers
If you go through these you’ll automatically be charged as class 1 (under 2M)

The lanes on the right have no height barriers, but use a camera to detect your height
If you go through these there is a chance you’ll be charged incorrectly as class 2. (Over 2M)

The concern I have is at the highest point on the awning rail my Cali is a fraction over 2M, by around 4-5mm.

So is it best to go under the 2M barrier and risk scraping the roof, or go in the lane without height restriction and risk getting as charged as class 2 vehicle.

Is it correct there is some safety margin on the 2M barriers? E.g, they are set to 2.1M etc., or shouldn’t I risk it?

I think you’ll be ok.

The 2m barriers, as you would imagine are not set at 2m exactly as the potential damage to a van would be too big give any slight change.

We have been driving around for the last three weeks and have had no problems whatsoever.

 

[Betsycalifornia]

I think you’ll be ok.

The 2m barriers, as you would imagine are not set at 2m exactly as the potential damage to a van would be too big give any slight change.

We have been driving around for the last three weeks and have had no problems whatsoever.

Went through 2 barriers today, had to try it at some point. All good. Also been in the lorry lane before I plucked up the courage. Class 1 charge every time.

 

[flymartin]

Thats a bit of an understatement, the A86 southbound tunnel height checker is an extremely substantial steel beam with no dangling flappy bits!

Yes - it looks brutal doesn’t it!

And unfortunately hard to avoid until you’re right in front of it, at least when using Waze to navigate. Last year it took two laps around the pre-tunnel escape route to find a detour that didn’t end up with Waze sending us back to the tunnel..

 

[WelshGas]

 

[andyinluton]

I think that’s the spacious top deck, the lower one is much tighter as it has a flat ceiling for the full width

 

[flymartin]

I think that’s the spacious top deck, the lower one is much tighter as it has a flat ceiling for the full width

Well this (and the video of someone driving!) has got my interest. I hadn’t noticed it’s a duplex tunnel. So I found everything anyone would ever want to know about this tunnel: https://www.vinci-construction-projets.com/en/realisations/a86-duplex/

At 2.55m high (presumably same for upper and lower decks) I think I would have made it through with bikes on the back after all. But I might have had to steer around signs and other road furniture mounted on the ceiling ..

 

[andyinluton]

At 2.55m high (presumably same for upper and lower decks) I think I would have made it through with bikes on the back after all. But I might have had to steer around signs and other road furniture mounted on the ceiling ..

You wouldn’t !

The height barrier at the entrance is a pretty tight 2m and is a big lump of steel, it would rip your bikes off the rack without budging an inch.

The tunnel is 2.55m from road surface to underside of concrete slab, those signs hanging down reduce the available height.

I drove through it at Easter & it’s very difficult to not duck at every sign.

 

[Romandier]

I’m planning on taking the Cali to France for the first time.

Is the following correct….?
The left hand autoroute toll lanes have 2M height barriers
If you go through these you’ll automatically be charged as class 1 (under 2M)

The lanes on the right have no height barriers, but use a camera to detect your height
If you go through these there is a chance you’ll be charged incorrectly as class 2. (Over 2M)

The concern I have is at the highest point on the awning rail my Cali is a fraction over 2M, by around 4-5mm.

So is it best to go under the 2M barrier and risk scraping the roof, or go in the lane without height restriction and risk getting as charged as class 2 vehicle.

Is it correct there is some safety margin on the 2M barriers? E.g, they are set to 2.1M etc., or shouldn’t I risk it?

Never had a problem with height and 2m Barriers, tag or no tag. You’ll be ok if your awning rail is the highest point on your van.
Bonne route!

 

[Gina-B]

What's the difference in cost of the Class 1 (under 2m) and the Class 2 (over 2m) ?