Driving to Portugal via Seville

Has anyone recently driven to Portugal via Seville and Huelva on the new Toll road. I am totally confused by information received regarding that you require a special unit to pay for using this toll road as its not possible to pay in the conventional way via toll booths.

Any information regarding this toll road would be greatly appreciated as we are planing a journey within a couple of weeks time.

Regards

John

 I cant give you any info about the toll. But if going to Portugal, do not forget the green card (international motor insurance card).

 Yes, some roads in Portugal now have electronic tolls only.

There are serveral ways to pay for and obtain the electronic gadget that allows you to use the electronic tolls.  One of the possibiities is a prepaid card valid for a few days (3 days I think) for unimited use.  This is only valid for non-Portuguese registered cars and is available for purchase online.  Another is to get meter for a deposit that is reimbursed when you return the meter.  These can be obtained at rest areas on the roads in question.

This link will give you more information.

http://portagens.ctt.pt

If using a Brit reg car file the demand under B1 N.

Right,

To begin with as a resident in Lisbon who works in Marbella, I travel this journey about twice a week.

In Portugal the A22 in the Algarve requires you to pay the toll only using the electronic "Via Verde" tag. As I own a Spanish registered car, I have not paid any tolls in Portugal since 2010, just like all the Spanish tourists do every time they visit Portugal. You can simply pass through the "Via Verde" lane on all the motorways where there are normal toll booths, as it does not have a barrier.

So to put it simply, if you have a foreign registered car, they will not charge it or catch you for it (see below.)

This past December I decided to get myself a Via Verde and to do it honestly. Upon signing up for the Via Verde at the office, I confessed to them of what I have been doing and volunteered to settle the account on the spot. The employee searched for my registration plate, and there were countless photos of my car passing through with a balance of 600+ Euros, and we were both laughing about the matter.

So, she got her manager to try and help her settle the account. Her manager informed me that they have no mechanism to collect voluntary payment for these outstanding bills, and she simply told me that since I have a Spanish car it is impossible to fine me for that as they can't trace it, so she just told me to forget about the whole situation.

So, there is my recommendation. Just drive as you normally would. Portugal has much more pressing bureaucratic issues to deal with than going through the court system of Spain or another country to track down your information and send you a fine for 10 Euros of unpaid tolls! It just is the way it works over there.

On the other hand, the motorway on the Spanish side from Seville to the Portuguese border is free, and if you want to take a free road, you can cross the border at Ayamonte and take the N-125 road across the Algarve.

Hi

Thank you very much for this very interesting feedback as its all very confusing. We were very concerned about having to purchase this electronic device to make payments........................etc. We have a Spanish car so hopefully if your information is correct there should'nt be any issues.

Think the option of the free road via Ayamonte will be the chosen option until we can confirm what to do once there.

many thanks

Hi mcarda,

Thanks for that information.  I had been thinking about driving along to the Algarve but had been put off by the confusion about the tolls and whether you would need to get the electronic device etc.  It seemed like too much hassle.

It's good to know I can just ignore the tolls in my Spanish reg car, so will give it a go.

When we were living in Jerez and driving into Portugal frequently as we have family living there it was very easy. You do not need to go into the office, just pull up as close as you can to the white line by the booths, they photogrph the car and pop a card in and payments are taken that way, it is a doddle, and we never had any problems ever. 

I haven't done the trip for a couple of years now but I don't think the system has changed?

If you are in a Spanish registered car, you can just ignore the tolls.

Looks like the European Commission ruled the Algarve toll road illegal anyway:

http://algarvedailynews.com/news/4765-ec-rules-that-portugal-s-tolls-are-illegal