Car hire and paying tolls

Share experience regarding ownership of property and/or living in Portugal.
md 600 driver
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Car hire and paying tolls

Post by md 600 driver »

Is there a car hire company that allows you to pay your own tolls ? The car hire company that I use now say its 20 euros for the machine that's a quarter added to the car hire but if I sign a agreement I don't have to pay the 20 euros but I can't go on the motorway or I will have to pay the 20 euros

I only use the motorway twice 7 euros total at most in the past I used to pay at villamoura post office no problems I find the 20 euros profiteering
e-richard
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by e-richard »

Is there a way perhaps to disable/remove the transponder ?

I have one that I had been using for rentals that was car independent. We top it up ourselves and was perfect up to now.
I have not visited since this new €20 usuary came into force.


Looking at my own transponder, there seems to be a way to slide the transponder off the bit that sticks to the windscreen ?
Are they all the same ?

I wonder if one can sign the rental car agreement not to use the motorway, then remove the rental car transponder or wrap it in foil, or whatever ?
Like md 600 driver,I think their fee structure stinks !
EMM
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by EMM »

We use Algarve Driver ( YOR ) and they gave us the option of NOT using the A22, however as I have spent enough years in traffic it is worth it to us to pay the tolls. we keep a record and may not on this trip have used the 15 euros but will know better next time. Is 5euros admin expensive, probably but again no queuing in the Post Office.
e-richard
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by e-richard »

EMM, its €5.00 PLUS the difference between €15 and what you actually use in tolls. "Use it or lose it"

So, if you just go from and to Faro via Alcantarilha, then you are paying out a further €8 approx, so a total cost of €13 per rental.
Add that up across hundreds (or thousands) of rentals per annum, and the "costs" of installing transponders is a nice earner.
EMM
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by EMM »

We now go to the next junction Lagoa North/Silves whch is quicker than 125 and avoids the sometime long traffic queues around Porches and in Lagoa. Plus trips to the airport to collect and return friends staying with us.
We also now use the 22to get to Lagos. Albufeira etc. so will have no problems using up the 15 euros.
But agree if all you do is use it to get to Carvoeiro and back to the airport then it is not a fair system.
cereza
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by cereza »

md 600 driver wrote:Is there a car hire company that allows you to pay your own tolls ? The car hire company that I use now say its 20 euros for the machine that's a quarter added to the car hire but if I sign a agreement I don't have to pay the 20 euros but I can't go on the motorway or I will have to pay the 20 euros

I only use the motorway twice 7 euros total at most in the past I used to pay at villamoura post office no problems I find the 20 euros profiteering
Try Zit Autos - I used them last week same as for years. They don't charge any extra and you pay your own tolls.
I didn't use the motorway once and it was simple - the 125 was fine. New car as well.
The only problem I had was returning the car to P4 car park. Every car rental firm that uses P4 has a limited number of spaces so if they have the maximum parked then the barrier will not rise to let you in. A guy at the barrier told me to just leave the car in the road which I did and then I told the Zit rep who looked horrified and ran off to get the car while I carried on to the terminal. :wink:
e-richard
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by e-richard »

cereza wrote:Try Zit Autos - I used them last week same as for years. They don't charge any extra and you pay your own tolls.
How do you pay your own tolls on the return journey if you do use the A22 ?
cereza
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by cereza »

e-richard wrote:
cereza wrote:Try Zit Autos - I used them last week same as for years. They don't charge any extra and you pay your own tolls.
How do you pay your own tolls on the return journey if you do use the A22 ?
Well I would suggest just don't use it but if you have to then either get someone else to pay it after you go or if not possible then try to pay on your next visit. If neither is possible then just forget it and see what happens. I don't know anyone who has been chased for it in the last year. At least this way you have the option to make your own decisions.
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by EMM »

The companies are getting toll charges from last year and now charging the C cards of hirers for unpaid tolls. We have had this twice for return journeys and it costs a lot more tham E2,86. One of the reasons why the new system is better , otherwise do not use the motorway.
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by cereza »

Zit Autos don't ask for a credit card :wink:
joeysoap
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by joeysoap »

EMM wrote:The companies are getting toll charges from last year and now charging the C cards of hirers for unpaid tolls. We have had this twice for return journeys and it costs a lot more tham E2,86. One of the reasons why the new system is better , otherwise do not use the motorway.
I assume they can only charge credit cards if they have retained the little slip. Just make sure to get it back when you leave the car back. I agree the new system is better overall. In the past 12 months we have hired a car 5 times and only on one of those did we use the A22, and on that occasion we used the motorway about 6 times in total, using up all the €20.
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by loonytoon »

joeysoap wrote:
EMM wrote:The companies are getting toll charges from last year and now charging the C cards of hirers for unpaid tolls. We have had this twice for return journeys and it costs a lot more tham E2,86. One of the reasons why the new system is better , otherwise do not use the motorway.
I assume they can only charge credit cards if they have retained the little slip. Just make sure to get it back when you leave the car back. I agree the new system is better overall. In the past 12 months we have hired a car 5 times and only on one of those did we use the A22, and on that occasion we used the motorway about 6 times in total, using up all the €20.
i think you will find they only need the card number, not the slip. all of the transponders slide out of the holder but i don't think wrapping in tin foil will guarantee that they won't be picked up going through the toll gates

jeff
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by EMM »

The system will still read the car number plate so covering up the transponder will be a waste of time.
e-richard
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by e-richard »

My reason for removing the rental car transponder and "hiding" it is not to avoid tolls, but to have the charges applied to MY OWN anonymous PAYG transponder. Anybody got any bright ideas ?

Surely I am not alone. There must be many similar regular visitors who have their own transponder.
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Re: Car hire and paying tolls

Post by LICY »

I don't e-R :D I don't use the motorway and save money on petrol. I still say the little bit of extra time is minimal for the occasions we travel. We will go into Leroys first thing Sunday, thus avoiding a further trip. Even more of a saving. :D Quite frankly although the N125 has a bad name we have never had problems. Indeed frequently we would have someone right up our a**e, desperate to overtake on the motorway every few miles when we did travel over the 10 year period.
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