VNF Vignette Licence Fees

Grehan

Grehan

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 Jun 2001
Messages
3,729
Location
Inland France + Oxon.
www.french-waterways.com
The cost of a Vignette (licence to use the French waterways) has not just changed, as it does every year, its basis has also now changed to being based on boat length, not area.
I have posted the 2013 details here -
http://www.french-waterways.com/vnf-guide.html
For many boats there doesn't appear to be a very significant price increase, but this is not universally so because some boats in one price category on an area basis now fall into a higher one on length alone.
There is a 10% discount for a Year's vignette if purchased before 31st March.
 
Well - good luck to anyone paying about the same, but the cost of my vignette has jumped from 224 euros last year to 398 this (taking the discount both times), mostly because at 11 metres I fall into the 11 to 15 band and am logged on the VNF database as such. If only I had declared 10.99 metres for my SSR I would have saved a lot of money. But despite the grumbling, I have to say that I think the canal network still represents pretty good value if you consider the number of locks one transits - mostly electrically operated these days - plus maintenance and free mooring almost anywhere.
 
Agreed on both counts. There has been a lot of grumbling from ANPEI (the French inland boat-owners group) almost certainly because of the banding effect on smaller and/or narrower boats. An online petition to VNF is available - http://www.petitionpublique.fr/?pi=vnf2013 - but at the same time the canals and rivers are a glorious resource and have to be paid for. I have recently seen that following representations VNF have promised that no-one will/should pay more than 10% more as a result of the changes - but I do not know how that statement is actually going to be implemented. The VNF vignette table - http://www.french-waterways.com/vnf-guide.html - is as currently is on the VNF website.
 
Grehan, just looked (again) at your link and I noticed this note:

6) No vignette required for craft under 5m (not all eclusiers may be aware of this) nor for unpowered vessels nor for vessels under 9.9HP. (my emboldenment)

We're planning hopefully doing the canal this year with our MD5 7.5hp engined Jaguar. Does note 6 therefore mean we do not need a vignette at all? Or am I missing something?
 
Ah interesting, maybe a bit of sloppy English on my part. I'll check. :)

Nope, maybe sloppy French on VNF's part . .
"Sont exemptées les embarcations de longueur inférieure ou égale à 5 mètres et
dotées d’un moteur de moins de 9,9 CV réels (soit 7,29 Kw)"

Or, it means what it says.
I will see if I can pin this down any further.

Well, with a bit of jiggery pokery playing around with a mythical boat's data on the VNF website it seems confirmed that a powered boat of less than 9.9HP must not be longer than 5m to qualify for not needing a vignette (if you take my meaning).
 
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I have now also seen a VNF originated proposal to limit any increase in vignette cost to 30% of the former amount and also to extend the 10% discount period to 30th April. This proposal is to be presented to the VNF board for ratification late in February.
 
I wonder if I could get a little advice on this.
We're planning to head down the canals this summer, entering around late April or early May and then heading south to th Med. I'm guessing it'll take us around 6 weeks or so.
Which would be the best vignette for us?
 
Grehan is the expert on this, but I would think you will have to get two consecutive monthly vignettes If you could do the trip in 30 days, you would save quite a lot, but it seems a shame to rush through.
 
At the moment the 'increase ceiling' is prospective, not definite so saskia will need to wait until later this month. Retrospective refund? I wouldn't hold my breath but you never know. I will post further news as and when I have some.
So far as a late April to (say) mid-June journey is concerned, my VNF vignette fee table - http://www.french-waterways.com/vnf-guide.html - would indicate (10m boat) that
2 x months = 213.74€ is the best deal.
(a year = 264.75€ - 10% if paid before ? see above = 238.28€) (season 253.43€ plus one month 132.38€ = 385.81€)
 
Grehan said:
At the moment the 'increase ceiling' is prospective, not definite so saskia will need to wait until later this month. Retrospective refund? I wouldn't hold my breath but you never know. I will post further news as and when I have some.
So far as a late April to (say) mid-June journey is concerned, my VNF vignette fee table - http://www.french-waterways.com/vnf-guide.html - would indicate (10m boat) that
2 x months = 213.74€ is the best deal.
(a year = 264.75€ - 10% if paid before ? see above = 238.28€) (season 253.43€ plus one month 132.38€ = 385.81€)
Click to expand...

Cheers Grehan. That's what I thought, but just wanted to check. As far as buying two monthly passes, can these be bought at the same time or do I buy the second when the first runs out?
 
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