The new Péage Flux Libre toll system – the digital toll using electronic license plate recognition – will be expanded even further in France this year. There are stricter driving bans in low emission zones in city centers and metropolitan regions.
Would you like detailed information on the toll system in France? You can find all the details, prices and up-to-date information on the new toll system in our article on the toll for camping vehicles in France.
Digital toll system to be further expanded
The digital toll Péage Flux Libre by means of electronic license plate recognition (also: free-flow system) is to replace the existing toll stations throughout the country in the near future. The system is currently being tested on the following routes:
- Central France: A79, Montmarault – Digoin
- Northern France: A13 and A14, Paris – Normandy
- Eastern France: A4, section near Boulay-Moselle.
On a section of 88 kilometers on the A79, the freeway toll is collected either by license plate registration, via a toll box, at a payment point at service stations or at Nirio branches (Bar-Tabac-Lotto stores). The toll must be paid within 72 hours.
Info
You can pay online for the A79 at the following link: www.paiement.aliae.com/de.
A section of the A13 and A14 from Paris to Caen in Normandy is also a pioneer section of Flux Libre – the following sections are currently in test operation: at the Montesson toll booth and the two diffusers in Chambourcy (no. 6A) on the A14, on the A13 at Diffuseur n°18 d’Heudebouville to and from Rouen, A13 between Mantes and Caen.
By 2027, all old toll booths of the Société des autoroutes du Nord et de l’Est de la France (SANEF) on the route between Paris and Normandy are to be dismantled and renaturalized. You can pay by toll box, by entering your license plate number and credit card at sanef.com, or by cash at a Nirio Bar-Tabac-Lotto store.
The A4 on the section near Boulay-Moselle also belongs to the operator SANEF – so the same conditions apply as on the A13 and A14.
Info
You can pay online at the following link: www.autoroutes.sanef.com/en/my-journey/boulay/online-payment.
Stricter regulations for environmental zones
Since the beginning of this year, there have been fixed environmental zones (Zone à Faibles Émissions mobilité (ZFE-m)) in all conurbations in France with more than 150,000 inhabitants.
Only vehicles with a Crit’Air environmental badge will be allowed to drive there; the German green environmental badge will not be recognized in France. There are also new driving bans for vehicles with high pollutant emissions.
Info
You can purchase a Crit’Air environmental badge on the website of the French Ministry of the Environment: www.certificat-air.gouv.fr
| Environmental badge | City / Metropolitan region |
|---|---|
| Crit’Air 1 and 2 (driving ban for Crit’Air 3, 4, 5) | – Paris and Greater Paris – Metropolis Grenoble – Metropolis Lyon – Eurometropolis Strasbourg – Montpellier-Méditerranée |
| Crit’Air 1, 2 and 3 (driving ban for Crit’Air 4, 5) | – Toulouse – Rouen-Normandie – Nice Côte d’Azur – Reims |
| Crit’Air 1, 2, 3 and 4 (driving ban for Crit’Air 5) | Metropolis Aix-Marseille |
| Crit’Air 1 to 5(no driving ban) | – Saint-Etienne (sticker for commercial vehicles only) – Metropole Clermont Auvergne |
In addition, a new traffic-calmed zone (Zone à Trafic Limité) has been set up in the center of Paris in arrondissements 1 to 4. All through traffic is prohibited here, only residents and delivery traffic are allowed to enter. The zone applies all year round and is signposted.
Tip
Would you like more brief information on the toll systems in Europe? Then read more in our overview article on tolls and vignettes for camping vehicles in Europe.
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- Fantastic regions for camping in France incl. Campsite tips
- Wild camping in France – rules and tips for free camping
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Cover picture: © Katja Scholz
