French toll booths with chip and pin

All the autoroutes are privately owned, so they all use different machines. That is why many people recommend you have a bunch of cash with you whenever you drive the autoroutes. It's unpredictable, even with an Andrews card. We travel in France enough that we have the French equivalent of an E-Z pass, the Liberte, which is the only way to guarantee you'll zoom through every time.

Thanks Bets. Your knowledge is so helpful. Now I'm going to dream of traveling often enough to France that the Liberte pass would make sense for us too! In the meantime, we will always have cash on us.

On our trip to France last year our Andrews chip and PIN worked at some unmanned toll booths but not at others. Eventually I just gave up and used cash w/o trying the card.

Since I haven't yet gotten a c&p card, I was just going to do cash, but it sounds like not all lanes take cash? How do you tell which lane to be in?

There's an icon of a person. As opposed to ones with money, cards, or the transponder gizmo.

Alison - not to scare you, but at two toll booths on the A10 in France there was no icon for cash, only the "T" (France version of an "easy pass" automatic reader/billing) and "Cartes" for credit cards. All the other toll booths we used (different highways) showed the image of a person for cash as Ed mentioned above. At the two toll booths where we had problems, we had to push the button for help. In both cases, someone answered who could speak enough English to get us through. Each one had a different solution. At one, there was a spot where we could manually deposit money with no change back and the attendant then lifted the gate remotely for us. At the second we were instructed to back out and go to the far left lane that was marked "T", which did have an automatic cash machine. Probably you won't have any problems at all. If you are unsure, I would suggest doing what we did and putting on your hazard lights when approaching the toll booth so no one pulls in behind you. While not desired, it turned into a "local cultural experience" and we are none the worse for it! Good luck and have a great time on your trip!

It's illegal to show flashing lights on a moving vehicle.

The only exception I've ever seen s sometimes people will flick them on to warn of an obstruction around a curve instead of blinking their headlights.

Ed, are you saying this is the case in France or everywhere? I've never heard of it being illegal to put on your hazard lights when you are having a problem. Isn't that what trucks do here to signal they are moving slowly? If it is illegal, what would you suggest when approaching a toll booth in France with no signs for which lane accepts cash?

The momentary hazards flashing remark was based on France since that's one of the few places I've seen it.

The basic remark was based on almost universal codification. I own vehicles licensed in two states and one foreign nation -- it's specifically illegal in all three. I drive in a lot of countries and try to know the laws -- same thing as far as I know. But, I have not set myself down and read the formal French Highway Code -- if such exists.

I can see why the law exists, especially at night:
. They could blend in with turn signals
. They could appear to be emergency vehicle lights
. You could think it was a stopped vehicle on the shoulder, swing around it, and go off the left side of the road

And, I heartily agree that they are routinely used inappropriately and illegally -- especially by slow-moving trucks.

I don't have an answer for your last question since oven been going though French toll booths for decades without flubbing it. It's just something you do -- like putting your mittens on the correct hands.

Thanks Ed. Good to know for the future. In a quick google search of all that is true on the internet, I was surprised to see the the use of hazard lights varies by state. In some states it is illegal as you said, in others it is legal under certain mileage. In any case, I've never done it myself while moving (except for the France tollbooth), so I guess I won't start now.

Not sure how it is you know automatically in France which lane to choose in cases where there is no signage for cash. You are better than me!

There might be something little or different that I see, but don't know what it is, but still get drawn to it be elimination. Beats me. How can you walk into a strange grocery store and go straight to the bread department?

I just want to confirm the OP's experience. My Andrews chip-and-PIN card worked on most autoroutes, but NOT the A10 in the Loire Valley. In France, I've found on many autoroutes that the cash toll machines also have a slot for credit cards, so now I just defer to the cash lanes. I'll try my card first when there's a slot, and if it works--it's a bonus.