driving in france

[evojam]

V8KSN said:

Watch out for the cops within 120 odd miles of Calais, they are abundant and they are skint!
Watch out for signs that say there are radar speed traps, they are usually right.
Watch out for speed cameras hidden in trees!
Carry some euros with you as its inevitable you will have to pay a 'toll'
Speaking of tolls, get yourself a toll tag from https://www.saneftolling.co.uk saves lots of queuing hassle on the autoroutes

Having said all that.... there will be a time when you exit a quiet village and you are faced with a lovely country road that is perfectly smooth and well sighted with no traffic ...... you will LOVE it!

Excellent tip with the Saneftolling,thanks for posting! just got myself a tag ready for a long Euro trip in May,remember last year faffing about at toll booths trying to lean out and reach the machine with the good old Visa card!

[V8KSN]

No problem evojam, just be aware of the annual charge of a few euros......for me its easily worth it to avoid the hassle of carrying change and getting in and out the car each time.

[dreamcar]

Timbo_Mint said:

Returning to driving in France for a moment.

It does not sound like it's on your intended route but can I recommend you take in the Millau Viaduct. An absolutely awesome bit of(British)design.

I agree - well worth a diversion to see the Millau viaduct - recommend coming off the autoroute immediately South of the bridge, right underneath it is an exhibition centre complete with a road section. Amazing to look up and see the bridge road deck nearly 1,000 ft above!

[evojam]

V8KSN said:

No problem evojam, just be aware of the annual charge of a few euros......for me its easily worth it to avoid the hassle of carrying change and getting in and out the car each time.

Yup - had a good look at the website and totally agree it's easily worth the small fees to avoid the hassle at the toll booths

[roygarth]

rObArtes said:

thanks everyone

how many of you have been pulled over ?

I was, doing 110mph on way to Le Mans in my F430..escorted off motorway by a plod bike in front and behind...taken to a 'holding station' where they we soley doing 'Le Mans Brits' on Porsches, TVR, R8's, Fezzers, etc....after a bit of amiable chitchat and taking pics of each other sitting in my car, rather bizarrely they let me off!

[RUSTLE]

dreamcar said:

jcarruthers said:

How do you switch the lights to point in the other direction — my 987 has the dynamic lights — the ones that move as you turn a corner. I was hoping the PCM would tell the car I am on the continent and point them in the other direction automatically

Sadly not. My last car was a 997/2 Carrera S which also had dynamic lights. Unfortunately you have to remove the entire headlight unit, take off the back cover, then find and move a little lever to alter the dip beam. Porsche advise not to stick anything o the headlights themselves to avoid risk of overheating. Only on the latest generation 981 / 991 cars with PDLS can you alter the dip beam through the PCM menu.

Which is all very well and good until you remove your headlight in a rush in the dark ( isn't itnalways) and find there is no lever at all. Seems I'm not alone. 987.2 Cayman s. Can't believe I had to put those stickers on a porsche.

[Axel987]

Cmoose used to be a pretty good poster, nowadays all he seems to do is get into mudslinging contests...

maybe hes under the weather with a rare form of 300bhp/tonningitis

[alexmacca]

You will be in France all of 30mins if you're going straight to Belgium so just keep to the speed limits, have the usual stuff in the boot like Triangle, High Vis, First Aid Kit and Bulb Kit which you need for most European countries.

I just drove to Austria and loved it, but I spent 30mins in France before driving through Belgium and into the Brussels Tunnel system (so worth it) then onto the German autobahns where I stretched my legs all the way to Austria and into the Alps.

[ilduce]

Axel987 said:

Cmoose used to be a pretty good poster, nowadays all he seems to do is get into mudslinging contests...

maybe hes under the weather with a rare form of 300bhp/tonningitis

His arguments are unbelievable. He tried to tell me that you can get a Cayman OPC warranty for £600.

I put it down to him having small wheels.

[ChipsAndCheese]

ilduce said:

He tried to tell me that you can get a Cayman OPC warranty for £600.

To be fair, he isn't far off. £660 for 12 months is possible if you drop Porsche Assist and can get the 111 point inspection done for free (which is easily done if having a service done at the same time). Total price would then obviously be more than £660 as you'd be paying for the service, but the warranty element of the invoice would just be £660.

[V8KSN]

ilduce said:

His arguments are unbelievable. He tried to tell me that you can get a Cayman OPC warranty for £600.

I put it down to him having small wheels.

Smaller wheels on the Cayman ARE an improvement IMO

[bcr5784]

ilduce said:

I put it down to him having small wheels.

While I think there are many perfectly valid reasons to criticise Moose, picking on his choice of wheels seems rather bizarre. Let's face it the current fad for ever larger wheels with ever smaller profile tyres is driven by fashion rather more than function. Motorsport at the highest levels (including F1) has never seen the need to go down that route (until now - and even then only for marketing reasons). So is it really more any more valid ( or even as valid) to criticise him for his choice, which has dynamic characteristics he prefers, rather than others who make a different choice - primarily for aesthetic reasons.

[countmark]

dreamcar said:

Sadly not. My last car was a 997/2 Carrera S which also had dynamic lights. Unfortunately you have to remove the entire headlight unit, take off the back cover, then find and move a little lever to alter the dip beam. Porsche advise not to stick anything o the headlights themselves to avoid risk of overheating. Only on the latest generation 981 / 991 cars with PDLS can you alter the dip beam through the PCM menu.

In the 991 this is an electronic setting in the PCM.

[Axel987]

hahahaha