Driving to France! N00b questions / advice.

[HarryFlatters]

Jolly good

[Dog Star]

magooagain said:

Yes as I carry my life in my gay French man bag at all times. But that's because I live here and know better not to forget them.

I used to live in France, Amiens to be precise. Anyway, one day I had a crash with a Conforama van. I didn't have my documents with me and the gaffer of the Conforama driver seemed to think this would somehow be great if I got in trouble for this, so they took me down to the Hotel de Police, where I ended up in the office of some policeman who had a lot of gold braid about his uniform.

It was BRILLIANT! He gave the Conforama man a right bking - "why are you doing this?" "Why have you brough him here?" "What kind of impression does this give of the French people?!?! Take him to his place so he can give you his insurance details". The look on his face of total dejection was priceless.

[Dog Star]

Halmyre said:

if you've got a sat-nav, disable any speed camera warnings.

No. Don't. Really.

[Speed 3]

So in summary, if the Gendarmes are out for you, they'll find a way.

[cavey76]

Just back from 2 weeks around the Gironde. Day trips as far down as Pau/Lourdes and lots of running up and down the coast between La Rochelle, Royan and Bordeaux. Probably did a tollbooth a day on average and as the good lady wife is a lazy moo and views holiday funding as my job i found the SanefTolling dongle invaluable.

- No need to faff with smash or root out my wallet as i approach a "peage".
- Use the express booth which now the French hols have started can save you 5 mins at each toll.
- Explain my magic powers to incredulous 5 year old.

Kept it in the shaded area just behind the rear view on the LHS. My reasoning was as we travel through Ireland and i have the etoll for the M50 it made sense the dongle was on the LHS. No problems with sticky toll barriers.

As another poster said, driving in France is utterly relaxing. The vast majority of the populace understand the overtaking lanes function and you can make tidy progress on the auto route versus here in Ireland where pillocks will sit in the outside lane at 69mph for mile after mile.

[WestyCarl]

Be careful with speed camera's, I believe that from May this year they have access to the DVLA so you will get a ticket (unlike previous years where it was a competition to see how often you could get flashed)

[AndrewCrown]

chazola said:

French Diesel (gazole) is fine, and cheaper than here, so you'd do better to fill up there. Some French filling stations don't accept UK cards though, so have cash ready.
I find most French tailgate, even when you're sitting at the limit. I think it's just the way they drive, or it's because of the GB sticker on the car I've never been beeped or flashed though, I think they are more patient than us even though they drive just as quickly (or quicker!)
Just be aware and think at roundabouts and busy junctions, and once out of towns French country roads are generally a joy, hardly any traffic and good roads.

Edited by chazola on Friday 8th July 10:40

+1 on Tailgating..I don't think the French are aggressive with tailgating, I agree it's just the way they drive. Perhaps a historical slip-streaming idea when trying to push a Renault Dauphine to 100km/h... it used to really bother me, but now I just pull over ...I'm on holiday...chill.

As most of the French autoroute system is two lanes each side...just be a bit careful of cars travelling behind slow moving trucks ...anticipating they will pull out to overtake right at the last second...which they often do.

Lastly the auto routes have a radio station 107.7. It's not bad music and it's always giving traffic updates...

Have fun

[kiethton]

Sorry, just a little thread hijack as I'm also off to France on Monday, although only for 2 days/1 night - plan is to use Waze to navigate and to take it pretty easy so speeding shouldn't be much of an issue.

My only real question (beyond can I get away without a GB sticker (car is fibreglass so my magnetic one won't work, I don't like stickers) is about ramp access in Folkstone/Calais - I'll be in the new car with ~50mm ground clearance (Lotus Exige) - will getting on/off the train be an issue?

Also whilst there, around the battlefields my brother is looking to make a video or 2 - are Drones permitted?

[Halmyre]

AndrewCrown said:

chazola said:

French Diesel (gazole) is fine, and cheaper than here, so you'd do better to fill up there. Some French filling stations don't accept UK cards though, so have cash ready.
I find most French tailgate, even when you're sitting at the limit. I think it's just the way they drive, or it's because of the GB sticker on the car I've never been beeped or flashed though, I think they are more patient than us even though they drive just as quickly (or quicker!)
Just be aware and think at roundabouts and busy junctions, and once out of towns French country roads are generally a joy, hardly any traffic and good roads.

Edited by chazola on Friday 8th July 10:40

+1 on Tailgating..I don't think the French are aggressive with tailgating, I agree it's just the way they drive. Perhaps a historical slip-streaming idea when trying to push a Renault Dauphine to 100km/h... it used to really bother me, but now I just pull over ...I'm on holiday...chill.

Same in Italy, lane discipline is so much better than over here. Although I did see one car trundling along in the outside lane. oblivious to the queue of cars behind him. When he finally pulled over I saw it was a UK plate. That chap will then go home and tell everyone about how crap Italian drivers are.

