Lay My Hat

I'm reading the same forums as you are Richard

Internet rumours are great for adding to any speculation!

And according to the Algarve Resident someone has shot out the electrics on the tolls on the road to Spain.

TC

Hi All,

I have been reading with interest regarding the toll charges, I am in Spain now but was considering coming Portugal after christmas
with my caravan, I have heard that its 75 euro to get over the bridge, is this right?? I would be heading for Portimao.

Here are the list of charges at each Gantry:


Source: Diário Económico
Normal cars are all class 1, class 2 is for jeeps and vans with >1.10m height from the axle, class 3 is for vehicles with 3 axles (excl. class 1 vehicles with a trailer), class 4 is for 3+ axles.

If I am reading this correctly, from Spain to Portimao along the A22 with a caravan, which I assume to be Classe 4, the maximum cost will be €25.25 - but it could be Classe 3 or it could be Class 1 with a trailer what ever that is. All of which make it much cheaper than the €75 you have been led to believe.

There is no toll on the bridge itself!

erm no, not €75 to cross the bridge, whoever you're reading...stop reading!

According to this: http://algarvedailynews.com/news/5280-t ... e-toll-map

you can drive over the bridge for free and take the first exit off the motorway and continue your journey on the (horrible, tatty, slow, busy) EN125.

If you choose to continue your journey on the motorway the rates are printed on the map. Can't guarantee its accuracy but I assume it's correct.

Thanks for the info,

that is much more realistic, just goes to show that you need to speak to the right people,thanks again
ps whats your weather like, we,ve had rain this morning (cadiz)

An update for the select few who might follow this thread without ranting about toll payment systems...

I now have a personal solution to paying the tolls that I will incur when using the A22 back to the airport in a Portuguese hire car, following our regular visits to our property in the Algarve. Sadly this is not a particularly good solution for occasional visitors (such as most of our clients), though I suppose as owners we could buy several and rent/lend to our clients. This is not a solution for those in foreign registered cars, though I don't know how they would know as it's anonymous .

Following up on my earlier posting of the CTT guide to toll payment systems I have purchased a Pré-pago Anónimo transponder from the Post Office in the Santa Maria area of Lagos (Avenida Francisco Sá Carneiro) where the lady serving me was extremely helpful and spoke very good English. My earlier attempt at the São Sebastião Post Office was a failure as the man that I spoke to insisted (wrongly) that I would have to produce vehicle documents in order to obtain an anonymous transponder and furthermore it would only be valid in future for the same make and model of car .

The transponder cost 27,50€ and required a compulsory pre-load of 10€ credit for the classe 1 version. No personal ID or vehicle documents were required and no forms were completed by me. The lady did have to activate and link the transponder to a multibanco/PayShop/online banking reference for future re-charges - all details provided on the receipt I was given.

Following registration on the CTT website it is possible to link the transponder to your user ID to view balances, journeys etc. The transponder requires a re-charge of 10€ every 90 days to keep it fully active and this (accruing) balance will carry forward until it's used. I think that if it goes inactive any credit balance is lost but a re-charge will reactivate the device - time will tell.

I temporarily attached the transponder to the windscreen as directed and drove to Faro Airport on Thursday morning on a surprisingly busy A22. It beeped under each toll gantry as expected. This morning (Sunday) I have downloaded a .pdf receipt for my toll charges of 6,60€ which have been deducted from the original balance. The receipt shows date and time of the first and last toll gantries passed. There do not appear to be any other charges levied, such as the 0,31€ per journey, that is normally charged when post-paying at a post office or PayShop.

I don't know how this will work in future when the hire companies start fitting their own transponders but in the meantime I can use the A22 without fear of fines for non-payment.

Richard, sounds like a plan, brilliant, thanks for passing it on.

thanks for that Richard, very useful.

I see Avis http://www.avis.co.uk/blog/portugal-toll-road-payments/ have already implemented their e-toll system for Portuguese roads. Costs, ahem, €1.50 per day of your rental, (maximum €15) ...... plus the toll charges of course.