Toll roads and Rental cars

[disneygrandma]

I have a car reserved thru Dollar for our upcoming trip. However, they say we should also rent a Plate Pass for use on "cashless" toll roads. If we don't pay for the Plate Pass, and we travel on one of these toll roads, then it will be quite expensive. I'm hoping that the locals, and people who have been to So Cal recently, can help me out concerning cashless toll roads.

We will spend a few days in the San Diego area seeing the sights, as well as going up to Legoland. Then will spend our time at Disneyland and in the Anaheim area. We'll also be going to Hollywood & Burbank. I doubt if we'll go to any other LA areas, but not totally sure. Will we encounter cashless toll roads within these travel locations?

Hoping to get some input on this, so we'll know whether to spend the money on the Plate Pass, or not.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Minnie Loves Mickey]

We were in San Diego last summer and ran across these roads. Very easy, just keep track and you can pay the too on line. There was no extra charge.

 

[ImDMous]

I can only think of two toll roads anywhere around here. One is southeast San Diego which is not touristy at all so I doubt you will be near it. The other is around Irvine, but not on the I5 you will take to Disneyland from San Diego . They are really easy and inexpensive to pay on-line. My husband just did it a few weeks ago for a business trip to LAX.

 

[dmcdixie]

As a frequent user of the toll roads down here, you do not need it. They are trying to upsell you. You can get to all those places with out the tolls. Avoid HWY 73 that is the only toll road that is toll access only. If you accidentally end up on that road then just follow the directions and pay online.

Have fun! I live about 10 mins from legoland and love SD! You will have a blast

 

[disneygrandma]

We've been on these types of roads in other states, but we were driving our own car. We received an invoice in the mail, which we then paid.

However, on this trip we'll be renting a car. All of the rental companies that I looked at said that we would need some sort of a prepaid pass from them, or the cost would be much more expensive if we drove on these cashless toll roads.

For those of you that said you paid online, were you driving your own car, or a rental?

Thanks again.

 

[SMD]

The only thing that might be an issue in LA is that some of the carpool lanes have fees. Right now I believe it's on the 110 and possibly on the 105 in some areas.

 

[ImDMous]

I honestly don't think you be anywhere near any of the toll roads around here. I think I get on one every 2 years or so and we drive from San Diego to Disneyland at least once a month.

Here is the website: https://www.thetollroads.com/ontheroads/for-visitors.php

They have no way of knowing if your car is a rental or your own, if you do get on one of the roads you have 5 days to go to their website and pay for it. You tell them what time, what road and what your license plate is. I think the rental places are trying to make some money off of you.

 

[MillauFr]

The only thing that might be an issue in LA is that some of the carpool lanes have fees. Right now I believe it's on the 110 and possibly on the 105 in some areas.

Aren't those lanes still free for carpools?

 

[bcla]

Most rental car companies can do this, but they charge something like $5/day in addition to billing you for the tolls when the charges are determined. Apparently PlatePass is a company that serves as a network for rental car companies to be able to charge tolls based on license plates instead of transponders. They contract with the toll agencies to provide this service.

You could try to get a prepaid FasTrak transponder, but if it doesn't work you get charged a fine. I'm not sure if you can buy a prepaid one at Costco and then register your rental car to the transponder. There are three areas that use FasTrak, although the Metro FasTrak used for LA area toll roads has a switch to indicate the number of people in a car.

 

[SMD]

Aren't those lanes still free for carpools?

Only if you have a transponder. If you have 3 people in the car and use those lanes without a transponder the fine is $491.

 

[Hofmanns4]

I have rented from Dollar in LAX and SNA and never been asked to pay this fee. I really do not remember any toll road in LA or near DL, so I think they are avoidable without too much trouble.

 

[disneygrandma]

Thanks for all of the information. I guess we'll just try to stay off the toll roads.

 

[theparsons]

We bring our GPS to use in rental cars, and simply tell it to avoid toll roads. haven't ever had to pay a toll in California and we always go from San Diego/Seaworld to DLR.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks for all of the information. I guess we'll just try to stay off the toll roads.

It is truly not going to be difficult to stay off of toll roads.

San Diego, the ONLY one I know about is the one to get to Chula Vista, and I only take it because that's where my brother lives. It's obvious it's a toll road and you aren't forced to get on it.

SD to Carlsbad (Legoland) is toll free. And from there to Disneyland, same thing.

It's not a message that's personalized, on the car rental websites. Says the same for WDW, but the normal WDW visitor won't encounter a toll where you cannot pay cash. (if you hit the turnpike going to Miami, then yes, but a typical WDW visitor can pay cash at the tolls) But for you, you're likely not even going to encounter a toll road.

 

[theparsons]

In Disneyworld (florida) we do the same thing...bring along the GPS and tell it no tolls. Because Florida does have a few places that going around the toll is way out of the way, I carry a m&m tube with a few quarters just in case. We are actually in Florida right now and in our 2 1/2 weeks so far I've only used two quarters and that was because traffic was at a near standstill for an accident so I went on a toll road to get around the accident.

 

[Fantaluminishes]

As others have said, it's very easy to avoid the toll roads. The major highways (5, 405, 101, etc are toll free. Most of the toll roads are the local ones in Orange County (mostly Itvine). You won't need to use these roads at all.

 

[disneygrandma]

Thanks so much! One less thing to worry about.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I live in the area and never use the toll roads. I drive all over the place. You only need the transponder if you really want to drive on the toll roads.

 

[McNs]

Aren't those lanes still free for carpools?

There are some called ExpressLanes that need the transponder, different from the carpool/HOV lanes elsewhere. The signage is different and quite distinct, and doesn't say anything about carpool (unlike the rest of the network where there are carpool lanes)