[feef]

kiethton said:

Sorry, just a little thread hijack as I'm also off to France on Monday, although only for 2 days/1 night - plan is to use Waze to navigate and to take it pretty easy so speeding shouldn't be much of an issue.

My only real question (beyond can I get away without a GB sticker (car is fibreglass so my magnetic one won't work, I don't like stickers) is about ramp access in Folkstone/Calais - I'll be in the new car with ~50mm ground clearance (Lotus Exige) - will getting on/off the train be an issue?

Also whilst there, around the battlefields my brother is looking to make a video or 2 - are Drones permitted?

The tunnel are usually pretty good if you make them aware of clearance issues.

As for a drone, in france, the official answer is not without permission of the landowner. They can be pretty strict on it (a kid in Lille got arrested for using his, but then was also contracted to make an aerial video of the town, so who knows really). I use one in the alps when skiing off-piste, but as that is, relatively speaking, in the middle of nowhere, no-one cares.

[kiethton]

feef said:

kiethton said:

Sorry, just a little thread hijack as I'm also off to France on Monday, although only for 2 days/1 night - plan is to use Waze to navigate and to take it pretty easy so speeding shouldn't be much of an issue.

My only real question (beyond can I get away without a GB sticker (car is fibreglass so my magnetic one won't work, I don't like stickers) is about ramp access in Folkstone/Calais - I'll be in the new car with ~50mm ground clearance (Lotus Exige) - will getting on/off the train be an issue?

Also whilst there, around the battlefields my brother is looking to make a video or 2 - are Drones permitted?

The tunnel are usually pretty good if you make them aware of clearance issues.

As for a drone, in france, the official answer is not without permission of the landowner. They can be pretty strict on it (a kid in Lille got arrested for using his, but then was also contracted to make an aerial video of the town, so who knows really). I use one in the alps when skiing off-piste, but as that is, relatively speaking, in the middle of nowhere, no-one cares.

Thanks for that, much appreciated - may have to give the Drone a miss then, or only use it when alone?

[chrisb92]

WestyCarl said:

Be careful with speed camera's, I believe that from May this year they have access to the DVLA so you will get a ticket (unlike previous years where it was a competition to see how often you could get flashed)

bks. Is this true? I got flashed the other day driving back through France. I was following a chap who got flashed and before I could react I also got flashed.

I was speeding virtually everywhere all of the time. I'm now stting myself!! Are there many cameras on French motorways, I wasn't really looking out for them!

[kiethton]

chrisb92 said:

WestyCarl said:

Be careful with speed camera's, I believe that from May this year they have access to the DVLA so you will get a ticket (unlike previous years where it was a competition to see how often you could get flashed)

bks. Is this true? I got flashed the other day driving back through France. I was following a chap who got flashed and before I could react I also got flashed.

I was speeding virtually everywhere all of the time. I'm now stting myself!! Are there many cameras on French motorways, I wasn't really looking out for them!

Unfortunately so, fine not points though thankfully

[chrisb92]

kiethton said:

Unfortunately so, fine not points though thankfully

Great. I really should have googled this before I went! I did about 2000 miles so plenty of time to get caught!

Hertfordshire - Paris
Paris - Lyon
Lyon - Cannes
Cannes - Monaco (day trip)
Cannes-Paris
Paris - Hertfordshire

I guess that will teach me. I tried to stay between 80 and 90 through fear of the Gendarmes pulling me over and taking all my cash. I don't know how lenient they are. The toll roads were so empty it was hard not to nudge 100 at times.

[Riley Blue]

kiethton said:

My only real question (beyond can I get away without a GB sticker (car is fibreglass so my magnetic one won't work, I don't like stickers)....

How about these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-GB-Euro-Car-Number-P...

[kiethton]

Riley Blue said:

kiethton said:

My only real question (beyond can I get away without a GB sticker (car is fibreglass so my magnetic one won't work, I don't like stickers)....

How about these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-GB-Euro-Car-Number-P...

Thanks for that, mentioned it to a friend, turns out he has some of these spare - collecting them form him tomorrow

[Dblue]

chrisb92 said:

kiethton said:

Unfortunately so, fine not points though thankfully

Great. I really should have googled this before I went! I did about 2000 miles so plenty of time to get caught!

Hertfordshire - Paris
Paris - Lyon
Lyon - Cannes
Cannes - Monaco (day trip)
Cannes-Paris
Paris - Hertfordshire

I guess that will teach me. I tried to stay between 80 and 90 through fear of the Gendarmes pulling me over and taking all my cash. I don't know how lenient they are. The toll roads were so empty it was hard not to nudge 100 at times.

Remains to be seen how diligent and persistent the French authorities are going to be. Not very I would suggest and no points attracted regardless. But seriously, they pretty much tell you there's going to be a camera coming up about a half mile beforehand, no excuse to get caught at all. The Gendarmes are a different story however, cunning and effective. But really, how hard is it to just cruise at 85 mph, not hard to keep it in check.