Driving in France - what do I need?

MossM

Heading for France for three weeks this June/July in the campervan and I'm trying to find out are there any particular French laws that need to be adhered to avoid on the spot fines etc.

Its a LWB right-hand-drive VW Transporter - is it correct I need to put 'beam benders' on the front lights to account for the dims beings suited to driving on Irish roads?

Also I have heard I need to carry a high vis jacket in the van. Is there anything else - we will have two bikes on the rack on back - does that cause any issues?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks
M

SeamusG97

You'll need a spare bulb kit as well as the rest of the stuff you mention. Have heard anecdotally that police tend to target RHD vehicles for checking these.

face2face

Nothing to add, but in the same boat, heading off end June, first trip abroad with the MH, so interested to see any replies...

defike

Also i believe 2 breakdown triangles are required.

stapeler

In addition to the above I think a high viz vest is a requirement for each passenger.
Ensure the bikes don't cover the number plate in any way, I have seen a guy pulled in for this.
An IRL sticker is also a requirement.

SeamusG97

If anybody's interested I can post details of a couple of useful camping/aire guide books for France that we have picked up over time...

MossM

Cheers for all that info folks. SeamusG97 - I'd be interested to hear what guide books you've found to be good.

Regarding the requirements, our bike rack is mounted on the ball hitch so it definitely obscures the reg plate, not sure whether to chance it or not? Re the IRL sticker, I assume the blue irl on the reg plate will cover us?

Am going to have to go shopping for the beam benders, high vis jackets, spare bulb kit & breakdown triangles!

Couple of other things, I assume the standard electric cable plug (3 round pin) works or is there an adaptor I need to plug in the van in continental campsites? Also, I assume that camping gaz cylinders are readily available?

Thanks again
M

SeamusG97

The standard blue 220v three pin works in most campsites but a european two pin adaptor is often needed. The further away you go from the northwest the more likely it will be. You could make up an adaptor in a few ways but the simplest would be to make up or buy a Male 220V Blue connector to Male euro 2-pin. Campsites often have one or two available for loan.
Regarding camping GAZ (if you mean the small blue cylinders for a primus/lamp) then yes, they are readily available from supermarkets. If you mean the yellow Irish ones for the hob/fridge/heater then you need to stock up before you leave as the connections are different. We've got more than five weeks at a time from two full cylinders, using the fridge a lot plus the usual cooking/water heating etc.

Here are some books etc. that we found useful - we have two children aged 9 and 7 and like to mix campsites with aires / wildcamping / sightseeing so the books reflect what suits us - everybody is different though and what we like somebody else may not. I don't know where you plan to visit so some of them may not be relevant -if not, maybe they might be useful to somebody else.

1. Camping et Hotellerie de plein air (France 2010) 450 pages approx. Published by Michelin

This is a comprehensive guide to campsites in France. It divides the country into regions with a colour coded section and detailed map for each. The details for each campsite are in french but the book uses a lot of graphic symbols and there is a key at the start of the book. Haven't seen it on sale here - can be bought at most motorway service stations in France. ISBN is 978-2-06-713962-6
Note it claims to give GPS coordinates for the campsites but it doesn't - just gives the postcode which gives the general area.
To be honest we used it only a few times as you usually come across campsites without any trouble. They are rarely full even in high season.

2. All the Aires ( France ) Published by Vicarious Books. Buy direct from www.vicariousbooks.com 400 pages.
We find this a fantastic resource. It gives the location and description of literally hundreds of Aires all over France. There is a very good section at the start on the different service points ( bornes ) and how they work. Essential reading for anybody thinking of using aires in France.
Caveat: an aire can be as simple as a place to empty your tanks at the edge of a town or a 200 van site in the Landes forest next to a beach.

The book is compiled by people like us who submit reviews on the sites detailing what facilities are avalable and usually include a picture. It gives accurate GPS coordinates (not postcodes) for the aires so you will able to reliably find them. Many of the aires are in very scenic locations ( often right next to campsites where you would pay much more than €5/€8 per night) and just as nice. There is an easy to follow guide to show what each aire offers. We have found many wonderful aires using this book and would highly recommend it.




3. France Passion 2010

France passion is a an agri-tourism scheme where you can stay for free at participating vinyards / farms etc. You join at a cost of about 30 euro and recieve an 'invitation' consisting of a windscreen sticker, a booklet containing a list ( hundreds ) of participating sites throughout France. Each site will have made a safe parking space for a small number of motorhomes. The idea is you park up, call in to say hello ( and hopefully buy a sample of what they produce), stay the night and leave. They are working farms and you generally won't be able to empty tanks or dispose of a lot of rubbish. www.francepassion.com has all the details.
Book 400 pages approx. Multilingual ( uses a lot of graphic symbols ) and easy enough to follow.
Lots of people love France Passion - we found the farms/vineyards a bit quiet if you have small(ish)children but are enchanted with the idea.

