French toll classes for cars, caravans and motorhomes

French motorway toll classes use vehicle height, maximum permitted mass and axle count. Most cars are class 1. A caravan or motorhome can cost more, so check the vehicle documents and dimensions before leaving the UK.

The main boundaries

Class 1: no higher than 2 metres and no heavier than 3,500 kg maximum permitted mass. Class 2: over 2 metres but below 3 metres, with permitted mass no higher than 3,500 kg. A vehicle exactly 3 metres high is outside class 2.

A two-axle vehicle at least 3 metres high or over 3,500 kg permitted mass is class 3. Qualifying vehicles with three or more axles are class 4; a class-3 vehicle towing a trailer is also class 4. Motorcycles are class 5. Check Sanef’s classes or APRR’s classification.

Caravans and roof boxes

A class-1 car towing a caravan over 2 metres but below 3 metres normally becomes class 2. A trailer at least 3 metres high falls into class 4. The ASFA classification brochure uses the towing vehicle’s permitted mass for the weight threshold, not the combined outfit weight.

Sanef and APRR exclude roof loads such as boxes and bicycles from the toll class. Clearance is different: your full height still matters when choosing a lane. Avoid a height-restricted lane if the loaded vehicle will not fit. Do not assume permanent motorhome bodywork is removable luggage.

Charged the wrong class?

Use the help button at a toll booth before paying; never reverse. For free-flow tolls or a tag invoice, ask the operator to review the charge and keep the passage details and registration document. Separate tunnels may use different classifications.

Back to tolls and low emission zones in France

Official sources checked on 10 November 2026.

These general classes do not apply unchanged to every road: ASFA lists the A63, A79, A150 and A355 among roads with specific classifications. Check the operator’s rules for those roads.