First Driving Trip To France

[olliel]

Hi All

First family holiday with our almost two-year-old daughter next week and didn’t fancy braving the lines at the airport.

We have booked the tunnel to France and plan on driving around to a few places staying in Air B&Bs depending on where we find ourselves.

This is our first time of doing such a trip so would really appreciate any advice from any well seasoned driving/European travellers.

I have informed my insurance company, I have the relevant breakdown cover, a UK badge for the back and a warning triangle in the boot.

Other things in my list are
- Bulbs (minus xenon’s for the headlights)
- High Vis Jackets
- Beam Reflectors

We are hiring a roof box and roof bars
We have the option of either

VW Tiguan
Or
VW Golf Estate

Which would people suggest would best suit this journey on the tunnel and the roads of northern France?

I have a spot at the garage for a service on Wednesday so need to decide which car we take by then.

Any advice if things to do/ take/ avoid etc would be most appreciated

Thanks

Ollie

[Bannock]

You'll find it easier to get a roof box on and off a Golf than a Tiguan.

[greygoose]

If you can get all the stuff in the car without a roof box then it will usually be cheaper as you are not limited to the single deck carriages on Eurotunnel.

[Rushjob]

olliel said:

Hi All

First family holiday with our almost two-year-old daughter next week and didn’t fancy braving the lines at the airport.

We have booked the tunnel to France and plan on driving around to a few places staying in Air B&Bs depending on where we find ourselves.

This is our first time of doing such a trip so would really appreciate any advice from any well seasoned driving/European travellers.

I have informed my insurance company, I have the relevant breakdown cover, a UK badge for the back and a warning triangle in the boot.

Other things in my list are
- Bulbs (minus xenon’s for the headlights)
- High Vis Jackets
- Beam Reflectors

We are hiring a roof box and roof bars
We have the option of either

VW Tiguan
Or
VW Golf Estate

Which would people suggest would best suit this journey on the tunnel and the roads of northern France?

I have a spot at the garage for a service on Wednesday so need to decide which car we take by then.

Any advice if things to do/ take/ avoid etc would be most appreciated

Thanks

Ollie

Original documents for vehicle and drivers, spare glasses if you wear them or contact lenses to drive.

Despite what the AA and Eurotunnel will try to tell you, you don't need a breathalyser in the car.

Hi vis vests must be accessible from within the vehicle cabin

Which car? It's a family trip so go with the one with the most space.... Tiguan IMHO

Bon voyage!

[Roaringopenfire]

Just back from a trip in Northern Europe. The AA publish a good free download about driving in each country, which I found useful. I recommend you have V5 and paper copy of insurance with you. I also found some motorway stops charge 70 cents to use the loo so change is handy as I found some did not accept cards. Have fun!

[otherman]

If you do your airbnb booking as you go, you'll get the ones no-one else wanted. Not to say there won't be anything decent, but if you can plan in advance it'll be cheaper and better accomodation. Saying that, our first big road trip (Manchester to Rome) was done entirely by the seat of our pants and we learned a lot about what we like.
Don't forget French camp sites as an option. They have chalets as well as camping spots so they can be good options. Also, if you're struggling to find somewhere an expensive hotel is always a fallback as they tend to have availability.

[smifffymoto]

If you just want a bed and don’t mind location too much there are the cheap hotel chains,Formule 1,Campanile,Kyriad ,there are a few more.

[Prolex-UK]

Green card

Taking animals?

If yes animal health certificate required. World of pain...

[jabloko99]

What about booking a few Chambre d'hôtes on the gites de france website. I've always found a good standard.Or a gite.

[Nemophilist]

You don’t need beam deflectors if you have xenon’s. You just adjust them in the computer for driving on the other side of the road

You don’t need a green card (as mentioned by pp)

We are in France right now with a 2 year old and 5 year old. We have a roof box on top of a golf.

We only have that for extra space for when we stock up on wine for the journey home.

Each time we’ve been before in the same car with just one child we’ve never bothered with the roof box as had plenty of space.
It affects fuel economy and despite having aero bars and a slimline Thule box it’s noisy at motorway speeds to the point that if we came again I’d rather come without the box and buy less wine instead

[Prolex-UK]

Nemophilist said:

You don’t need beam deflectors if you have xenon’s. You just adjust them in the computer for driving on the other side of the road

You don’t need a green card (as mentioned by pp)

We are in France right now with a 2 year old and 5 year old. We have a roof box on top of a golf.

We only have that for extra space for when we stock up on wine for the journey home.

Each time we’ve been before in the same car with just one child we’ve never bothered with the roof box as had plenty of space.
It affects fuel economy and despite having aero bars and a slimline Thule box it’s noisy at motorway speeds to the point that if we came again I’d rather come without the box and buy less wine instead

Apologies. See that requirement was removed last year.

One fewer thing to do

[Welshbeef]

Plan the cost of fuel - we’re seeing crazy prices to the point euro road trips might be a thing of the past.

