Question about Orlando toll roads

[poohbear8]

I have driven in the Orlando/MCO area for the past 6 years. I was booking a rental car with Dollar (usually use Alamo, but they are too high right now) and saw this statement.

TOLL ROAD

Please note: There are toll roads within this area that have converted or will be converting to all-electronic tolling or cashless tolling. In these areas there is no option for a rental car to stop and pay the tolls in cash. If your travels will take you on a toll road in an area where there is no option to stop and pay cash for the tolls, Pass24 is the perfect solution.

How accurate is that? I have always paid cash and asked for a receipt. What is Pass24? Has anyone used it?

 

[gmeh1]

I have driven in the Orlando/MCO area for the past 6 years. I was booking a rental car with Dollar (usually use Alamo, but they are too high right now) and saw this statement.

TOLL ROAD

Please note: There are toll roads within this area that have converted or will be converting to all-electronic tolling or cashless tolling. In these areas there is no option for a rental car to stop and pay the tolls in cash. If your travels will take you on a toll road in an area where there is no option to stop and pay cash for the tolls, Pass24 is the perfect solution.

How accurate is that? I have always paid cash and asked for a receipt. What is Pass24? Has anyone used it?

Not accurate for the Orlando area. There are many threads on this topic already. But, for the sake of speed, I will post this it covers all the toll pass programs for rental cars. Make sure you decline the toll pass with Dollar when you are at the counter: https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

 

[seashoreCM]

At least one rental company uses toll transponders (visible in the car) where you have to flip a switch to "off".

There is no sure fire way of avoiding false toll charges except by getting a receipt which mean using a manual non-exact change toll booth lane.

If you have difficulty at an exact change only plaza, find out the address of the toll agency and send in the toll immediately without waiting to get back home.

Some toll plazas require that you go down what looks like an exit ramp to pay the toll, except for Florida electronic toll subscribers (such as Sunpass holders).

Out of state electronic tolling is not accepted (I think Georgia's Peachpass is joining Florida soon).

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I have driven in the Orlando/MCO area for the past 6 years. I was booking a rental car with Dollar (usually use Alamo, but they are too high right now) and saw this statement.
TOLL ROAD Please note: There are toll roads within this area that have converted or will be converting to all-electronic tolling or cashless tolling. In these areas there is no option for a rental car to stop and pay the tolls in cash. If your travels will take you on a toll road in an area where there is no option to stop and pay cash for the tolls, Pass24 is the perfect solution.

How accurate is that? I have always paid cash and asked for a receipt. What is Pass24? Has anyone used it?

All mainline toll plazas around Orlando are staffed 24/7 and will accept cash and give change. Most but not all toll plazas that are located on exit or entrance ramps are not staffed but will accept coins; no change given. Dollar is trying to scare you.

Pass24 is likely Dollar's brand name for their transponder plan that utilizes what actually is a SunPass unit.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Svenson]

Most but not all toll plazas that are located on exit or entrance ramps are not staffed but will accept coins; no change given.

I have a question about this. While in Florida last week, my husband took one of these ANNOYING exits -- exact change only. He was driving a rental car (Hertz), and did not have exact change in the car, even though he had credit cards and plenty of bills. So he had to take an envelope and drive thru illegally.

Do we seriously have to waste a paper check written for 75 cents plus a 46 cent postage stamp? Will Hertz fine us for this also? Years ago, I heard that you get one "freebie", but I don't know if that still exists. I called the phone # on the payment envelope, but the lady (who barely spoke English) was no help at all.

Anybody have any "exact change" horror stories recently?

Thanks!

 

[cjbcam]

I have a question about this. While in Florida last week, my husband took one of these ANNOYING exits -- exact change only. He was driving a rental car (Hertz), and did not have exact change in the car, even though he had credit cards and plenty of bills. So he had to take an envelope and drive thru illegally.

Do we seriously have to waste a paper check written for 75 cents plus a 46 cent postage stamp? Will Hertz fine us for this also? Years ago, I heard that you get one "freebie", but I don't know if that still exists. I called the phone # on the payment envelope, but the lady (who barely spoke English) was no help at all.

Anybody have any "exact change" horror stories recently?

Thanks!

In march while we were driving to cocoa beach we completely missed the merge off to pay at one of those tolls. We thought the rental would just charge our credit card for whatever fine but we haven't gotten a charge or anything.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The toll programs and the service charges vary depending on the rental car company. Usually, the programs rely on reading the license plate number at toll locations, not on using a transponder. With most rental car companies at MCO, there is no "opt in" decision to use toll-by-plate. If you go through an electronic toll (on purpose or accidentally), you automatically "agree" to pay the toll and service charge.

