Tolls on the A22

[Bruce Wallis]

...but according to my friend who runs a car hire company over at Pera, that is an attitude they expect to encounter alot this year

So, what does your friend give as the reason for not fitting transponders, as that would make payment easy for everyone?

You know what??? I really get the feeling that the hire companies believe that the authorities are going to come up with some sort of a silver bullet, and all this will go away!!!

They seem to be unbelievably passive about the whole thing.

Steen....what are the hire companies going to do? Sit on their hands and hope it all goes away????

[RichardHenshall]

...They seem to be unbelievably passive about the whole thing. ...

Maybe when the fines start coming through they'll realise that there might have been an easier way!

For four months they could have been charging their clients full price for every journey on the ex-SCUT roads (plus 0,31€ per journey) while they would have had the first 10 free and 15% off the rest (and not paid the 0,31€). They could almost have earned more profit from that than renting the cars in the first place, given the very low rates paid in the winter.

[westpfs]

not sure if this is about tolls or car theft!
We visited Carvoiero at the end of March and used Avis instead of our normal hire company, Autojardim, as Avis provide transponders. We always pay extra for insurance cover.

So the motorway trips were fine until we returned to the Avis parking area to be told that there was a broken screwdriver in the driver's lock and that would cost 96 euros excess. I had not noticed the screwdriver but the lock still worked so was not happy about paying. Yes it was a Fiat Punto, which looking through your pages seems a common target.

The 'break in' probably took place at Grand Praia beach Ferragudo but nothing was left in the car following reading your previous advice

What have I learned?

use Autojardim (no excess) aand use the 125 OR use Avis but do not have a Fiat and don't use the car during the holiday!

[Michael Crane]

....... Yes it was a Fiat Punto, which looking through your pages seems a common target.

I know!

[tricky]

Our system is simple. We arrive at Faro, pick up car at Algarve Driver (YOR) and get on A22.
48 hours later we que up in the post office, usually behind someone who decides to have a go at the very nice lady behind the counter about the Tolls
(how she keeps her temper, I don't know) She shakes her head and agrees and said person pays up and walks out. We pay our toll.
on our return (unless we have used A22 again) we drive back on the N125 with our hearts in our mouths as its once again one of the most dangerous roads in Europe.
(our teenage boys like the scenery though around Boliqueme) So no Tolls to pay on way back and no fines. Not great, but what can you do?

[Geoff]

Avis parking area to be told that there was a broken screwdriver in the driver's lock and that would cost 96 euros excess.

.....that's a lot better than the 280€ I paid with, I think Air Auto , probably for a VW Polo.....but I claimed it back successfully from my annual car excess insurance.

[Drury75]

Can someone, anyone please advise on what's best to do when your coming to Carvoeiro for 1 week in May - we have hired cars from Luze car hire and Algarve Hire ( I think ! ) I have no issue with paying for toll road while in Carvoeiro but unsure of how to pay for return journey to the Airport - I'm very worried about using the other road thanks to everyone's comments about how bad it is ! Who thought a one week holiday with family could be so stressful !

[Geoff]

Hi Drury 75
Short answer is, you can't pay tolls on return trip (unless you pay through the nose with Avis who have transponders) or ask someone to pay them for you a couple of days after you have left.
We used the N125 in Jan & Feb and it was generally fine....will be there in May too, so watch this space!

[Michael Crane]

....Who thought a one week holiday with family could be so stressful !

It won't be. The 125 isn't that bad. Just drive carefully (as you always should do) and take your time. It's an easy journey to make and you even get to see parts of the Algarve that we all saw yonks ago before these new-fangled motorways came on the scene.

[EMM]

When you talk about scenery Micheal are you reffering to the " working girls " who frequent parts of the 125

We have made two visits to Portugal ( 4 motorway trips ) since the tolls came in and have still not received any charges , neither has the hire company ?????

[joeysoap]

I agree EMM & Michael. I used the 125 both over and back in Feby and found it not altogether unpleasant. Driving probably averaged around 50 km per hour with a few slower and a few faster patches. journey took just over 1 hour on both occasions. Found it much easier on petrol too, though that may have been down to the car.

I used the motorway on previous visit in December on both journeys and nothing yet. Car hire company are pretty sure there won't be.


regretfully never noticed any roadside enhancements on either journey in Feby

[Bruce Wallis]

I agree EMM & Michael. I used the 125 both over and back in Feby and found it not altogether unpleasant. Driving probably averaged around 50 km per hour with a few slower and a few faster patches. journey took just over 1 hour on both occasions. Found it much easier on petrol too, though that may have been down to the car.

I used the motorway on previous visit in December on both journeys and nothing yet. Car hire company are pretty sure there won't be.


regretfully never noticed any roadside enhancements on either journey in Feby

There were 5 on duty yesterday What I cant work out, is where do they do their "work"??? Maybe that font of all knowledge, Tricky, can enlighten me?

[Lesley Jean]

Latest news -
http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/ ... ?id=1160-1

[joeysoap]

rough enough daily charge, though I see a there's a proposed max of €18.40, which will soften the blow a little bit for 14 day + renters.

[Michael Crane]

I have found a surefire way to avoid the tolls on the A22 . . . . we're going to holiday in Spain instead.