We decided to spend the new year in Bordeaux with our family a couple of months ago, but maybe because we arrived too late, we could secure a friendly pet cabin at any crossing in Brittany Ferries. When leaving our little terrier pepper in the duration of the car, a rough (very likely) crossing was out of discussion, we decided to take the ferry: it meant about two and a half hours to drive from Swindon, followed by six others.
Luckily, a Eurostar train “chose” to break down in the channel tunnel that same day, delaying our game in 5 hours, but this is another story for another day. Once on the train, and after a fast and soft crossing, we are in coquels at 7 pm before addressing very foggy roads towards Rouen and fall on our long journey: an aura of 6 hours aughed, padded, auricada, augurated, snuggled Auraed, curled up, curled up, ours. Loira Atlantique).
In addition to the bad visibility, everything was quite normal until we reached the outskirts of Rouen, when suddenly, when we approached what we used to be the dreaded toll doors, we did not see barriers, not cabins or flashing red lights that fork the uses. Instead, an elegant frame spread along the road, covered with cameras and sensors, with signs that remind us of cheerful: “Flux free – Roulez Librement!” We began to panic, asking if we had accidentally lost a turn. Was this really the toll? We had heard about the new “Flux Libre” toll system on Highway A13, but we were not completely sure what to expect.
We continue to drive (quite cautiously at the beginning), half exciting a siren or an intermittent light to demand payment. But nothing happened. Our plate had scanned the leg in a fraction of a second. After a few kilometers, we find another, and another, etc. Up to 5 times! I was panic, since I could solve how the hell we managed to account for all the toll rates that we were ignoring. While driving, Martin sought frantically online the payment methods, but in the end, it turned out to be incredible. There is an official website for the payment called Sanef.com, where you need to enter your registration. You can create an account or simply pay as a visitor. All separate toll instances are recorded. The only inconvenience, in my opinion, is that it can take up to 24 hours for them to appear, and has up to 72 hours to pay. So we are expected 48 hours to be safe, but even then, it only reached 5.40 euros, which today still seems very little for the 5 cases of pound flow that I remember.
However, now it is a leg in 2 weeks and we house, we turn to any reminder or, so I suppose that is.
I must say that it is a relief to know that the days of dragging nervously through coins have been gone, while some bonks behind us, or trying to approach the cabin box office if they travel without a pin.