[DeuceDeuce]

If you plan on using the Autoroutes in France then definitely get yourself a tag to automatically pay for the tolls so you don’t have to faff around with tickets at the barriers.

https://www.emovis-tag.co.uk/

The only thing I find a bit tiresome with these sorts of trips, and it’s really not that big of deal, is the unloading and loading of the car at each stop. Pack wisely.

[johnpsanderson]

Variable speed limits apply all the time on the autoroute, 130kmh in the dry / 110 in the rain (clearly signed on the A26 out of Calais, but it was a new concept to me first time I went).

Personally, I hang the hi-vis vests for the passengers on the backs of the seats, having read somewhere that the police will pull over GB played cars to check things like that and it’s a spot fine if you don’t have them. Probably not true, but I do it anyway.

I’ve found it handy to learn a few words for the road signs, rappel, cedez, interdit, etc https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-in-euro...

Most importantly, French motorway (autoroute and peage) slip roads can be rather a lot shorter than UK standard, if you’re taking advantage of the 130kmh limit don’t be surprised to have to do some heavy braking.

[Welshbeef]

johnpsanderson said:

Variable speed limits apply all the time on the autoroute, 130kmh in the dry / 110 in the rain (clearly signed on the A26 out of Calais, but it was a new concept to me first time I went).

Personally, I hang the hi-vis vests for the passengers on the backs of the seats, having read somewhere that the police will pull over GB played cars to check things like that and it’s a spot fine if you don’t have them. Probably not true, but I do it anyway.

I’ve found it handy to learn a few words for the road signs, rappel, cedez, interdit, etc https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-in-euro...

Most importantly, French motorway (autoroute and peage) slip roads can be rather a lot shorter than UK standard, if you’re taking advantage of the 130kmh limit don’t be surprised to have to do some heavy braking.

When I drove Leon to Meribel the autoroute speeds went from memory 50/80/110 up and down and up and down in tiny distances nearly the whole way. Why is this and when I was doing the 50 no one else was by a massive difference.

Did I misunderstand these speed signs? If they were genuine for all traffic then those drives through France must be utter hell with constantly changing speeds.


Time for two sets of number plates…..

[Prolex-UK]

Welshbeef said:

johnpsanderson said:

Variable speed limits apply all the time on the autoroute, 130kmh in the dry / 110 in the rain (clearly signed on the A26 out of Calais, but it was a new concept to me first time I went).

Personally, I hang the hi-vis vests for the passengers on the backs of the seats, having read somewhere that the police will pull over GB played cars to check things like that and it’s a spot fine if you don’t have them. Probably not true, but I do it anyway.

I’ve found it handy to learn a few words for the road signs, rappel, cedez, interdit, etc https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-in-euro...

Most importantly, French motorway (autoroute and peage) slip roads can be rather a lot shorter than UK standard, if you’re taking advantage of the 130kmh limit don’t be surprised to have to do some heavy braking.

When I drove Leon to Meribel the autoroute speeds went from memory 50/80/110 up and down and up and down in tiny distances nearly the whole way. Why is this and when I was doing the 50 no one else was by a massive difference.

Did I misunderstand these speed signs? If they were genuine for all traffic then those drives through France must be utter hell with constantly changing speeds.


Time for two sets of number plates…..

think that couild be for lorries

[nickfrog]

johnpsanderson said:

Most importantly, French motorway (autoroute and peage) slip roads can be rather a lot shorter than UK standard, if you’re taking advantage of the 130kmh limit don’t be surprised to have to do some heavy braking.

True. The German ones can be even shorter despite the speeds being even higher. I got a bit of a shock there once and the brakes did get a good work out.

[deckster]

Welshbeef said:

When I drove Leon to Meribel the autoroute speeds went from memory 50/80/110 up and down and up and down in tiny distances nearly the whole way. Why is this and when I was doing the 50 no one else was by a massive difference.

Did I misunderstand these speed signs? If they were genuine for all traffic then those drives through France must be utter hell with constantly changing speeds.

Those are for caravans and lorries, normally for hills and windy bridges. The signs are pretty clear on this. Although the 50 must have been for a sliproad as you don't get those on the main autoroute.

[Whats on Second]

quite an eye opener on the number of gallic hoops that UK drivers have to jump through in order to motor in Francais.

is there similar things that foreign cars must have before allowed on UK roads I wonder.

tartan rug on back set - check
, tin of pan drops - check
baby on board sticker - check
fir tree deodorant hanging from mirror - check

good to go.

[nickfrog]

Whats on Second said:

quite an eye opener on the number of gallic hoops that UK drivers have to jump through in order to motor in Francais.

is there similar things that foreign cars must have before allowed on UK roads I wonder.

tartan rug on back set - check
, tin of pan drops - check
baby on board sticker - check
fir tree deodorant hanging from mirror - check

good to go.

Don't forget your total lack of lane discipline, a must in the UK.

I have never done anything special when driving a UK car in France although I always have a pair of high vis in the car already, I do think they should be compulsory in the UK too.