Driving across France

TomTom has served me well across most of the major parts of Europe without one single mess up, so that is a great starting point!

Spare bulbs, tow rope, triangle, torch, cudley toy and one of them shiny jackets are also useful just in case (some are requirements of law....cudley toy I think), and make sure you take copies of your insurance documents and drivers licence. If you do get stopped its better to give them copies if you are going silly speeds...which I advice you don't as on the tolls they can get messy. I must have seen 5 or 6 coppers with speed guns when I went down to Monaco last year and similar on the way back too.

Oh, and make sure you drive on the right, or if not lots of flashing should do the trick with "me inglish" mouthings. ;)
 
mjt said:
you sure? you need the same in belgium (apart from the bulbs, but including a high-visibility jacket) and all of that comes standard with the car, so you'd think the same would happen in france..
it's also illegal, and the police will fine you (if you're french, anyway)
is a triangle not legally required in the UK?
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pretty sure tbh. But you know,I lived in France for 3.5 years and had a car .. not once did I get pulled and I never carried anythin. It's one of those things that maybe if you wind them up they can pick up on.


like someone else mentioned. always carry paper documents with you, even if they are copies. french like paper.
 
A big wedge of cash to pay off the cops! ;)

Make sure your insurance is covered for driving abroad and also make sure you have roadside recovery when abroad too.

When people flash you coming towards you that usually means there's a speed trap up ahead - but I don't know if they'll do it to a british car. Also be wary of flashing people to let them out it doesn't mean the same as it does over here - people are a lot less courteous in France too - it's every froggy to him/herself!

The roads however are fantastic. I recommend you go off the motorway for some of your journey, it may and probably will add time to your trip but it's a lot more fun! :D
 
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One quick question regarding the plates, im off to france next year and will be getting plates with the badge on, however can i have one with the welsh flag
wales.jpg


or does it have to be the GB one
gb.jpg


cheers :)
 
I went to France a couple of years ago. I forgot absolutely everything and had only what the car came equiped with. A triangle, I think. That was about it.

No problems though, but I suppose if you break down, or crash or something, that's when the police will throw the book at you for ignoring your odds and ends.
 
I doubt they'd really throw the book at you - though they have started handing out flyers at ferry terminals of "what you need - please visit our shops on board for great discounts on emergency equipment"... So I guess apart from trying to make a buck or two they may have been given the incentive from the authorities to make sure people are equipped?
 
You need a fire extinquisher and first aid kit aswell.
As for tolls its about 55 euros to Lyon, but you will head into the mountains from there.
Really nice motorways though.
The police have a habit of just parking slightly out of view on hard shoulder so watch for them, I went past at 90 they never battered an eyelid.
 
Well considering the speed limit is 80mph, 90's not really enough for them to worry, and typically if it's a foreign car only doing a little over the limit they're a bit more forgiving. I did get pulled over on my bike when doing a trip down to the cote d'azure, but I was doing about 110 :o Anyway they were so surprised at my ability to speak french (fortunately I had my british passport and not my froggy one :cool: ) that they just told me to slow down :D What a blag that was! However bear in mind they are now clamping down hard on speeding, and the number of cops out is a lot higher, so they may well be less forgiving now.

I agree with Banny, drive down to Lyon by motorway, and do the rest on the nationals much more fun :D
 
It's easier to overtake in a heavily chopped RHD '34 Ford in France than it is over here ;)

We drove from Calais to Chatel in the Alps via the Geneva border, down to the Italian border and round to northern Spain about 100 miles away from Barcelona. Make sure if it's at night you have plenty of petrol or you'll get stranded because a lot of the time the pumps are self service only and only take French cards.
 
Be prepared to witness a level of lane discipline that you never see in the UK. The only time you find some idiot hogging a middle or outside lane on the continent is when it has a UK plate on it...
 
housemaster said:
I disagree with this, the quality of driving on Autoroutes is brilliant and demonstrates just how bad lane control is in the UK. I find the toll roads a pleasure to use.
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Sorry born and raised in Paris and lived on the south coast - it's where I relate the driving to! :D

However you are correct, the lane discipline on motorways is very good, the quality of the roads are brilliant and yes it is a pleasure to drive on them. My point was in towns, certainly in Paris and the south coastal towns it's a little manic IMO.

I do like the "priorité à droite" rule they have.
 
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Drove to Cannes/St Trpoez and the rest of the south coast 2 months ago in the Jeep. Cost me 60 Euros in toll's on the way down all the way to the bottom, and same again on the way back.

