Hi all, we are driving down next week and whilst the toll roads are unavoidable thru France we are hoping to miss them in Spain.

From what I can see on the viamichelin site, we will only encounter two tolls on the AP7 motorway, both are close to the Barcelona area. Does anyone with knowledge of that region know whether you can leave the motorway before the toll booths and re-enter a short way on?

I'm thinking of the tolls near to Torrievieja, you can get off the motorway a mile or two before the booths and then re-enter afterwards. In the case of the ones up near Barcelona it will save about 40€ in toll fee's. Any advice gratefully received.

You can avoid them, but I would suggest you will save a lot of time, fuel and mucho agrevation by sticking to the AP7. If you use Tom Tom, RAC or AA autoroute and select avoid toll roads it will give you a suggested route, but to avoid tolls entirely you will have to DIY.

PS: If you really dislike tolls use the route normal through France. It takes a lot longer but you see some very nice little towns and villages along the way. I have done that several times

Viamichelin gives you the option to plan routes avoiding tolls.

Do this and compare it with the normal route

The toll roads in Spain I am familiar with have toll booths on the exits as well as the main motorway so if you leave early you still have to pay. ( not familiar with the AP7 though )

In the case of the toll road near Torrevieja, you will save about €4.50, and have to use a road that they are currently dualling, so there will be a lot of road works, and in some places the dualling hasn't yet started. Personally I would stay on the AP7 and just pay the tolls, you will save a lot of frustration and hassle, especially at this time of the year.

On the AP7 there are signs advising you before you enter the toll sections and you have the option to exit the motorway.

Thanks guys. I only need the AP7 down as far as the Albacete motorway then I head inland. Cutting across diagonally to Jumilla and Yecla. Wouldn't mind so much the 40€ toll if I was travelling the length of the AP7 a far as Alicante.

came off at Bacelona once took us hours to get past toll bit ,really much better to pay up and miss the hassel

[QUOTE=Bri and Katee;8651532]Hi all, we are driving down next week and whilst the toll roads are unavoidable thru France we are hoping to miss them in Spain."

Sorry to disagree with you but in fact it is much easier to find good alternatives to toll roads in France than it is in Spain. Come down the N10 (using the free bits of A10 autoroute round the big towns) and it ¡s almost as quick as the autoroute and a lot more pleasant. In Spain if you avoid toll roads you are going to have a slow, very tedious journey.

I have used the Autovía Mudéjar and it was very good (and Toll Free). Starts near Valencia at Sagunto and finishes somewhere around Zaragoza but you can go through the Pyrenees using the Somport Tunnel. You can cool off in the tunnel. An interesting alternative.
Not sure how good the traffic is especially lorries.

Then you just need to see how to avoid tolls in France from somewhere like Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Pyrénées-Atlantiques to whichever ferry port you use. I think that is the easy part.

But maybe overall it's much longer.