Toll roads in portugal

gypo

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We are off to Portugal in June, a friend in work has just come back from there on his motorbike and although he didn't use the toll roads he got talking to another biker who said something on the lines of some of the toll roads are tag only and be careful not to get stuck on them.
Is this true ?
Thanks
D
 
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Most are tolled

And use ANPR. You are supposed to register at the border - on the south, we saw big signs at the crossing indicating all tourists to turn in here to register. I don't think there are many places you can register once inside Portugal. We decided that we would not use motorways. And did not pull in to register. It is easy to avoid the motorways, however a lot of the road quality is a little bumpy and the roads can be quite busy and slow through the towns.
 
We used the camera toll roads in February when traveling from Porto to Salamanca assuming we didn't need to pay. We heard that the Spanish don't pay Portuguese tolls either...have the situation changed ?
Maja
 
For the Motorways with ANPR it is possible to buy a prepayment card for several set amounts at service stations on the motorway or at Post Offices these you link to your vehicle by texting your registration number and the number on the card when they get nr to running out your informed by a text message. I thought it was worth using the toll roads as a lot of other roads are busy and in poor condition.
 
I accidentally ended up on a toll road recently. We'd been told that if you weren't registered you'd have to pay a fine as well as the toll. We spoke to someone through the intercom system who told us this wasn't the case. I collected my ticket and got off at the first exit. However, stupidly I couldn't find my ticket and no matter how much I pleaded with the person on the intercom I was told I had to pay a €38 fine. When I inserted my card the machine couldn't read it and I was eventually issued with an invoice from the machine.

I wonder if I use the tolls again will I be asked for the €38? I still can't believe how careless I was!
 
maja07 said:
We used the camera toll roads in February when traveling from Porto to Salamanca assuming we didn't need to pay. We heard that the Spanish don't pay Portuguese tolls either...have the situation changed ?
Maja
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Portugal being Portugal it can take them a year or so to catch up with you - sorry! You can buy a prepaid card at post offices in Portugal.
 
moonshadow said:
Portugal being Portugal it can take them a year or so to catch up with you - sorry! You can buy a prepaid card at post offices in Portugal.
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Hi moonshadow, are you aware of examples of what you say. The Portuguese are fighting amongst themselves over the legality of the tolls/fines from what I read. I hope ***** is right what he says. Anyway, not sure if a fine can be issued after a certain length of time ? Maja
 
Lots if replies here to read, thanks all.
I think it might be easier to avoid the tolls by what I've read so far.
(I am trying to read it on my phone whilst in work tho :) )
 
maja07 said:
Hi moonshadow, are you aware of examples of what you say. The Portuguese are fighting amongst themselves over the legality of the tolls/fines from what I read. I hope ***** is right what he says. Anyway, not sure if a fine can be issued after a certain length of time ? Maja
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Hi Maja, My daughter lives in Portugal and we have house sat there so have had discussions with 'locals' about it. Am curious though, why would you assume you didn't have to pay? If it's only a small amount it's probably not worth the bother for them. We make sure we register when we go over the border, that is valid for a month, then we don't have to worry. We try to avoid the toll roads if possible as it can push the cost of the trip up considerably as we are way more expensive than a car!
 
We firstly had a card from a machine but when 3/4 km we turned off there was no booth/machine to put the card in to pay so we just carried on. We then tried to avoid further tolls but, as with others on here, ended up on one only realising as we whizzed under the cameras. Again, we pulled off but no where to pay so thought we didn't need to. They don't make it easy do they...also the road surface was not that good either. Anyway who wants to faff around going to a newsagent just to drive down a road ? It has been mentioned that some people may not bother with Portugal because of the hassle....we might join them. Much though we enjoyed Portugal we'll stick to Spain next winter where avoiding toll roads is much easier.
Maja
 
jennyp19 said:
Just don't overnight on the services. It cost us €80 a few years ago. P
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We've done it 2 years running now at Castelo Branco motorway services with MH service point and had no problems where did you stop ?
 
maja07 said:
We firstly had a card from a machine but when 3/4 km we turned off there was no booth/machine to put the card in to pay so we just carried on. We then tried to avoid further tolls but, as with others on here, ended up on one only realising as we whizzed under the cameras. Again, we pulled off but no where to pay so thought we didn't need to. They don't make it easy do they...also the road surface was not that good either. Anyway who wants to faff around going to a newsagent just to drive down a road ? It has been mentioned that some people may not bother with Portugal because of the hassle....we might join them. Much though we enjoyed Portugal we'll stick to Spain next winter where avoiding toll roads is much easier.
Maja
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Sorry, avoiding lovely Portugal, because of tolls?

That sounds like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

If foreigners were coming to your country and telling all their mates to come too,avoiding paying piffling fees...
Would you make them welcome?
Pay by card at the border... Its buttons. Then avoid using the paid roads, as much as possible.
That way you're covered in case of emergency.
Our neighbours dislike the fact that the Spanish don't pay and are boycotting the A22. We too.
It's easy to find alternative routes, if you're in no hurry.
There is no Portuguese word equivalent to the Spanish" Manyana ". Nobody's in that much of a hurry. ;)
 
We didn't use one single toll road in Portugal, we just set Google maps, we don't have a sat nav, to avoid tolls - easy peasey. Portugal is lovely don't let a few toll road issues put you off
 
I chose to register when crossing into Portugal from Spain in the south.

It costs nothing, and is valid for a month.

There isn't an option to pay after leaving a toll section. There isn't any need. You get charged section by section as the ANPR camera is passed. Very simple and I think it's a good way to deal with tolls. No queuing at toll booths and no having to get out to pay 'cos you're on the wrong side.

As an aside I note that on some of the major roads in Spain the exit number is based on distance, so rather than an arbitrary number you know exactly where you are. It also does away for things such as Junction 4a when a new junction is added. It's a good idea.
 
witzend said:
We've done it 2 years running now at Castelo Branco motorway services with MH service point and had no problems where did you stop ?
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It's a few years ago - so maybe it's changed. I can't remember where though. It was on one of the motorways running north to south.
 
moonshadow said:
Hi Maja, My daughter lives in Portugal and we have house sat there so have had discussions with 'locals' about it. Am curious though, why would you assume you didn't have to pay? If it's only a small amount it's probably not worth the bother for them. We make sure we register when we go over the border, that is valid for a month, then we don't have to worry. We try to avoid the toll roads if possible as it can push the cost of the trip up considerably as we are way more expensive than a car!
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What are you registering for "at the border" ....if you then still have to "avoid the toll roads" Oh, then you say "it's only a small amount" but then say "we try to avoid toll roads as expensive". EH ???? Very confusing LOL !! When traveling into the Algarve from Cadiz saw no signs for "registering" so what's that about ? Just drove to Albufeira (our fave...don't you just love the flutists in main square!!) Saw nothing about...well anything really. Maja
 
I'm getting a bit confused now, I thought if I registered at the border then I could just jolly and the ANPR cameras would then do the rest and I'd pay on my way back across the Border?
D
 
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