As for lane control, everyone who overtakes you pulls in again regardless of how long they're going to be in your lane. Good manner's imo. no one sitting in the outside or middle lanes unless they're overtaking.

Service stations every 40k and toilet/rest area's every 20km. Was the best long distance drive i have done for a long time. Especially through Lyon as it got dark, absolutely beautiful. And under the airport in Paris where you drive under the runway with 747's rolling over your head. Can't access pics atm though to post which is a shame.
 
Freefaller said:
Sorry born and raised in Paris and lived on the south coast - it's where I relate the driving to! :D

However you are correct, the lane discipline on motorways is very good, the quality of the roads are brilliant and yes it is a pleasure to drive on them. My point was in towns, certainly in Paris and the south coastal towns it's a little manic IMO.

I do like the "priorité à droite" rule they have.
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I did drive into Paris in rush hour once in 1990 in my first ever company car, which was about 3 weeks old. To this day it is probably the most nerve wracking bit of driving I have ever done, and the Arc de Triomphe was an utter nightmare and a true 'mummy' moment :D
 
Dogbreath said:
Be prepared to witness a level of lane discipline that you never see in the UK. The only time you find some idiot hogging a middle or outside lane on the continent is when it has a UK plate on it...
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Lol aint that the truth :p

Keep an eye out for bikers/scooters in france aswell theyre a lot crazier over there than they are here lol.
 
What I found useful when trying to change lanes (at rush hour in Marseille no less) was to aim for the most expensive car and close your eyes, chances were they'd get let you in :p
Indicating and waiting politely resulted in being ignored I found ;)

nb; I take no responsibility for any damage caused by this recommendation!
 
Freefaller said:
I doubt they'd really throw the book at you -
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Yeah OK, fine you, take it into account or whatever. What I meant was that if you're not doing anything obviously wrong I doubt they'll pull you to check if you have the legal requirements, but if you did something illegal, they may well add the missing items as an excuse to blag more cash from you.

One point worth making, apparently they can be very funny about stop signs (and other "minor" offenses).

My Mum used to live down near Avignon and was stopped by the police because she treated the stop sign like a give way junction. It was night, there was nothing coming, she slowed down, saw the road was clear and drove on, to be pulled and given a stern talking to by the rozzers. Obviously bored with nothing better to do, but it's not what you need if you're not fully legal over there.

It's just best to not give them anything to stop you for at all, then you'll be OK even if you have forgotten stuff you should have.
 
remember driving into the alps,

chains r required by French Laq, if snow is bad on way up they can pull u over and force u to put them on, if no chains they hold u there.

99% of tolls take cash

when i drove to Val Thorens from Calais the toll prices were circa 50Euros each way. Timing, we drove through the night so we could get first lift and it took 7 hours (no snow at easter on the roads)

Remember to fill up when u get to a minimum of jst over 1/4 of a tank left as stated above some services dont take all british credit cards.

Also remember fill up somewhere like Albertville etc at the bottom of the mountain as it can be hard in mid winter to get petrol up the mountain. ( there is an awesome pizza

**** Very important - Must have a warm jacket (pref old) to hand as if u need to put on chains u dont wanna be doing it in -*****ng Cold weather in a t-shirt. Also if you break down in the alps It can take a lot of time for recovery to get to u. ******

Obviously GB sticker, EURO break down, triangle etc. Light converters etc.

Remember that people coming onto the motorway from slip road have right of way unlike here. (this causes a lot of accidents involving brits)

When u get to resort, parking can be a pain if u dont have it with ure accomadation, if u park somewhere and its obstructing the snow plows then they will tow u (costs a fortune to get released and probably have damaged ure car). Also remember if its very cold your door locks will prolly freeze (some pple leave car unlocked but obviosuly not insured then), handbrake will freeze so leave it off (leave car in gear). Lift wipers from the glass but take spare blades as the cold can shaft them sometimes. And the day u leave, if the snow has been really good (i prey it is i have 5 weeks in Val Thorens through January n feb) then u will have to dig your car out.

Final thing, when using ure car, let it heat up before u drve it.


Hope this helps.
 
housemaster said:
I disagree with this, the quality of driving on Autoroutes is brilliant and demonstrates just how bad lane control is in the UK. I find the toll roads a pleasure to use.
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I find this too - I love driving in France except for in Paris which is hellish.

The trick of surviving Paris is to drive as aggressively as possible and park underground :p
 
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