Gypsy8

Could someone please explain to me the best way to deal with a rental car and the toll charges on some of the highways in Portugal. Is it best to get a transponder with the car, and in that case how do the charges incur and is payment due when returning the car? Also how would I keep track of the charges to ensure I am actually paying the correct amount? Is there a designated lane to drive thru for transponder equipped vehicles when entering a toll highway? Are the toll highways the freeways, as opposed to the secondary highways? Yes, I know I need one of the Michelin maps, it just has not arrived from Amazon yet.

sandralist

When I rented a car at Porto airport, I was offered a transponder at some reasonable additional cost. When I returned the car, the toll charges that were recorded on the transponder were charged to my credit card as part of my bill. I had not bothered to keep a record of each individual toll, but had a general idea they would not amount to much money. (Tolls in Portugal are pretty cheap -- a euro here, a half-euro there.) When I was told the amount of my tolls, it was what I expected to pay.

I live in Italy and formerly lived on the east coast of the US, so the signage indicating which lane to travel in order to pass through without stopping to collect a ticket or pay a toll was obious.

Driving through Portugal I encountered many toll gates where no human being was on site to take payments. I believe you are supposed to take a ticket, and then pay the toll later at designated places. I have heard that the procedure for paying the tolls in that way is quite time consuming. I assume license plates are photographed so you just can't skip doing it.

All the toll roads I used were new and modern highways, with very little traffic. By contrast, the "free" ways I used were slow going and in bad shape.

When I rented my car, there was a man ahead of me in line who refused to rent a transponder and accused the rental car agents of trying to put extra charges on his bill, even though the rental cost is minor. I think he made a mistake and I am glad I got the transponder.

Robert2533

The exectronic tolls are automatic when driving down one of the highways linked to the system. There is no special lane and you will not see a toll booth.

You can find out all you need to know regarding the electronic toll system at: www.portugaltolls.pt

You should add the transponder, which is offered with all rentals. Tolls are very inexpensive and you'll receive a record, if you are using one of the major international rental companies.

sandralist

I don't know where you will be driving in Portugal but some roads do have a special lane you must take if you are using a transponder.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...r-Algarve.html

tedgale

bookmarking

Robert2533

WHAT IS AN ELECTRONIC-ONLY TOLL POINT?
It is a toll collection point where no onsite manual payment is possible. A traditional toll plaza usually has an electronic toll lane and one or more lanes for manual payment. On motorways with no manual tollbooths, i.e. with only electronic plazas and no lanes for manual payment, there are no facilities for road users to stop and pay in cash or equivalent as they go through.

On motorways with no manual toll collection, i.e. with electronic-only tolling, there is no actual toll plaza. Vehicles pass under toll gantries built over the motorway itself.

Toll sections are clearly indicated by a sign before they start. Motorway sections with no manual tollbooths, i.e. with electronic-only tolling, have a sign saying "electronic toll section".

There is an established toll for each toll point (gantry). There are onsite panels at each collection point showing the toll for each class of vehicle.

HOW DO ROAD USERS PAY TOLLS ON A MOTORWAY WITH NO MANUAL TOLLBOOTHS, I.E. WITH ELECTRONIC-ONLY TOLLING?
Road users must subscribe to a payment system, which is activated whenever the vehicle passes under a toll gantry.

You can read the rest of the FAQs at: http://www.portugaltolls.pt/en/web/p...ortagens/faq-s

yestravel

We took the transponder with the rental car. We had no trouble knowing when we were about to enter a toll road & with enough time to deviate should we not want to go on the toll road. We saw the signs indicating the actual tolls, but had a hard time reading them as we zoomed by and thus keeping track of the actual toll. As I recall they indicated the cost per km. We had a general idea of what we would be charged and it was pretty much what was charged to our credit card bill. Interesting that people thought the tolls cheap. I don't recall thinking that. The toll roads were pretty empty and you could fly from place to place, but like most toll roads, you miss all the little towns and some intersting scenery so we tended not to use them a whole lot during our month in Portugal last May.

sandralist

Regarding whether tolls are cheap, it might depend on where you go -- or where you have been! Compared to some tolls I have paid around New York City, Portuguese tolls I encountered north of Porto seemed to me pretty cheap. But maybe they are expensive around Lisbon (where I didnt' drive) or other parts of Portugal, even by NYC standards.

ribeirasacra

From your posting history it seems you are planning to rent a car in Spain. Is that still the case?
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...y-534563-2.cfm

The electronically tolled roads are shown at the bottom of this page:
http://www.all-about-portugal.com/up...olls-with-map/
Note the top photo illustrates the toll collection. They use cameras to take photos of your registration plate and then match this information with the data base of tolls paid. So I must add a correction to the above posted information
There are no special lanes when driving on the electronically tolled roads.
The problem I have personally encounter in the North of Portugal is sometimes there is no location to pay the toll before entering the electronic tolled stretch of road.

If you are now renting a Portuguese car then it has been law (for the past 2 years) says hire companies are legally obliged to supply a transponder with the vehicle.
http://peajeportugalmatriculaextranj...-portugal.html

Like everything these days there is an app for the tolled roads in Portugal
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...verde.clientes
But typically things Apple wise there is not one.

Gypsy8

Great tips, everyone! Thankyou! We will rent the transponder as it seems to be the most convenient, rather than trying to have change on hand or find a place to pay the tolls. Like "yes travel" stated, we, as well, may not be on the toll highways a lot as tend towards secondary highways and small towns, but transponders add convenience.

ribeirasacra

The above post is not clear. If you driving a Spanish car have you read how difficult it is to rent a transponder? It is only for those who frequently cross the border. Living near to Portugal even I do not use that as I do not frequently use the tolled roads in Portugal.
http://www.portugaltolls.pt/en/web/p...nchor=column-4
If you are driving a Portuguese registered car then it is included in the hire. So there is no need to rent one espcially.

wrenwood

Great information!

Are there tolls, and a transponder needed with a rental car on Madeira Island?

ribeirasacra

wrenwood, question for you, are there any highways on Madeira?

Robert2533

Madeira has a couple of roads, but I wouldn't call them "highways".

wrenwood

I've seen pictures of those roads!!!!!

But I thought there might be a highway/transponder around Funchal or the Airport