How to pay tolls in France with a rental car (2026)
According to the motorway operators APRR and ALIAE, checked on 31 October 2026, on motorways with toll barriers you pay at the barrier by toll tag, bank card or cash, while on free-flow motorways such as the A79 there are no barriers and, without a tag or an online registration, you have 72 hours to pay online.
This page quotes APRR and ALIAE (A79). We could not read the websites of the French motorway association and of some other operators from our server on 30 October 2026. The APRR pages are in French: our English translation is under each quote.
Prices and rules change, and each rental company has its own toll fees. We quote the motorway operators and governments word for word, with the date we checked them; this is information, not legal advice. Before you drive, check the official page and ask the rental company how it charges you for tolls.
At a glance
| How you pay | Toll barriers (card, cash, tag); free-flow gantries on some new motorways such as the A79 |
|---|---|
| Vignette | No: tolls are charged per trip |
| Price for a car | Depends on the trip |
| Rental cars | Not mentioned by the operators: ask the rental company |
| Checked | 31 October 2026 |
Official prices
| Item | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Free-flow toll not paid within 72 hours (A79, from the second time): settlement charge | €10 | APRR: Péage en flux libre : que faire si j’oublie de payer ? |
| Settlement charge if still unpaid 15 days after the notice | €90 | APRR: Péage en flux libre : que faire si j’oublie de payer ? |
What the official sources say
How you pay
Le paiement s’opère de manière traditionnelle (télépéage, carte bancaire, espèces) pour l’ouverture des barrières de sortie.
Our translation: Payment is made the traditional way (toll tag, bank card, cash) to open the exit barriers.
Avec l’entrée sans ticket, le conducteur doit toujours transiter par une barrière de péage à la sortie de l’autoroute pour payer son trajet.
Our translation: With ticketless entry, the driver still has to pass a toll barrier at the motorway exit to pay for the trip.
En flux libre, la sortie – tout comme l’entrée – se fait sans arrêt, sans ticket et sans barrière.
Our translation: With free flow, the exit, like the entry, has no stop, no ticket and no barrier.
Source: APRR: Flux libre sur ALIAE et entrées sans tickets sur AREA (APRR), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
The A79 is a new generation motorway between Sazeret and Digoin. This motorway offers a free-flow toll system.
6 gates over 88 kilometres make it possible to identify the license plate and type of vehicle and thus automatically create an invoice.
Source: ALIAE: the A79 motorway (ALIAE (A79 motorway concession, APRR group)), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
When and where to pay
Le parcours est automatiquement réglé si l’usager est muni d’un badge télépéage ou s’il s’est inscrit gratuitement en ligne. Sinon, il a 72 h pour régler son péage sur Internet.
Our translation: The trip is paid automatically if the driver has a toll tag or has registered online for free. Otherwise, they have 72 hours to pay the toll online.
Depuis juin 2024, il est également possible de régler son péage en flux libre en espèces ou par carte, dans le réseau bar-tabac-presse agréé Nirio, une solution de paiement du groupe FDJ.
Our translation: Since June 2024 you can also pay a free-flow toll in cash or by card at approved Nirio bar-tobacco-newsagent shops, a payment service of the FDJ group.
Source: APRR: Flux libre sur ALIAE et entrées sans tickets sur AREA (APRR), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
If you do not pay
Vous recevrez un avis de paiement accompagné d’une indemnité transactionnelle de 10€.
Our translation: You will receive a payment notice with a €10 settlement charge.
Si vous ne réglez pas dans les 15 jours suivant l’envoi de cet avis, cette indemnité passe à 90€, conformément à la Loi d’Orientation des Mobilités de 2019.
Our translation: If you do not pay within 15 days of the notice being sent, the charge rises to €90, under the 2019 Mobility Orientation Law.
Source: APRR: Péage en flux libre : que faire si j’oublie de payer ? (APRR), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
Also on the official pages
Toutes les nouvelles autoroutes construites en France seront dotées du système de péage en flux libre.
Our translation: All new motorways built in France will have free-flow tolling.
Source: APRR: Flux libre sur ALIAE et entrées sans tickets sur AREA (APRR), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
With a rental car
The official pages we read do not mention rental cars. Before you book, ask the rental company whether the car has a toll tag and how it charges you for tolls and any fees.
Hire a car in France
Hiring a car in France? Compare rental companies and prices on DiscoverCars. Before you book, ask how each company charges you for tolls.
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Questions
How do I pay tolls in France with a rental car?
APRR says (in French; our translation is under each quote on this page): “Le paiement s’opère de manière traditionnelle (télépéage, carte bancaire, espèces) pour l’ouverture des barrières de sortie.” “Le parcours est automatiquement réglé si l’usager est muni d’un badge télépéage ou s’il s’est inscrit gratuitement en ligne. Sinon, il a 72 h pour régler son péage sur Internet.” It does not mention rental cars: ask the rental company whether the car has a toll tag and how it charges you for it.
How do I pay a free-flow toll in France online?
APRR says (in French): “Le parcours est automatiquement réglé si l’usager est muni d’un badge télépéage ou s’il s’est inscrit gratuitement en ligne. Sinon, il a 72 h pour régler son péage sur Internet.” “Depuis juin 2024, il est également possible de régler son péage en flux libre en espèces ou par carte, dans le réseau bar-tabac-presse agréé Nirio, une solution de paiement du groupe FDJ.”
How do tolls work in France?
APRR says (in French): “Avec l’entrée sans ticket, le conducteur doit toujours transiter par une barrière de péage à la sortie de l’autoroute pour payer son trajet.” “En flux libre, la sortie – tout comme l’entrée – se fait sans arrêt, sans ticket et sans barrière.”
Where does this answer come from?
From the official pages of the motorway operators APRR and ALIAE, read on 31 October 2026 and quoted word for word on this page. It is information, not legal advice.
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