what do i need to know about France?

lotty

Guest
Hi all,
I am starting to think about our summer get away next year and the hubby is pushing for us to go to France! (i am unsure).:scared:
I know that the pet passport laws are changing in January which should be good but what other things do I need to know about driving and wilding in France. I have seen a book I can buy listing the Aires which I will buy so that should hopefully help?

Highway code, items I need to carry etc?:confused:

All tips will be much appreciated and hopefully put my fears to rest?
:cheers:

Thanks
Lotty
 
lotty said:
Hi all,
I am starting to think about our summer get away next year and the hubby is pushing for us to go to France! (i am unsure).:scared:
I know that the pet passport laws are changing in January which should be good but what other things do I need to know about driving and wilding in France. I have seen a book I can buy listing the Aires which I will buy so that should hopefully help?

Highway code, items I need to carry etc?:confused:

All tips will be much appreciated and hopefully put my fears to rest?
:cheers:

Thanks
Lotty
Click to expand...

keep going until you get germany :)
 
Drive as normal but keep to your right. If uncertain follow the French car in front of you at uncertain road markings until you get the hang of it. Don't worry, you will enjoy your trip.
 
Think about driving and using your van in the UK and then imagine it being ten times easier.

Much less traffic
Much less agressive driving although indicators on roundabouts dont seem to be very popular
Wilding positively encouraged
More Aires than you can shake a stick at. they are everywhere even in villages that only have a few houses and most are free
Much safer than the UK both traffic wise and parking wise
Weather is better of course

Our blog as loads of info and stories about our travels in France and other countries at Hank the Tank Motorhome website. The summer 2011 trip is a massive long page and France starts about half way down I think. Also Spring 2010 when we did the Pyrenees from East to West and summer 2009 has a fair bit of France in it.

CAMPINGCAR-INFOS has all the Aires and also lists thousands of wild spots. you can buy a book called All the Aires France which has a fair few of em in.

Wilding is legal in France as long as your not "camping" IE putting awnings up and the like and around the coasts of Normandy and Brittany are some fab places.

There are a few legal things like beam defelctors and high viz jackets for each passenger. I think you need a warning triangle as well.

Dont worry about it you will have a superb time!
 
The best advice that was given to me 4 years ago was drive with your bum in the gutter, can't go wrong unless you have a left hooker. France is great the people are fantastic and very helpfull, just by all the aires and a Phrase book. Also Google driving in France.

John.
 
HI Lotty

As per Barryd plus a set of spare bulbs and your European health card.

Richard
 
A flashing amber traffic light means proceed with caution. You will see this at some pedestrian crossings and all temporary lights for roadworks use this.
When ordinary lights change to green they change straight from red and don't go amber first, so keep watching whist waiting to avoid the toot from behind!
 
while people have said each person must have a yelllow jacket etc. no ones said they must be in arms reach if you break down, not stuck in a rear boot or cuboard.

i cant drive in france, no idea why, germany, poland etc im fine....its just france i struggle with!!!
 
Hi Stop thinking about and start planning - it's hard to believe how easy it is in France, and the French on the whole are very welcoming and helpful.

I got the Aires book - well the worth the money.

I would also say a sat nav & Road Atlas are both needed.

It's been mentioned on here a few times about having a watering Can / Jerry Can - with a short hose pipe - lots of places to get fresh drinking water for free.

Gas bottles - depending of how long you are going for, we went for 3 weeks and took a 6kg Calor and a 907 campingaz, the later being readily available in france ( but they are not cheap)

Oh and don't forget they speak French - wife is fluent, kids get by, me pretty poor - but everyone finds it very entertaining watching me try!

Talking to other MH in France they say Germany is just as good, Aires are called Stellplatze and I believe free one are few, but very good and cheap.

Don't hesitate - do it

Matthew
 
Do it!

I really prefer Germany, but got to say we had a brill time driving through and staying in France, if only I could understand them.
Really friendly people, always glad to help you. We even had a french guy jump into the passenger seat and take us to a campsite after we discovered that the Aire had closed.
Set up my sat nav to tell me when I was exceeding the speed limit so I could concentrate on the driving.
I did chicken out when paying for fuel, cos I sent my missus, who has a pretty good grasp of the french language...:p
 
One very important thing - most villages do not have a speed limit sign and it's the village sign itself that is the beginning of the speed limit, which is 50 kph unless indicated otherwise. When you come to the other side of the village there will be another village name-sign with a line through it. This means that the lower limit has ended and you can now drive at the national limit or whatever is indicated.

The Caravan Club Europe book is invaluable, even if you don't intend using sites. It gives a phenomenal range of information on each country including all the driving laws that you'll need to know about and even listing such things as all the mountain passes, when they're open and how severe they are. The book will also be very useful if you need a site occasionally, the municipal sites are usually quite good and reasonably priced.

As has been mentioned aires are plentiful but you may feel the need for some facilities, such as laundry rooms etc. so a site now and again may be of interest. I have never booked a site in France and just roll up. I don't go in August, the peak month and have never had a problem.

A European Health Card is vital (get it on-line) should you need any medical treatment. You'll normally have to contribute something, but you can get it back from the DHSS at Newcastle. Also important is travel insurance as the cost of repatriating a body or a sick person is frightening! And breakdown insurance in case of punctures or mechanical failure of any kind is essential for peace of mind.
 
If you see a sign warning of a speed camera or radar then watch out there will be one, they are grey boxes o the ground often not clearly visible. I think the idea of having your hi-vis vest on the back of your seat it might be possible for them to seen from the outside, meaning they are less likely to pull you over to check. You need one warning triangle in France & 2 in Spain.
 
you could stay at home and i will look after Neil :dance: or better atill, Neil could stay at home and look after henry lol:tongue:
 
France I think thats the place were every one takes a Gas mask with them:lol-049::lol-049::lol-049::goodluck:
 
Northerner said:
breakdown insurance in case of punctures or mechanical failure of any kind is essential for peace of mind.
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It may be of interest, and I am not sure whether they cover motorhomes, But the AA this yearhad British patrols with English mechanics operating in the touristy bits.

A couple of them were living on my campsite, and knowledgeable lads they were too.

It seems the AA is fed up with the racketeering that goes off in garagesa nd have taken the bull by the horns.......or perhaps frog by the legs ?

Channa
 
We bought a 'Le Cube' 5kg propane bottle from E.Leclerc this year. It cost 19 Euros for the bottle and another 16.60 for the gas. It came with a regulator, but to run it through our existing fixed regulator instead we had to buy a clip on adaptor and pigtail hose, costing another 35 Euros. It may take us a few trips to recoup this cost, but at least we have the peace of mind of knowing we can get refills whilst over there now.
 
Croftland1 said:
We bought a 'Le Cube' 5kg propane bottle from E.Leclerc this year. It cost 19 Euros for the bottle and another 16.60 for the gas. It came with a regulator, but to run it through our existing fixed regulator instead we had to buy a clip on adaptor and pigtail hose, costing another 35 Euros. It may take us a few trips to recoup this cost, but at least we have the peace of mind of knowing we can get refills whilst over there now.
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if you go to an intermarche supermarket you can buy a 10Kg Energaz bottle of butane [ or 9Kg propane ] for €1 , although their website says €5 ; gas costs €16.50 ,
bottle is the same size as a calor 6Kg propane ; you then either need a pigtail for a 4.5Kg calor butane dumpy [ same thread , like most of europe ] or a regulator to screw on that thread

that's all

if you look on the Energas website you will find the list of supermarkets , well over a thousand in france , in fact it is hard to miss them
if they ask you for an address [ has been known ] just give the address of any campsite in france
 
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