Driving on the Continent - a useful summary/refresher

GMJ

GMJ

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GMJ said:
I know the information is readily available however I thought this to be a useful and succinct summary/refresher if travelling abroad this year...



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Thank you. We're off to France for a month in October, and are a bit rusty as we haven't been under the channel since pre-covid/****** days.
 
The human brain is a strange thing, and mine is stranger than most.

I always put my wristwatch on the "wrong" wrist. Even after 9 weeks it feels wrong and acts as a reminder.

When using the motorbike it is very easy to forget to ride on the right.

I put it back onto the "correct" wrist when I return and that also feels strange and serves as a reminder to drive on the left.
 
r4dent said:
Read up on "Death zone" & "Crit Air" stickers and passport validity

I think these are the major changes since the good old days.
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That`s the important bit o_O

Friend of ours got refused a short while back for only having 2 months left on their passport, they were only going away for a week so they thought they`d only renew when they came back then they didn`t lose any time on their passport 🤔
 
r4dent said:
The human brain is a strange thing, and mine is stranger than most.

I always put my wristwatch on the "wrong" wrist. Even after 9 weeks it feels wrong and acts as a reminder.

When using the motorbike it is very easy to forget to ride on the right.

I put it back onto the "correct" wrist when I return and that also feels strange and serves as a reminder to drive on the left.
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I'll recommend that to Phill. He does most of the driving and once drove all the way through a French village on the wrong side of the road, until he met a Police car coming the other way. They smiled and carried on, must have been coffee break time. Needless to say, I didn't realise either!
 
Great info there. (y) I always though the two pairs of glasses was law so cleared that up. Looks like Spain has the lowest speed in built up areas too. On the subject of Spain, the two triangles one is being replaced by an amber flashing beacon's with GPS enabled. Drive carefully peeps.(y)
 
myvanwy said:
Great info there. (y) I always though the two pairs of glasses was law so cleared that up. Looks like Spain has the lowest speed in built up areas too. On the subject of Spain, the two triangles one is being replaced by an amber flashing beacon's with GPS enabled. Drive carefully peeps.(y)
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I was under the impression that Spain had a limit of 50kph in urban areas reducing to 30kph in certain zones (which sometimes were remarkably close together :( ). Has that changed? Because that webpage says "30kph" with no qualification.

Gordon
 
At european motorway services I've sometimes seen a sign that looks a bit like a two headed hammer. Anyone know what it means?
 
Sharon the Cat said:
I'll recommend that to Phill. He does most of the driving and once drove all the way through a French village on the wrong side of the road, until he met a Police car coming the other way. They smiled and carried on, must have been coffee break time. Needless to say, I didn't realise either!
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I remember after a road trip to Italy back in 2010, covering about 4,000 miles in 10 days, I drove down to Portsmouth from Scotland a few days after getting back (this was all in the same car, no motorhomes), and going round a roundabout I felt something was wrong ... then realised I was on the 'continental' side of the road. Guess in holiday mode :) . I wonder if any more of that drive down was on the wrong side of the road!
 
Norfolk NewBoy said:
I was under the impression that Spain had a limit of 50kph in urban areas reducing to 30kph in certain zones (which sometimes were remarkably close together :( ). Has that changed? Because that webpage says "30kph" with no qualification.

Gordon
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I dont think it has changed Gordon. The majority of driving we do in Spain is rural as that where our property is. The speed limits can drop from 120km down to 30km in a matter of metres as villages are approached. You do feel like you have stopped. Never feel like we are being hassled though with drivers up your ars, er back end, though. Probably different near the coast.
 
Only done it once, early 80's top of Norway or Finland. The roads were so empty up there in those days you may only see a few cars every hour.
Never done it again, have been in convoy with others that have though.

