Stranded in France, Any clever suggestions?

[JD]

On the way back from a 2 week holiday, my 3 series wheel has cracked, let the air out of the tyre and then the tyre has gone pop.

I have been recoveredd by Sanef (230 Euros!) to a hotel in Arras (around 1 hour from Calais), missed my Eurotunnel tonight, and don't have Euro cover with the AA.

I am meant to be in work Monday.

At this moment I am frazzled and can't even think how to get back to the UK yet, let alone by Monday.

Can anyone think of something obvious I am missing?

[delta0]

Buy/fit a spare wheel and get to Calais. Either get a ferry or train back. The port was closed last time I checked so train might be easier. Could book a ticket ready. Get the wheel asap.

[benjj]

Any dealers in Arras? Euro dealers often sell steelies for winter tyres for about £50 each. Buy a cheap tyre and remount it on the rim.

Alternatively get on ebay.fr or leboncoin and see if anyone local is selling g anything that'll fit...

[benjj]

Also remember french tyre fitters aren't normally open on Sunday.

[vikingaero]

Buy a (spare)wheel/tyre off a bmw driver

[chalda]

The Dunkerk-Dover line operated by DFDS is open. directferries.co.uk might be cheaper to obtain a ticket short-term.

http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferry-to...

http://www.directferries.co.uk/england.htm

[The Moose]

That's a bit crap.

eBay France to locate a wheel near you from a private seller. Taxi to and from. Job jobbed.

What age and exact model car is it? Which wheel? What's the size (wheel & tyre)?

[davepoth]

I would have said "Call the Arras BMW dealer" but they closed an hour ago and aren't open on Sundays.

Maybe you could put a post on a French BMW forum to see if anyone reasonably local could sell you a wheel? I guess you're only looking for a spacesaver so you can trundle to the port and get to the UK to be trucked home.

http://www.forum-bmw.fr/

[sunbeam alpine]

I have a LR Discovery and car trailer. i'm also about an hour from Arras (over the border in Belgium).

I can transport you to the ferry/eurotunnel if that helps.

You can PM me via PH

[JD]

Thanks guys

Just getting food (burger classique FYI) as I am starving.


eBay.fr is a great shout but I am struggling to locate anything, the other problem is that because my car is run flat equipped it is not supplied with a jack or wheel brace.

It's an e92 335i and the pooped wheel tyre is 255/30/19

[W00DY]

If you can get a wheel for the small hours tonight between Somerset and Dover, then I could bring it over on my morning ferry tomorrow.

[Strawman]

Easier to locate a space saver wheel with the correct BMW bolt hole fit and creep back to Calais at 55mph?

[rallycross]

W00DY said:

If you can get a wheel for the small hours tonight between Somerset and Dover, then I could bring it over on my morning ferry tomorrow.

I am in Surrey and can lend a wheel as long as I get it back quickly?
I have a 335i and have a spare set of 18 alloys the rears are 255 45 18

[The Moose]

rallycross said:

W00DY said:

If you can get a wheel for the small hours tonight between Somerset and Dover, then I could bring it over on my morning ferry tomorrow.

I am in Surrey and can lend a wheel as long as I get it back quickly?
I have a 335i and have a spare set of 18 alloys the rears are 255 45 18

That's a good couple of offers there!

[danp]

W00DY said:

If you can get a wheel for the small hours tonight between Somerset and Dover, then I could bring it over on my morning ferry tomorrow.

I'm near Southampton and have a set of e46 m3 18" wheels in the garage, happy for one to be borrowed, from a quick google looks like it would fit.

[t400ble]

Great work this folks :-)

[rallycross]

This is a good example of why run flat tyres and no spare wheel from bmw is such a stupid ideal, on my 335i there is no room to store an 18 inch 255 tyre but when I go on a long trip I always put a spare wheel in the boot (it fills the boot.)
No reason why they could not have carried on with emergency skinny space saver wheels as a get you home safety measure.

[pc.iow]

Has this offer been missed?

sunbeam alpine said:

I have a LR Discovery and car trailer. i'm also about an hour from Arras (over the border in Belgium).

I can transport you to the ferry/eurotunnel if that helps.

You can PM me via PH

[JD]

Guys this is amazing.

The AA have sent a man to me, who of course cannot fix the wheel but they wanted to send him anyway as I am a gold member. I'm not sure he will help the situation so I will make keep you posted. He has offered to take us to the tunnel for 300 euros but not sure if there will room on a train since we are so late and not sure they will let a broken car cross?

[JD]

W00dy and Rallycross I have sent you both an email