chislenko

Has anybody crossed here in a UK plated vehicle of late. Are you stopped to show verification of test etc. Looking at the procedure with the best will in the world (ordering / returning test, driving down to Plymouth, 24 hours on the boat and at least a day's drive down through Spain) there is just no way we feel we could do this within the prescribed three day window.

Anybody have recent experience?

Thanks in advance

Shanorme

I have friends who will be doing so on Saturday. I'll update on Sunday if that's any good.

chislenko

Thank you, will look forward to your findings.

Shanorme

Not a problem.

chislenko

Error

Shanorme

No border checking or problems crossing over.

riv

They didn't check ANYthing at all ? Just waved the UK reg car through ??

Has anyone exp. of going the other way ? From VRSA to Ayamonte ??

Red Eric

It's an internal Schengen border, which means that as a general rule it won't be controlled at all - not even to the point of there being anybody official there to do any waving. Like crossing from England to Wales.

It's when crossing external Schengen borders that checks are carried out.

riv

Well maybe but I would have thought a UK plate might attract attention ( being non EU ) ?

I presume one can stop and request a date stamp ??

I am thinking for proving arrival date of car. ?

chislenko

Thanks, that's good to know.

coleio

It's been a while but I thought there was a layby with some office building and lanes with equipment to log your foreign registration and credit card to comply with the autotolls just inside the Portuguese border which gives the date/time the vehicle entered. Map attached with Algarve Welcome Point.

chislenko

There is indeed a pull in but as we get off at Castro Marim (first exit) before the tolls start we have never pulled in, just driven straight past as we don't drive on the tolled section.

From the first exit to home is only 10 minutes on the 125 so no need to use the motorway in our case.

riv

Are you saying that there is now a ( new ? ) method of signing up for automatic deduction of tolls from one's UK credit card ?

That they can now read UK reg numbers and link them to a bank card for payment ?

And that you do this at the frontier on arrival from Spain, or further inland at this 'pull off' you mention ?

Clarification of this would be very useful. I have previously used a system with a ? Transponder placed behind the rear view mirror. But it sounds like just registering your UK plate against a UK bank card would be simpler.

coleio

Yes. At the Vilar Formoso crossing the first services in PT have set up like toll booth lanes where foreign cars register their plate and credit card for auto toll. I've used it often over the years. You also then have a record of when the vehicle/person arrived in Portugal.

riv

Could you be more specific as to the details of how this is done ?

Is there a specific counter / desk labelled for the purpose ?

Do you fill in a paper form ? Do you sign up for a specific period of time ? Or once you've signed up is it forever ?

Is it connected with, or completely separate from , the border control post for passports ?

And is the deduction for the toll made from your card on each occasion a toll is incurred ? Or once a month ?
Because if it's each occasion of toll that could soon prove v expensive with standard charges of several pounds for the exchange transaction on top of the actual toll ?

[ Maybe one can use a Portuguese bank card ? ]