driving in france

[rObArtes]

well its less than two weeks till i drive over to france then on to belgium. its been 6 or more years since i drove over there, so what things do i need to do other than carry a hi-vis, triangle ? do i need to adapt the headlights ? thanks in advance

Edited by rObArtes on Tuesday 24th March 20:37

[PR36]

disposable breathalyser

[m33ufo]

You could flick the lights over to flat beam if you want?

[rObArtes]

i thought the rule for breathalyser's had changed?

[mollytherocker]

Yeh, bulbs, triangle, breathalyser, cash for fines and make sure you keep the high vis vest in the front door pocket.

If you get out the car without it on they will do you!

Oh, and drive on the right. Thats my tip....

[rObArtes]

any mod's to the headlights ?

[m33ufo]

rObArtes said:

any mod's to the headlights ?

As above, flick them over to flat beam.

[Orangecurry]

From all that I have read, there is NO need for a breathalyser.

IME all you 'need' is the documentation, but obviously carry the reflective triangle and the vests.

[mollytherocker]

There should be a switch on the back of the caymans headlamps. Check the handbook.

[juansolo]

mollytherocker said:

There should be a switch on the back of the caymans headlamps. Check the handbook.

Though it does annoyingly turn them into candles rather than headlamps...

Not sure I'd bother flicking the switches next time.

[V8KSN]

rObArtes said:

well its less than two weeks till i drive over to france then on to belgium. its been 6 or more years since i drove over there, so what things do i need to do other than carry a hi-vis, triangle ? do i need to adapt the headlights ? thanks in advance

Edited by rObArtes on Tuesday 24th March 20:37

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!

[tidfrance]

My 981 Cayman is ok with the lights left as they are. I did think of switching them over, but no french cars have flashed me yet!

[rObArtes]

thanks everyone

how many of you have been pulled over ?

[Timbo_Mint]

V8KSN said:

Speaking of tolls, get yourself a toll tag from https://www.saneftolling.co.uk saves lots of queuing hassle on the autoroutes

I second this. If you are intending to do a lot of Autoroute it will make a big difference. It saves you have to mess around with cards or cash and you don't have to stop. Comes with the added bonus of always being on the far left of the toll booths and against the concrete divider so you get to listen to you exhaust note as you pull away from the toll.

First Aid kit. It might be a vest for everyone in the car.

[Beanoir]

I've done a lot of miles in France in the Cayman and I've never bothered mucking about with the headlights and never been flashed either.

Spend some time off the main routes (as good as they are) and find some country roads, they are often very quiet, very well surfaced and some are a joy to drive. Well sighted quite often as the French don't have hedgerows like we do here so much.

[ellroy]

Don't drive like a pratt and you won't get pulled over.

Remember the differing limits when it's wet and keep to limits in towns and villages. Should be fine.

The breathalyser rule hasn't changed per se. You are still meant to carry one. However, there is no penalty for not! Go figure!

[jcarruthers]

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

[mollytherocker]

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

There is such a thing as a drivers manual. It has some useful information.

[jcarruthers]

mollytherocker said:

There is such a thing as a drivers manual. It has some useful information.

Ok ok — but it's cold and raining outside — 

[jredram]

As V8KSN said watch out for speed cameras, especially on tempting roads with a 3 house village/crossroad in the middle or town/city ring roads. Just driven St Malo to Malaga and the Frogs liked the 981 BS so much they took a picture of it 3 times They are often black boxes on the side of the road about 1.5m high and you see them just as they flash. The one on the ring road was at about 5kph above the limit. Anyone know if they are likely to follow these up? You do not need a breathalyser by law but I took one to prevent any possible problems with over exuberant gendarmes. Hi-viz vests and triangles (2 if you are going as far as Spain) are a must. We avoided all the toll roads, saved about £100, drove some great roads and according to the sat nav it only cost us 1hr 20 min to the border. Can't remember how much petrol was in France (only filled up once) but here in Spain 98 octane can be had for as little as E1.36 which with the current exchange rate equates to about £0.96/l...perfect. Think it is only a tad dearer in France. At 80-90ish on the motorways and spirited driving where possible (I slowed down a bit after the 3rd flash ) we managed about 32mpg, impressive. Enjoy.

Edited by jredram on Wednesday 25th March 01:21