Hi Dave:

I think that the easiest fix for your problem is for you to obtain another (i.e. a different) credit card.

I have two Canadian credit cards, one MasterCard, the other American Express, and I have used both of them on the French Autoroutes in years past. Both card companies mark up the foreign exchange transaction by 2%, but heck, that is negligible for road tolls. That's about $2 per $100, and I can't possibly imagine spending more than $100 a year on French Road Tolls (unless I reach pensionable age and go buy a Gold Wing...)

Different credit cards have different advantages and disadvantages. It might be that the card you have used in the past has lots of domestic advantages for you (airline points, or cash back, or some other angle like that), but has very disadvantageous foreign exchange practices. Just search around until you find a card that has very desirable FX practices, then, sign up for it. Most of the 'basic' (i.e. not 'premium') credit cards are free of annual charges.

In my opinion, using a credit card on the French Motorways is even more convenient than having a transponder (electronic pass) - you don't have all the worries about setting up the transponder, paying the bill, that kind of stuff. Just shove the credit card in the slot, wait 5 seconds, retrieve it, and ride on.

Michael

Most places now take cash and give change. the cash usually has to be notes and the change is usually in coins.

So no credit/debit card charges.

Yes!
I've noticed that recently, when returning to the UK from the French/Swiss Alps; when I posted this thread, about 9 months ago, I had travelled by car to the south more or less via a direct route - to the west of Paris and then through central France. Later I made a similar, but longer, journey on a motorbike and never went on a peage section of Autoroute.
Now I have travelled on peage to the East, from Calais, mostly on peage with a 4x4 and found lots of pay-by-cash booths on the autoroutes, alongside the tele-peage and thosed signed for the credit card only booths.

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Dave

Does that card work OK in the non-manned toll booths on the autoroutes?

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Dave

When driving through these booths in a right hand drive car with no passenger in the left seat I have caused more delays than I have ever managed when riding a bike.
I always stop, switch off the engine usually, unbelt, step out, walk around to the other side, have a read of the instructions, search out the cash/card, do the necessary, inspect the receipt, stroll back to the car and place the receipt in a safe place (so I can find it again) etc etc.
All of this is done at a leg-stretch pace as a break from driving.
One time I ended up in the wrong lane and I had to reverse back out with a queue of trucks behind me - inadvertant, but it made me think.

If such things are introduced into the UK - which seems to be a growing idea according to the politicians - then there will be a lot of left hand drive vehicle drivers doing much the same thing.

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Dave

In France it is possible to avoid peages altogether, there are good quality non toll routes you can use.
In the UK there aren't, you have to use motorways, that's the difference.
If you travel a long distance in France it costs an absolute fortune in Tolls, I dread the idea of it coming here. It will be far far more expensive than the current road tax.

I have no idea. As I use cash if and when I use the toll's. But the up side is you get a good rate of exchange for your money. Payment on toll road's I use a small purse with a small amount of cash. Just hand that over. The lady will take the money and put the ticket inside. Keep the purse in the map holder on the tank. That way you can get it out with your glove's on. No flapping around.
John933

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

Hi John:

That sounds like a really clever idea, a lot quicker than digging out a credit card, and without the risk of losing the credit card (dropping it on the ground) somewhere along the way.

Thanks for sharing that suggestion.

Michael

credit cards would be a horrendously expensive way to pay I would think. Most will charge you a transaction fee and have crap exchange rates.

This is the case, I can vouch for that.
As per my earlier posts, the issue seems to have sorted itself out over the past 10 months, or thereabouts, with many more cash kiosks in evidence now.

As it happens, when I did use a credit card for peage purposes I was in a real hurry (I even pitched up for a ferry crossing with no prior booking and paid full price for the privilege) and I was conserving my Euro cash-in-hand for other purposes.
= a lesson (re)learnt.

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Dave

Not the case with either of my (Canadian issued) credit cards - neither MasterCard or American Express levy a transaction fee, and the premium they charge for currency conversion (2% and 1%, respectively) is negligible for toll charges that average about $3 per transaction, and perhaps $40 for a two-week tour.

Michael

yes, but the british banking system is full of greedy xxxxxxxx stuffing their faces into the trough!!

Hi Moggy:

That may be so, but I don't think that the bankers in Canada are any more benevolent.

My experience with credit cards is that you get exactly what you pay for - or, perhaps more accurately, you don't get what you don't pay for.

The various credit card issuers offer a remarkably wide range of products, some aimed at consumers and other aimed at business people, frequently with the same brand name. I only have two cards, a MasterCard and a (green) American Express card. I picked these two cards because they don't charge international transaction fees, and they offer reasonably low premiums on currency conversion.

I pay $55 a year for the AmEx card (that is a membership fee), and although I don't pay a fee for the MasterCard, I picked one that does NOT offer Air Miles points, cash back bonuses, or other stuff like that.

The trick is to shop around carefully (even amongst the same card issuers) for a card that has no international transaction fees, and has a reasonably low commission on currency conversion. I am sure such cards are offered in your country, simply because I am sure that there are business people in your country who frequently travel abroad and want cards with low commissions and no transaction fees.

But, if you sign up for a "consumer level' card that give you all sorts of affinity points, or frequent flyer miles, or sends you roses on your birthday, you are going to get screwed on the surcharges.

Michael

nah!
surely Canadian bankers of models of benevolence!

If you're from the UK I'd recommend getting yourself a Metro Bank account. They don't have any charges for overseas use plus give the wholesale exchange rate. For credit cards I use the Post Office Mastercard. Again, no charges for overseas use.

This is a good website for financial stuff :

Money Saving Expert: Credit Cards, Shopping, Bank Charges, Cheap Flights and more