Only time I ever even give the chance of doing it a thought, is when doing a long drive on my own, and that I usually do on way back from a trip.
Wondering if doing daily walk round checks in the morning already gets you in driving mode?
 
myvanwy said:
I dont think it has changed Gordon. The majority of driving we do in Spain is rural as that where our property is. The speed limits can drop from 120km down to 30km in a matter of metres as villages are approached. You do feel like you have stopped. Never feel like we are being hassled though with drivers up your ars, er back end, though. Probably different near the coast.
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120km is the motorway speed limit though, do motorways go straight through villages there?
 
Jo001 said:
At european motorway services I've sometimes seen a sign that looks a bit like a two headed hammer. Anyone know what it means?
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Is this the one ?

It means max limit on any one axle.

It is also a UK sign.



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mark61 said:
120km is the motorway speed limit though, do motorways go straight through villages there?
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Yep. Your right Mark. They dont. (y) Its very tempting to maxout though on some of the single carriageway roads that you can see for miles and no traffic or people. :eek:
 
Norfolk NewBoy said:
I was under the impression that Spain had a limit of 50kph in urban areas reducing to 30kph in certain zones (which sometimes were remarkably close together :( ). Has that changed? Because that webpage says "30kph" with no qualification.

Gordon
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In sunny Fife, on the A921 we go from 20mph limit staright to 40mph on the east bound lane and from 50mph straight to 20mph westbound [on a downhill stretch too, allowing bikes to pass the cars ...] (n)

And those OAPs who begin the trip to the supermarket on Tuesday for arrival on Thursday drive at 28mph on the 50mph stretch, and 35mph in the 20mph zone. But Fife does stand for Flaming Idiots Flippin Everywhere [other F words are available] ... :oops:

Steve
 
wildebus said:
I remember after a road trip to Italy back in 2010, covering about 4,000 miles in 10 days, I drove down to Portsmouth from Scotland a few days after getting back (this was all in the same car, no motorhomes), and going round a roundabout I felt something was wrong ... then realised I was on the 'continental' side of the road. Guess in holiday mode :) . I wonder if any more of that drive down was on the wrong side of the road!
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I find the anti clockwise circulation on French roundabouts more natural, so don't have a problem with driving on the correct side of the road; HOWEVER, when I', a pedestrian, I still have to stop and do 2 x 90 degrees turns to work out which way the traffic will be passing .. Complete blockage combined with a 'better safe than sorry' attitude :rolleyes:

Steve
 
This information is useful if you breakdown on an Autoroute in France:

BREAKDOWN ON THE AUTOROUTE ?

If the worst should happen whilst driving on a French motorway, there are certain actions you need to take. If you cannot reach a service area then stop on the hard shoulder & turn on the hazard warning lights, then put on your reflective jacket. If you cannot repair the vehicle yourself - you will need to ring for assistance, but if you have breakdown insurance cover, do not call your insurance company. Only a company approved by the autoroute is authorised to intervene & you will have to use one of the orange emergency phones to contact them or dial 112 from your mobile phone. The terminal phone however will allow the company to geo-locate your position. The breakdown company must arrive within 30 minutes of your call from the emergency terminal. In the event of a minor breakdown, the mechanic will take care of either moving the vehicle to a service area to repair it or repairing it on site. If an on-site repair is impossible, the mechanic will arrange for the towing of your motorhome to either the workshops of the breakdown company or if you prefer, a garage located less than 5 km from the next exit of the motorway.

The repair rates vary depending upon the breakdown & the time it occurs as well as the weight of the vehicle:

Motorhomes under 3500kg

Minor repair on site:

Mon-Friday 8am-6pm 145€ or 217€ outside these times. (Parts not included)

Breakdown involving towing:

179€ or 270€

After the repair the breakdown company must provide a detailed invoice with which you will be able to reclaim the amount from your breakdown insurance.

(With acknowledgement to Motorhoming France newsletter)
 
This is old information though. No mention of the Rouen LEZ. No mention of the new system for breakdown warnings in Spain and still has Covid information, which no country requires. Quite a bit still stands though.
 
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