 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've got one - can't remember which company. APRR maybe. Couldn't be bothered to shop around, it makes little difference.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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GaryCantley,It may be slightly more expensive that dealing with the French office but as far as I'm aware the cost is marginal. You are also dealing with a UK company.
They work, they save time and have dedicated lanes at the peage. Others may disagree but we have been using them for the last 6 or 7 years and find them useful. Due to the the timeline alone, i believe it's your best option.
It sounds like you will be travelling over the busy\school holiday period. If there is ever a time when these will help, it's then. We had one exception where we could not get to the peage as all the pay as you go drivers had backed up the traffic for miles. Once we could access the Telepeage lane we flew through.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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GaryCantley, loads and loads of threads on this if you use the search function.
We use APRR http://www.telepeagepourtous.fr/fr they are cheaper (last time I looked) and are very quick at sending the badge out, a few days. All in French though and you have to ring up (unless they've changed) to update your card details when you get a new card.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yes we have had one for a couple of years now, have used it several times. I think it is excellent and worth every penny. Very easy to see what charges etc you are getting. Never had a problem.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just had a play with that without finalising the order, it's pretty straightforward. I'm going to get one before our Easter trip. It isn't absolutely necessary then but I'm driving down solo in the summer when it will be extremely helpful.
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I've got one from APRR that I ordered about 2 years ago for bi-annual drives through france - arrived quickly, and costs something like €1-2 a month when it's used. When it isn't there's no charge. Even if you only drive there once a year it's worth it for the convenience of not having to rummage around for change, and the fun bit which is the drive through ones  The APRR tag was one of the few that worked with a UK address and credit card at the time - that may have changed.
You do have to ring up to change your card details as sarah said, but that's easy and they're incredibly helpful and patient with english speakers. You can also communicate via email with them.
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Thanks to all.
Got home this afternoon to find Mrs GC had ordered the sanef box.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yep got one and works fine
Is possibly around €10 more expensive per year but easy to deal with UK company
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Boris wrote: |
Yep got one and works fine
Is possibly around €10 more expensive per year but easy to deal with UK company |
+1 we got one in December after many trips without. Went for the UK one too. Feel a little bit more prepared for our first ever half term trip although have managed to avoid both Saturdays 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
Boris wrote:
Yep got one and works fine
Is possibly around €10 more expensive per year but easy to deal with UK company
+1 we got one in December after many trips without. Went for the UK one too. Feel a little bit more prepared for our first ever half term trip although have managed to avoid both Saturdays
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+1 (again). We used it last year for our half term trip and it made for a more relaxed journey, except as call me dave says when going through the lanes where you keep moving. The first time I did that I really struggled to trust the device to work (aka was a bit panicked).
They do really save time, and the more spare time you have in the journey the less stressful it becomes. For a few euros it is a no brainer. Oh, and now some banks are hitting you with large minimum fees for foreign exchange it can work out cheaper.
Also of note is the fact they give you an additional clip to hang the telepeage thingy in a second car.
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There was so many GB cars with 'em at Xmas the French don't look surprised anymore 
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I was entering the really busy one between Chambery and Albertville 2 weeks ago, ready to thumb my nose at any one, but specifically the French Audi driver who had been cms from the back of me a mile back, when my gearbox decided that it preferred to stay in France than return to the UK. I am still wiping the egg off my face !
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Poster: A snowHead
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Unfortunately many of the non-stop ones are now being removed.
Even more unfortunately I suspect we will be well overheight with roof box so can't use the toll lanes this time! Old car and roofbox was 2.4M and went through the 2M lanes with no issue. I don't think the new one will so will be lorry lane for us.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Unfortunately many of the non-stop ones are now being removed.
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yes, I thought that too last time I did the drive. Boris, quite a few of the télépéage lanes have no height barrier (the ones between Geneva and Chamonix, for example, IIRC).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The non stops have been emoved where the staff have to cross the lanes
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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pam w, they often do remove barrier during hols to allow for roofboxes etc so fingers crossed
To be fair there is often a lorry Telepeage lane and we use that (as instructed) with the caravan and still saves time at tolls
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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There must have been quite a few scrapes with overheight vehicles as the recent newsletter from APRR has a specific article in it along the lines of 'Going Skiing? Got your skis in a roof box? Then use the overheight lanes!' 