For a comparison of rental car toll programs, see https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

For anyone who only drives from Orlando Int'l Airport to the tourist corridor and back, the easiest and cheapest solution is simply to pay two cash tells in each direction. Regardless of whether you use the northern route (528 to I-4) or the southern route (417 to exit 6), there are "Change-Receipt" toll booths available. This will avoid any rental car toll service charge. If your rental car company requires "opt in" or "opt out," you can safely opt out.

Just pay attention. The cash toll lanes can look somewhat like highway exits, so they're easy to overlook if you don't expect an exit for many miles.

There are no tolls along I-4, so, once you're in the tourist corridor, you can visit WDW, SeaWorld, Universal, and popular shopping destinations without tolls.

If you use toll roads to drive away from the tourist corridor, many smaller exits are not attended. You must use exact change or electronic toll payment. On the far southeastern edge of the Orlando-Kissimmee area, Florida Turnpike exit 240 is SunPass-Only. There may be others, but I don't recall seeing any. The exit sign will clearly show "SunPass-Only." The vast majority of tourists should never encounter such an exit for the time being.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

My neighbor just got back and during his stay he drove from WDW to Miami and there were several toll booths that you could not pay cash at so he had to have it charged to the rental car.

 

[The Prophet]

It takes a bit longer, but is is possible to drive from MCO to WDW without paying any tolls

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

He was driving a rental car (Hertz), and did not have exact change in the car, even though he had credit cards and plenty of bills. So he had to take an envelope and drive thru illegally.

Unless the SunPass agency considers the toll to be paid, your husband should expect to see the credit card that he used for his rental to be billed for the toll AND a PlatePass (American Traffic Solutions) fee ["$4.95 fee per rental day plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates) $24.75 maximum fee per rental month (30 days) plus tolls (at posted cash/TOLL-BY-PLATE rates)"]. By not paying the toll, your husband "agreed" to opt in to PlatePass.

When unable to pay a cash toll, it seems advisable to mail the payment as quickly as possible, despite the 46-cent stamp. After 10 days, it's considered a toll violation. If you're also billed by PlatePass, but you can show you already paid, PlatePass should reverse the charge.

My neighbor just got back and during his stay he drove from WDW to Miami and there were several toll booths that you could not pay cash at so he had to have it charged to the rental car.

When traveling around the Miami metropolitan area, using a service like PlatePass, eToll, or TollPass is worth it. Especially for tourists, the pattern of toll booths and which one are only electronic is bewildering. Chalk it up to part of the cost of Southern Florida vacation.

But, as noted in my earlier post in this thread, when flying into Orlando and visiting Orlando attractions, it's easy just to pay two cash tolls each way on arrival and departure days. There are "Change-Receipt" toll booths on the two airport routes, so it's not necessary to have coins or to use electronic toll payment.

It takes a bit longer, but is is possible to drive from MCO to WDW without paying any tolls

Possible, yes.

Worth it, I don't think so.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

My neighbor just got back and during his stay he drove from WDW to Miami and there were several toll booths that you could not pay cash at so he had to have it charged to the rental car.

All toll booths in Miami-Dade County (except on the mainline of Florida's Turnpike) were eliminated and are now transponder only. For those without a transponder, your tag number was recorded and you will be billed via the PlatePass system. If you were in a rental car, they will be billed and then the rental car company will bill you, plus a fee. Anyone traveling the Turnpike itself between Orlando and South Florida can still pay cash at the toll plazas. But once you're in Miami and use any of the local toll roads, there is no place to pay cash.

As Horace mentioned, the Orlando area has not gone to that and it may be a few more years before they do. All mainline toll plazas are staffed 24/7. Toll facilities on exit and entrance ramps are also always staffed on the Turnpike only. Local toll plazas on ramps are never staffed but still take coins.

The only other toll road that has gone transponder-only/PlatePass is TOLL 618 (Selmon Expressway) in the Tampa area. In the past tourists were unlikely to encounter this road however a new ramp to it off of I-4 to the cruise ship terminals could lead tourists onto it if cruising.

It takes a bit longer, but is is possible to drive from MCO to WDW without paying any tolls

It is possible but not practical without knowledge of the area. But TOLL 528 (Beachline Expressway) is toll free from OBT to I-4 so if you know how to get from the airport to the Florida Mall without paying tolls, it can be done.

BobK/Orlando

 

[The Prophet]

From MCO, take the southern exit

Stay on Boggy Creek Road, passing 417 (The GreenWay)

Boggy Creek Road ends at Narcoossee Road (Rt 15 ?)

Make a right and Narccoosee Road goes into 192, which leads you right into WDW

Not too difficult. Takes a bit longer, but it is free