4. Escapades en Camping-Car France 2010
Published by Michelin. ISBN 978-2-06-713799-6
This book has a very good pull-out map at the back showing aires throughout France. It suggests twenty one short tours in different regions of France with a map of each. For each route it suggests campsites, things to see, what to do, where to eat etc. It is written in French for the French however so buy with caution. The maps are very good and it seems to be the book the french use themselves.

5. 1/100 000 map of France.
Don't trust your GPS unless you really want to explore rural backyards and places your MH wasn't designed to go.

Hope I haven't boreeeeed you all to death.. We love france and want to share what we found.....

Malta1

SeamusG97 wrote: »

Don't trust your GPS unless you really want to explore rural backyards and places your MH wasn't designed to go.

LOL........Last time I was in France, I ended up in a farm yard because I followed "sat nav". Seemingly the road previously ran through the yard.

The lesson "sat nav is great, but ya cant beat a bit of common sense when using them"

alexlyons

stapeler wrote: »

An IRL sticker is also a requirement.

only if your number plate doesn't say IRL on it already.

goat2

MossM wrote: »

Heading for France for three weeks this June/July in the campervan and I'm trying to find out are there any particular French laws that need to be adhered to avoid on the spot fines etc.

Its a LWB right-hand-drive VW Transporter - is it correct I need to put 'beam benders' on the front lights to account for the dims beings suited to driving on Irish roads?

Also I have heard I need to carry a high vis jacket in the van. Is there anything else - we will have two bikes on the rack on back - does that cause any issues?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks
M

they drive like madmen there, very impatient, hooting horns revving engines if they get held up,
i did not drive there but was in a car when i saw this happening, they are the most laid back people i ever met
but when they get behind the wheel, it is the opposite, rush, speed, impatience, i never saw the likes, beleive me, i have travelled alot

Flyin Irishman

First & Foremost: Nerves of F***king steel. I was there once and we were driving on the motorway around Paris in torrential rain, couldnt see more than 10 feet in front of the car and got absolutely blown off the road by other motorists because I couldnt hold my speed above 105-110 mph, I ended up gettin in behind an artic and stayin there for as long as I could....

shigg

Yahoo - heading to France on Sat with the Hymer and cant wait - dropping my parents off near La Rochelle and after that who knows - any good France Passion sites down in southwest and good surf spots. Like to park, eat etc with a seaview!!

SeamusG97

shigg wrote: »

Yahoo - heading to France on Sat with the Hymer and cant wait - dropping my parents off near La Rochelle and after that who knows - any good France Passion sites down in southwest and good surf spots. Like to park, eat etc with a seaview!!

Check out the Aire at Biscarosse Plage. No sea view but very close to beach, forest walking and cycling tracks, next to lively campsite with bar and entertainment. Edge of town and short distance to lake. Don't know much about surfing but there seemed to be plenty of waves.
Google Earth: 44°27'31.93"N 1°14'43.50"W
Garmin: 4 27.422, W 01 14.883

Edit: Forgot to mention - There is a large carpark/aire in the centre of La Rochelle. Not the prettiest to look at but safe and within walking distance of the old port and town centre. Has waste and refilling facilities and is free. Usually about fifty or sixty MHs there at night but fills up with cars by day.

fortuneteller

goat2 wrote: »

they drive like madmen there, very impatient, hooting horns revving engines if they get held up,
i did not drive there but was in a car when i saw this happening, they are the most laid back people i ever met
but when they get behind the wheel, it is the opposite, rush, speed, impatience, i never saw the likes, beleive me, i have travelled alot

You obviously aint travelled much outside a tesco car park as you said you did not drive there so please spare us ......:cool:

*Kol*

goat2 wrote: »

they drive like madmen there, very impatient, hooting horns revving engines if they get held up,
i did not drive there but was in a car when i saw this happening, they are the most laid back people i ever met
but when they get behind the wheel, it is the opposite, rush, speed, impatience, i never saw the likes, beleive me, i have travelled alot

I can't recall experiencing that behavior on the roads in France at all to be honest.

stapeler

*Kol* wrote: »

I can't recall experiencing that behavior on the roads in France at all to be honest.

Same here, I've never had any negative experiences in France over the years.
I find that the French and European truckers are particularly helpful when you overtake, they flash you when it's safe to pull back in.

Muckit

Flyin Irishman wrote: »

First & Foremost: Nerves of F***king steel. I was there once and we were driving on the motorway around Paris in torrential rain, couldnt see more than 10 feet in front of the car and got absolutely blown off the road by other motorists because I couldnt hold my speed above 105-110 mph, I ended up gettin in behind an artic and stayin there for as long as I could....

Isn't the speed limit 110km/hr in the rain, 130/km/hr when dry on a french motorway???

Flyin Irishman

Muckit wrote: »

Isn't the speed limit 110km/hr in the rain, 130/km/hr when dry on a french motorway???

Sorry, that was meant to be km/hr in my post, not mph