Driving in France
Discussion
I've never been checked - but I always carry that sheet of paper that confirms I am indeed insured in the EU - this is supplied with your insurance docs and handily in multiple languages !
I don't think they apnr check it if thats your question but if the French plod pulled you over I wouldn't be surprised if they asked for it ...
I don't think they apnr check it if thats your question but if the French plod pulled you over I wouldn't be surprised if they asked for it ...
elliotff said:
Hi All,
I overheard people discussing the law and what would happen if they were caught driving a UK car with a UK license in France without insurance....
What exactly would happen! is this something they check?
....
I overheard people discussing the law and what would happen if they were caught driving a UK car with a UK license in France without insurance....
What exactly would happen! is this something they check?
....
elliotff said:
Hi All,
I overheard people discussing the law and what would happen if they were caught driving a UK car with a UK license in France without insurance....
What exactly would happen! is this something they check?
....
I expect you would be shot...........................or if caught fined a lot of money/car confiscated they can't endorse your licence.I overheard people discussing the law and what would happen if they were caught driving a UK car with a UK license in France without insurance....
What exactly would happen! is this something they check?
....
If you had no insurance in the UK the rozza's would not let you continue your journey.
elliotff said:
Also what is the likeliness of being flashed by a static camera in France last August and getting stopped for the offense next time you go to France ?
Very high. You should buy a new car before you go back. And grow a moustache, just in case they can identify you from the photo.elliotff said:
Also what is the likeliness of being flashed by a static camera in France last August and getting stopped for the offense next time you go to France ?
No idea. But a word of warning; the french are VERY hot on english speeders on the Autoroute. I went passed a central reservation camera a smidge over 80mph (the legal limit) last year, which in turn alerted a waiting Subaru patrol car lurking between some bushes further down, I was pursued and instructed to follow the patrol car to the police depot, which was a good 30 mins off the beaten track. 100 Euros lighter I was on my way home 
.This was an innocent driving trip down to the South with my other half. Yet in the past when I've been to Le Mans for the 24hrs, we've given it hell for leather trying to keep up with endless speeding TVRs, Porsches and Ferraris, the french plod never batted an eyelid. But then they can be good sports sometimes
Edited by ajb85 on Tuesday 12th March 17:55
I have been stopped twice in France. The first time there were three of us in a two car convoy from Geneva to my ex-girlfriend's house near Cologne. We were near Strasbourg at the time.
Long story short cop pulled us over (was raining and we hadn't slowed down). He lead us to a cash point and issued 90 Euro each (two cars) on the spot fine. He also looked at our documents.
Mine were comprehensive. I was fully prepared. My friend had done literally nothing! It was if he'd hopped out of bed and gone to the shops in his car ... but the shops were in Geneva! No documents at all. He completely got away with it. I think the cop was confused by the mass of papers I handed him for my car.
Anyway, on a side note... we had not stopped driving for hours so we capitalised on our little 'on the spot fine' pit stop and went to the loo/bought food/magnum ice creams.
When we came out the cop was not at all happy with us for taking so long. Particularly since my friend kept calling him 'Pierre'.
Was a very bizarre experience.
The second time was leaving a payage station a few years later near Bordeaux. A friend was driving and decided to floor it from 5 mph after leaving the gates. I shouted that there was a cop ahead (I thought he'd noticed) and he let off the throttle (we did not break the speed limit - a 106 GTi with three people all over six foot and one at 6 foot 8 will struggle!). Either way, we were pulled over again... the guy flicked through my folder with comprehensive docs and didn't look at anything other than passports.
So to sum up a massive post... I think you'd get away without taking too much documentation, but then why risk it?
And a final story for you... the third and final time I was ever stopped in Europe was in Brugges when a third friend was driving. I'd driven from Wiltshire to Bruges so it was his turn to drive and the first time he'd driven abroad.
The sat nav was a little disoriented due to buildings... it all overwhelmed him and he decided to try to drive across a pedestrianised square! Was incredibly embarrassing for me. Even an 80 year old chap laughed at us!
Long story short cop pulled us over (was raining and we hadn't slowed down). He lead us to a cash point and issued 90 Euro each (two cars) on the spot fine. He also looked at our documents.
Mine were comprehensive. I was fully prepared. My friend had done literally nothing! It was if he'd hopped out of bed and gone to the shops in his car ... but the shops were in Geneva! No documents at all. He completely got away with it. I think the cop was confused by the mass of papers I handed him for my car.
Anyway, on a side note... we had not stopped driving for hours so we capitalised on our little 'on the spot fine' pit stop and went to the loo/bought food/magnum ice creams.
When we came out the cop was not at all happy with us for taking so long. Particularly since my friend kept calling him 'Pierre'.
Was a very bizarre experience.
