Roads Tolls

[gbaz44]

Hi all

going in a couple of months and have a question about road tolls. Would you recommend going with one of the automatic systems offered by car hire company OR just paying as you go?

Our holiday was booked through Netflights so not sure which hire company it'll be and we're staying western Kisimmee area (using MCO). We're doing universal, disney, Kennedy and hope to get over to Tampa and Clearwater for at least a day trip plus Walmart etc for shopping.

I'd rather pay as we go but is this easy enough to do, ie are they signed well enough that I'm not gonna drive straight past. Or have they got rid of toll booths completely in any of the places I might find myself. We're there for 3 weeks.

GF also wants to go to flea market at Sanford but if this area is infested by automatic and extortionate tolls that cannot be avoided I would not be overly disappointed...

 

[Kevin Stringer]

If you are going for 3 weeks I would just pay as you go, otherwise it will cost an awful lot if you pay the car hire company.
Of course, it depends how much driving you will do on toll roads, but I suspect it will not be that much.

Booths are very well signed, but is well worth keeping all the quarters you can for the 'chuck in a bucket' style booths. Most of the main booths are manned, so you can pay direct.
I don't think there are any 'card only' booths around Orlando, but I could be wrong. Someone will point out what a numpty I am if this is the case.

Just to help you out - yes, the booths around the Sanford flea market are manned by surly individuals who charge you a fortune and if you make a mistake they throw an alligator into the back of your vehicle. Hope this helps.

 

[Dimplenose]

In 2009 we got lost and did find one minor exit from a toll road that was by pass only. But after an initial panic we drove on and soon came to a more major exit that allowed us to pay cash.

Quite often we had to be alert when approaching a toll booth as the cash payers were directed off what was almost a slip road to one side so that they didn't slow down the traffic on the main road.

My biggest stress was that DH was using Satnav which totally disregarded tolls and it was left to me to be on the lookout and warn him in time to slow down and pull over (he does love his Satnav whereas I would happily throw it away!!)

 

[wilma-bride]

Unless you are planning to use the Florida Turnpike, I would pay as you go. It is sunlikely that you will encounter enough tolls to make the pre-paid option worth the amount it will cost.

 

[chmurf]

My biggest stress was that DH was using Satnav which totally disregarded tolls and it was left to me to be on the lookout and warn him in time to slow down and pull over

Sorry, don't mean no offense, but this scares me big time. Do some people really rely that much on GPS and stuff that they can't pay attention anymore to road sign ? I mean HUGE road signs.
Sorry again, it's just that I'm really concerned that people I share the road with can actually miss that :

(sorry again if I hurt your feelings, I just see too many people not paying attention to the road that I tend to overreact)

 

[JintyB]

That photo is brilliant. Made me

 

[gbaz44]

Thanks for your help and advice guys and girls, especially Kevin - I will inform her that Sanford is a no go area lol.

I hope I'll be able to see the signs.

PS I fear I will end up in Sanford anyway...

 

[Netty]

another pay as you go vote

 

[DisFanJen]

Another Pay as you go vote (unless you're driving up from Miami and then you don't have a choice, you have to use the automated system).

Remember a lot of cars come with units as standard though so make sure you turn it off or there isn't one in the car.

I fell foul of this once, stopped at a manned toll and paid but got charged by AVIS because I'd left the unit it on and it was a manned and paypass toll booth.

 

[chmurf]

I pay as I go, so that's one more vote

But this fall I might choose the "pay by license plate" system with Alamo

You're charged $2 for each day you use toll lanes (limit $6 per rental period) then you only pay for toll fees.

At toll lanes, cameras record your license plate, and you get charged a few days later.

But I'd never go for the transponder thing (at least not the system provided by rental agencies)

Anyway, as long as you have a few quarters (I try to have at least $5 in quarters at any given time) you'll be fine
You don't lose that much time driving through toll booths, and at manned stations you'll get to pay with bills, thus getting some more quarters.

On second thoughts, I'll pay as I go in october, as always

 

[bex7583]

oh no another thing i had totally forgot to budget for !! we are planning on drining all down the east coast to teh keys then back up teh west coast to clearwater , what is that turnpike thingy and how much is it ?? also why is it better to use the automated paying tolls when travelling to miamai ?

anybody done similar coastal trip before to give me a idea of totall toll spends??

 

[chmurf]

oh no another thing i had totally forgot to budget for !! we are planning on drining all down the east coast to teh keys then back up teh west coast to clearwater , what is that turnpike thingy and how much is it ?? also why is it better to use the automated paying tolls when travelling to miamai ?

anybody done similar coastal trip before to give me a idea of totall toll spends??

the turnpike is the huge toll highway running through Florida

Going from WDW area down to Miami Beach is $16 (rounded and one way)

you can calculate tolls on http://turnpikeinfo.com/ choosing your on and off ramps

automated toll (sunpass) is cheaper than paying cash ($4 cheaper for Orlando-Miami one way) but if you have to pay for car rental agency fee/program it may or may not be better to use automated system
ETA : It seems that cash is no longer accepted for tolls south of Miami down to homestead (gateway to the keys), so if you intend on driving over there you might need to get either sunpass or use the toll by plate program if your car rental agency provides that. Or avoid those tolls roads ...

 

[bex7583]

very useful thanks !! you can tell im the non driver in the family !! so now i need to try work out where we will get on and off certain roads !! SO MUCH FOR GET IN AND DRIVE APPROACH!!

can u only get teh autoated thing through a car hire company or can u buy teh sun pass thingy over there from elsewhere ( is it similar to a oyster card etc )