Driving to France/Italy, what do I need to take?
Discussion
Hi all, we are off touring for a couple of weeks and once more I'm packing items I cannot understand. Do I really need spare light bulbs and breathalysers? I have put the beam deflectors on and have the Hi Vis jackets in the car, warning triangle in the boot. I have read that the police are pretty impatient with the Brits at the moment and I hope I won't need all my paperwork but its at the ready. There seems to be a variable speed limit outside Calais governed by air quality so I'll be on the lookout for that. What do others carry in the car?
http://www.drive-france.com/checklist/
That may help. Halfords sell full kits for about £30 iirc. Not sure I'd bother if you're just missing the breathalyser (albeit you can get one Amazon for £3 or so)
I didn't notice anything new speed limit wise coming off the eurotunnel.
If you haven't already got one I'd recommend the Liber-T motorway toll tags. Nothing nicer than being able to drive straight through the empty toll lane
Oh and gingernut biscuits. Don't forget those
Bon voyage!
That may help. Halfords sell full kits for about £30 iirc. Not sure I'd bother if you're just missing the breathalyser (albeit you can get one Amazon for £3 or so)
I didn't notice anything new speed limit wise coming off the eurotunnel.
If you haven't already got one I'd recommend the Liber-T motorway toll tags. Nothing nicer than being able to drive straight through the empty toll lane
Oh and gingernut biscuits. Don't forget those
Bon voyage!
Just got back from France/Germany.
Got pulled over in a random police search as we came over the Rhine back into Strasbourg. Just a very cursory check though.
Halfords sell the one use breathalysers for under £5 and they have a Euro driving kit on offer too.
There are a few radar traps around but just follow the average speed of the locals and you'll be fine.
Have a great trip.
Got pulled over in a random police search as we came over the Rhine back into Strasbourg. Just a very cursory check though.
Halfords sell the one use breathalysers for under £5 and they have a Euro driving kit on offer too.
There are a few radar traps around but just follow the average speed of the locals and you'll be fine.
Have a great trip.
Check your Sat Nag has the French speed cameras disabled, big fines otherwise.
As Rob said, get a Autoroute Tag (I use https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/), which makes the toll thing much more convenient.
As Rob said, get a Autoroute Tag (I use https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/), which makes the toll thing much more convenient.
Take a photo of V5, Insurance Cert and MOT - italian police checked mine on their in-car computer, which appeared to link to the UK. Or maybe they just used the GOV website to confirm. I also take a small jack, pads to fit the jacking points (V8V) and some tyre string in case of repairable puncture, but that is personal preference to avoid holiday disruption. Oh, and get a cheap code reader to cancel transient codes - typically oxygen sensor related.
Kev_Mk3 said:
don't need breathalyzers but you will need a hi vis per person within reach so need to be in the car. Triangle, spare bulbs and your car documents.
THIS ^^^^^^^Breathalyzers were on/off/on/off legislatively, but as Kev says, are currently unnecessary
Hi viz needs to be in the car, not the boot
Car docs is primarily what they check
In some countries, from memory including Italy but not France, you need to carry a spare pair of glasses in the car if you use glasses for driving
In France, you now need a clean air certificate to drive through certain cities - that's likely to be the one catching most foreign drivers out in France this year.
The difficulty as ever is the difference between compulsory items, recommended items and the things they actually check for in practice
jonby said:
THIS ^^^^^^^
Breathalyzers were on/off/on/off legislatively, but as Kev says, are currently unnecessary
Hi viz needs to be in the car, not the boot
Car docs is primarily what they check
In some countries, from memory including Italy but not France, you need to carry a spare pair of glasses in the car if you use glasses for driving
In France, you now need a clean air certificate to drive through certain cities - that's likely to be the one catching most foreign drivers out in France this year.
The difficulty as ever is the difference between compulsory items, recommended items and the things they actually check for in practice
Yes I forgot the smog stickers as I don't go near towns that need it currently but the info can be found here -Breathalyzers were on/off/on/off legislatively, but as Kev says, are currently unnecessary
Hi viz needs to be in the car, not the boot
Car docs is primarily what they check
In some countries, from memory including Italy but not France, you need to carry a spare pair of glasses in the car if you use glasses for driving
In France, you now need a clean air certificate to drive through certain cities - that's likely to be the one catching most foreign drivers out in France this year.
The difficulty as ever is the difference between compulsory items, recommended items and the things they actually check for in practice
https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/
Handy site for autoroute costs and traffic info to.
BTW with fuel if you can get off the autoroute and drive to a local town fuels a lot cheaper. Example as you get into france from Calais go to Coquelles cheapest fuel in the area. I tent to get to france empty fill up and that does me till I get to Le Man where I go a lot.
.... forgot to add that whilst fuel is cheaper off the autoroute the quality is questionable. I did a vintage rallye in Tuscanny earlier in the year and we had a lot of cars having engine trouble due to dirty fuel so I would prefer to pay a bit more and get fuel at a proper petrol station on the Autoroute or - strada.
DocW said:
Very many thanks to all. Planning to drive the route from Quantum of Solace around Lake Garda, to add to my sad personality I'll record it on my Go Pro. Thanks again.
Did exactly that in my dbs, some of the tunnels are tight tho so be wary, especially of black alfas...If you are North of Dijon en route, blast the D910, great stretch of road. And if headung south the N85
Enjoy
hornbaek said:
.... forgot to add that whilst fuel is cheaper off the autoroute the quality is questionable. I did a vintage rallye in Tuscanny earlier in the year and we had a lot of cars having engine trouble due to dirty fuel so I would prefer to pay a bit more and get fuel at a proper petrol station on the Autoroute or - strada.
+1
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