The second time was leaving a payage station a few years later near Bordeaux. A friend was driving and decided to floor it from 5 mph after leaving the gates. I shouted that there was a cop ahead (I thought he'd noticed) and he let off the throttle (we did not break the speed limit - a 106 GTi with three people all over six foot and one at 6 foot 8 will struggle!). Either way, we were pulled over again... the guy flicked through my folder with comprehensive docs and didn't look at anything other than passports.
So to sum up a massive post... I think you'd get away without taking too much documentation, but then why risk it?
And a final story for you... the third and final time I was ever stopped in Europe was in Brugges when a third friend was driving. I'd driven from Wiltshire to Bruges so it was his turn to drive and the first time he'd driven abroad.
The sat nav was a little disoriented due to buildings... it all overwhelmed him and he decided to try to drive across a pedestrianised square! Was incredibly embarrassing for me. Even an 80 year old chap laughed at us!
This isn't something they check.
I drive a lot in France (10,000 miles per annum) and I've never been asked for my insurance documents on the few occasions I've had dealings with the police. They certainly don't have ANPR, and they even more certainly don't have access to UK databases.
I drive a lot in France (10,000 miles per annum) and I've never been asked for my insurance documents on the few occasions I've had dealings with the police. They certainly don't have ANPR, and they even more certainly don't have access to UK databases.
Until you're in an accident they aren't bothered. No insurance is an imprisonable offence in France (highly unlikely, but one of the punishments) if there are third party injuries - 'blesseures involontaires' (involuntary injuries) - and they take it pretty seriously regardless of nationality.
....so the likelihood of being checked is low, but the punishment of the worst-case scenario is high.
....so the likelihood of being checked is low, but the punishment of the worst-case scenario is high.
I was stopped for speeding in France last summer, though I'm not sure the laws of physics would have allowed me to have reached the speed they claimed I was doing 
they relieved me of 80 Euros and I was on my way in minutes.
Sadly they have promised to pursue my first born if he ever visits.
Oh and they didn't ask for Insurance, however not being properly insured while in a foreign country can be f
king expensive 
they relieved me of 80 Euros and I was on my way in minutes. Sadly they have promised to pursue my first born if he ever visits.
Oh and they didn't ask for Insurance, however not being properly insured while in a foreign country can be f
king expensive longblackcoat said:
This isn't something they check.
I drive a lot in France (10,000 miles per annum) and I've never been asked for my insurance documents on the few occasions I've had dealings with the police. They certainly don't have ANPR, and they even more certainly don't have access to UK databases.
I've been stopped once in France late at night at a compulsory stop check (alcohol I presumed) in a small town north of Le mans. I was about forth in a queue of traffic waiting to be spoken to which gave me time to pull out all my documents, insurance was the first thing they asked for. They didn't bother about all the usual high vis, triangle etc though. I drive a lot in France (10,000 miles per annum) and I've never been asked for my insurance documents on the few occasions I've had dealings with the police. They certainly don't have ANPR, and they even more certainly don't have access to UK databases.
smartphone hater said:
I've been stopped once in France late at night at a compulsory stop check (alcohol I presumed) in a small town north of Le mans. I was about forth in a queue of traffic waiting to be spoken to which gave me time to pull out all my documents, insurance was the first thing they asked for. They didn't bother about all the usual high vis, triangle etc though.
+1 they are inconsistent and now have the power to seize a car so IMHO do it properly just encase 
I got caught speeding about 6 weeks ago. They didn't even ask for my license, just the reg doc.
They then asked my for my passport and I had to follow them to a cash point for me to fork out 90 euros. Much better than dealing with their counterparts over here.
The one downside is that I didn't get to show them all the fancy kit I had on the back seats which they are supposed to demand.
They then asked my for my passport and I had to follow them to a cash point for me to fork out 90 euros. Much better than dealing with their counterparts over here.
The one downside is that I didn't get to show them all the fancy kit I had on the back seats which they are supposed to demand.
ajb85 said:
No idea. But a word of warning; the french are VERY hot on english speeders on the Autoroute. I went passed a central reservation camera a smidge over 80mph (the legal limit) last year, which in turn alerted a waiting Subaru patrol car lurking between some bushes further down, I was pursued and instructed to follow the patrol car to the police depot, which was a good 30 mins off the beaten track. 100 Euros lighter I was on my way home .
Your definition of a smidge is different to mine..I've posted this one before, but here it is again.
http://english.controleradar.org/speeding-fines.ph...
To get E100 fine, assuming the only thing wrong was the speeding,
I think you must have been doing over 100 mph in the dry, or maybe
over 90 mph in the wet.
In my experience, French coppers aren't as obsessed as their Brit
cousins about speeding, unless you are taking the mickey, in which
case they are pretty much forced to set an example.
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