Recent modifications to the French highway community have resulted in two new fines which motorists might be chargeable for.
Motorists in France ought to watch out for two new fines, reaching as much as €375, that they might incur when driving on French roads.
Here’s what you might want to know;
Free-flow tolls
The French autoroute (motorway or freeway) community has lengthy operated a system of tolls. But more and more the mannequin is shifting away from the outdated péages – tollbooths – the place drivers cease and pay, and into free-flow (flux libre) tolls.
These toll roads are supposed to streamline visitors, permitting motorists to drive straight by means of the toll, scrapping the necessity to cease and pay.
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However, motorists should pay inside 72 hours of passing by means of the toll. This could be carried out on-line, or in sure instances, on the tabac (tobacconist store). If you might have an digital toll badge (télépéage), then you’ll be able to drive by means of and will probably be robotically charged.
READ MORE: Péage: How France’s new free-flow tollbooths work
As of September 2025, there have been ‘free-flow’ tolls alongside sections of the A79 motorway in Allier, the A40 in Haute-Savoie, and most just lately, alongside the A13 and A14, which join the Paris area to Normandy.
These tolls are designated by a round blue signal studying ‘Péage’ with a small white rectangular signal with the phrases ‘Flux libre’ beneath.
What is the danger of a advantageous?
If you don’t pay inside 72 hours, you then could be chargeable for a advantageous. This is similar idea as failing to pay for any service in France.
According to BFMTV, at the very least 240,000 motorists haven’t paid their toll charges on time for the reason that implementation of the brand new free-flow system on the A13 and A14 motorways. While that is lower than one p.c of complete motorists who’ve used the free-flow toll roads, it’s nonetheless a sober reminder to pay your toll charges.
If you fail to pay, you’ll obtain a fee discover at your tackle, which is related along with your automobile registration.
If you pay inside 15 days of receiving the discover, then the penalty is simply €10 along with the toll fee.
However, if you happen to wait to pay greater than 15 days, then the advantageous will increase to €90, plus the toll fee, and ready to pay greater than two months leads to a Class IV advantageous of €375.
Foreign motorists in France will even obtain the fee discover, although further charges could also be added. For instance, automobile rental corporations usually add a charge for forwarding driving penalties internationally.
Sanef, the corporate that operates the toll roads in north-western France, has made an effort to place out data in English for foreigners.
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Sanef advised Ouest France that of the eight million automobiles travelling on the A13 and A14 motorways, eight p.c come from neighbouring international locations of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
They have hung 13 banners that learn “Free-flow tolling: pay on-line at Sanef.com” on bridges alongside the Paris-Normandy route, in addition to positioned flyers and indicators in English at relaxation stops.
They have additionally created an English-language assist web page on their web site.
Driving solo in a carpool lane
In March 2025, the Paris ring highway and close by autoroutes (A1 and A13) introduced in carpool lanes (voies dédiées au covoiturage), and enforcement started in May.
READ MORE: Paris begins enforcement of ring highway carpool lane in May
You can discover a map of the carpool lanes on the Bison Futé web site.
In these areas, the carpool lane is the furthest to the left, and it’s activated throughout rush hour for automobiles with at the very least two folks inside. Emergency providers, taxis, incapacity automobiles and buses also can use the lane.
Specifically, the carpool lanes are activated Monday to Friday, from 7am to 10.30am, after which from 4pm to 8pm. They are usually not activated on weekends or public holidays, and they are often deactivated in emergencies.
Carpool lanes are marked with a diamond-shaped signal on the overhead matrix boards, that are lit up when energetic. Motorists are additionally knowledgeable about whether or not the carpool lane has been activated based mostly on the variable message indicators on the facet of the highway.
What is the danger of a advantageous?
If you utilize a carpool lane (when activated) and you might be alone within the automobile, you then threat a set advantageous of €135.
According to BFMTV, 25,825 tickets had been issued between May 2nd and August thirty first, with a mean of 366 tickets per day.