Boris, as far as I have noticed there are lots of 't' lanes without a height barrier and the lorry lane has the 't' too so shouldn't make too much difference.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thinking of getting one, how long do they take to arrive?
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It's ok just checked faqs on their website, should only be a couple of days.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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+1 for the sanef device. We used it a couple of weeks ago and it worked perfectly. I think ours arrived the day after we ordered it and was really easy to activate with good English instructions included.
The only part I was a bit concerned about was we didn't have a hatched area on our windscreen to mount the device as recommended but we put it next to the rear view mirror and as other threads have said it all worked well.
It did make it much easier than scrabbling with tickets and coins, it almost became a highlight of our drive waiting for the confirmation beep to sound!
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| Quote: |
it almost became a highlight of our drive waiting for the confirmation beep to sound
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SnowMac,
Your journeys sound as fun as ours. We always look forward to a compulsory full air change at every border we cross, ie open all windows and blow the cobwebs out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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robapplegate, have to take the kicks on those journeys when you can
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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we've just removed out t box from the car, its been in for about 3 years and in that time i reckon we've been overcharged on about 10 different occasions. we've also been overcharge on credit cards a few times as well. If you try getting the money back its impossible.
cash is king....we only ever pay using cash now.....there's a reason why so many locals dont bother with the boxes 
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eddiethebus, I've checked all of our bills, and I've never been overcharged in 7 years.
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You know it makes sense.
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I have the APRR one, and it is an absolute godsend, saving me lots of time and faffing around at the toll booths. My credit card did expire after 3 years and so I had to call them to change the details, and although I do speak some French, so long as you know the numbers 0 to 9 in French it shouldn't be too tough. There might be english-speaking operators anyway. I didn't ask.
There are issues with certain windscreens, no problems with my Jaguar or my wife's Honda, but a Vauxhall/Opel Zafira didn't seem to like it and so we had to hang it out of the window
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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We have never been overcharged in all the years we have had ours. Now on the second one which is linked to the French credit card. Lent it to the grown up children for their journey down in January as we had left our car at Geneva airport. Easy to see on the bill how much it was so they could pay us. When we used it in my Ibiza in September it wasn't fixed to the windscreen but I just attached it to the back of the thingie that holds the tax disc and it worked from there.
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Poster: A snowHead
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we were finding that on occasion we were being charged twice for using a toll. We got the money back a couple of times but after that it became too much hassle so didnt bother. Unless you keep logs its hard to know sometimes as you dont get a receipt. I do know of others that have had the same problem, and as on here, others that havent.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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eddiethebus, my journeys are all in my online account so it is easy to check.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Same, I've never been double charged either. We've got 2 APRR tags in the family and I've never seen a single mischarge. That's on short hops and the longer top to bottom drives as well. Perhaps the tag itself was broken?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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SnowMac, I know, anything to keep you going
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| SnowMac wrote: |
The only part I was a bit concerned about was we didn't have a hatched area on our windscreen to mount the device as recommended but we put it next to the rear view mirror and as other threads have said it all worked well.
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Having just had a look in the Sedona, it seems our windscreen is the same, no hatched area. I was concerned I'd be hanging out the window  Never know, I may still get my chance.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mine turned up in the post this morning, pretty good as I only ordered it on Tuesday. Going to wade through all the paperwork (which could take some time) but do I need to do anything to activate it before using it for the first time?
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If you set up an account with APRR online, you can now change card/payment method online and aso order spare/replacement doofers
and you do not need to do anything to activate it, just drive up and wait for the beep
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Timbobaggins, Thanks, I've accessed the account online. It will get a run out at Easter which will please my daughter as I won't need to wake her at tolls now. Summer will be the most useful though as I've a trip planned with just me in the car, I'm getting too old for scrambling over the passenger seat any more.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Timbobaggins, looks like you can only add a French bank account though and not a credit card number ?
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Hells Bells, Mine has been automatically set up with the card I used to pay for it.
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FAQ
