To those of you suggesting 2 lane motorways, go and have a drive on the M42/A42 and A14, and then come back and say if you want a 2 lane m-way
A14 Huntingdon to Cambridge is shocking from 7am to 10am and on the way back you can forget 3pm to 7pm.
Current price of unleaded in France?
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A14 Huntingdon to Cambridge is shocking from 7am to 10am and on the way back you can forget 3pm to 7pm.
Rubbish, people will just sit in the outside lane of a 2-lane road. It doesn't matter how many lanes you have, there will still be idiots in the wrong lane.On Sunday 9-Jan-2011, the price of Unleaded on the Autoroutes from the French Alps to Calais was between €1.49 & €1.59 (approx £1.24 to £1.33).
Speed limits on Autoroutes (which were toll roads and usually pretty empty) are 130kph (about 80mph) unless it is raining when it drops to 110kph (about 70mph). I am told that the French are appallingly relaxed about drink-driving
As an aside, the lane discipline of French drivers is 100% better than that of British drivers although they do rather tend to chop in pretty fast and their lane discipline does deteriorate when there are three lanes . . . perhaps we should introduce more two-lane Motorways
I commute on a dual carriageway, and the whole way there and back it's mainly, "GET OUT OF MY WAY".
Chopping and changing quickly is normal over here, I think it's just in the UK you take far too long. If your bumper's clear of theirs, move over
Oh, and km/h*
Go out to the sticks and even on the motorways there'll be people weaving around at night, it's frightening.
People just drink and drive, regardless of the limits. It's quite common, unfortunately, in Belgium too. Although it has improved over here in recent years.
On Sunday 9-Jan-2011, the price of Unleaded on the Autoroutes from the French Alps to Calais was between €1.49 & €1.59 (approx £1.24 to £1.33).
Speed limits on Autoroutes (which were toll roads and usually pretty empty) are 130kph (about 80mph) unless it is raining when it drops to 110kph (about 70mph). I am told that the French are appallingly relaxed about drink-driving
As an aside, the lane discipline of French drivers is 100% better than that of British drivers although they do rather tend to chop in pretty fast and their lane discipline does deteriorate when there are three lanes . . . perhaps we should introduce more two-lane Motorways
I've just driven back from my in-laws who live about 40 minutes from Brive and the price of unleaded was pretty much the same as your quoting there, however we fill up on Diesel so I was obviously paying more attention to these prices.
I agree 100% with lane discipline, especially when the motorways are quiet, but pass by a large city (especially Paris) then driving becomes erratic, aggressive and impatient. Oh and it doesn't matter where you are, they will drive up your backside for an entire journey if need be.
This is my pet peeve when driving in France, it incenses me no end and your right about sitting in the middle lane with their indicator flashing which is just stupid, confusing and dangerous.
The Gendarmerie in France are very strict and will issue on the spot fines for just about any infraction. They certainly will not tolerate drink driving. However it is definitely a social and cultural thing and it is quite the norm to drop by a friend or relative during your 2hr lunch for an aperitif (a pastis or 2), jolly off home have a glass of red with your meal before driving back to work. Whenever I stop off at French service stations, it's actually quite uncommon to see a guy order a meal and not get a small carafe of wine, it's unbelievable really.
However all in all (Paris aside) I find driving the French motorways a dream compared to the UK. One of the things I love the most are the frequent stop areas. Every 30km or so you have a picnic spot (often quite picturesque) with toilets, then every 60 - 100km or so, a large service area where you can get what is usually a very enjoyable meal.
To those of you suggesting 2 lane motorways, go and have a drive on the M42/A42 and A14, and then come back and say if you want a 2 lane m-way
There are times on the A42/M42 where I have seriously thought about doing everyone up the hard shouler. Or maybe the central reservation.
Infuriating stretch of road from the second it drops to 2 lanes.
Yup - the police are very hot on it and it is treated very seriously. You tend to get lots of spot checks in little towns.
Well, I'm not sure guys. I've driven from the north of France to down about as far as you can go until you hit Spain (actually, into Spain and La Jonquera at least once), and I've never once seen people weaving around, or obviously drunk at the wheel. In the area where my parents have a house, folks tend to spend enough on booze that they can't afford the petrol to drink and drive! At any rate, the worst drivers on French roads in my experience are Dutch and British tourists.
Actually, I tell a lie. Dutch caravanists are by far and away the worst drivers you'll ever see in France. They narrowly beat that strange subset of British bikers who think that a hugely powerful superbike and a fancy set of leathers means that they must be the reincarnation of Mike Hailwood....
Even the sodding Italians drive better than those two groups.
Actually, I tell a lie. Dutch caravanists are by far and away the worst drivers you'll ever see in France. They narrowly beat that strange subset of British bikers who think that a hugely powerful superbike and a fancy set of leathers means that they must be the reincarnation of Mike Hailwood....
Even the sodding Italians drive better than those two groups.
Fixed.
They are such a bunch of annoying ***** these Dutch carvanning *****.
They cause me much angst, especially as they trundle through the country where I pay my taxes without paying a penny, but using MY space and driving bloody slowly without using their stupid elongated mirrors or even dare to dip their lights.
They even buy anything here either, as they take everything, including the kitchen sink, with them on holiday. *****.
Dutch Caravanists, of which there are an incredible amount... and Belgians, who disregard any speed limit and all seem intent in setting new land speed records in their expensive 4x4's
The weaving about the road is probably a slight exaggeration, but get off the motorways into the small villages and its not an totally unusual sight to see a driver taking 'extra caution'.
Have to agree about Belgians. Apparently there's a French saying that goes something like "The French drive on the right side of the road, the British on the left, and the Belgians in between."
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Soldato
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French roads make ours look like bumpy off road dirt tracks.
The roads out there are smoother than Lionel Blair in a smoking jacket sucking a Werthers.
The roads out there are smoother than Lionel Blair in a smoking jacket sucking a Werthers.
just wait until you get into a supermarket car park and see how the French drive
To be honest, I disagree with all that has been said about their "good" driving standards on the Motorway.
Infact I feel that the appearance of "good" driving is actually the fact that the roads are clearer in general, but I've come across more retarded lane discipline in France than I have anywhere else. We dubbed this the "French Lane" which can actually mean driving down any part of the motorway, be that straddling two lanes, straddling the shoulder and a lane, or just weaving around at random.
The Germans are more dangerous though, with their idiotic indicate and move tactic of changing lanes, regardless of what is behind them at whatever speed difference
That's Dutch and Belgian drivers in French-plated hire cars. Or Parisians, who seem to be a whole different race to the rest of their countryfolk.