Driving le car on de Continent.

studiorat

I'm sure it's come up before, I was considering taking the car to France this year. I believe they drive on the right! or is that the left? Anyway it's the opposite..

Soo I was wondering, I guess I need to do something with the lights? Do they need to point to the opposite side or anything? Do they still need to have that yellow tint?

Is there anything else I need to know/do?

Any advice greatfully accepted, Ta!

keithclancy

studiorat wrote: »

I'm sure it's come up before, I was considering taking the car to France this year. I believe they drive on the right! or is that the left? Anyway it's the opposite..

Soo I was wondering, I guess I need to do something with the lights? Do they need to point to the opposite side or anything? Do they still need to have that yellow tint?

Is there anything else I need to know/do?

Any advice greatfully accepted, Ta!

Just follow the guy in front of you off the boat .. you'll get the jist of it after 10 or 15 kilometers. Watch yourself going into roundabouts

You can buy the beam benders in most shops like Halfrauds or even on the boat.

crosstownk

Bring your Driving Licence (no brainer), Vehicle Registration Certificate, a copy of your insurance certificate and if you wear glasses I think French law requires that you have a spare pair in the car.

I brought the car to France last month and had no problems. I didn't get the beam benders as I wasn't planning to drive at night.

As keithclancy said you'll soon get the hang of it and all you really need to watch out for is the roundabouts - look left before merging. At junctions it can be helpful to take an extra few second to ascertain where you need to end up rather than ploughing on and ending up on the wrong side of the road!

D_murph

crosstownk wrote: »

Bring your Driving Licence (no brainer), Vehicle Registration Certificate, a copy of your insurance certificate and if you wear glasses I think French law requires that you have a spare pair in the car.

I brought the car to France last month and had no problems. I didn't get the beam benders as I wasn't planning to drive at night.

As keithclancy said you'll soon get the hang of it and all you really need to watch out for is the roundabouts - look left before merging. At junctions it can be helpful to take an extra few second to ascertain where you need to end up rather than ploughing on and ending up on the wrong side of the road!

Should have gone to Specsavers :pac:.

I can see the logic for this if its true although I have never managed to lose a pair while driving yet .

Mr.David

Also, by law you must have a high vis jacket and warning triangle in the car - I know the french police regularly sit near the ferry ports and pull over foreign reg cars and fine for each missing item!

Google 'priorite a droite' its by far the biggest danger when driving in france.

Apart from that france is a superb country to drive in and its quite relaxed really.

Motorway speed limits - 130 in the dry, 110 in the wet.

When entering a town/village and you see the name on the sign of the town the speed limit automatically drops to 50 even in the absence of a sign indicating this.

helimachoptor

WTF are beam benders?

crosstownk

helimachoptor wrote: »

WTF are beam benders?

They prevent you from blinding oncoming traffic as our left hand traffic lamps have the beams point to the left which in a right hand drive/right hand traffic scenario would be aimed into the path of oncoming traffic.

http://www.motorhomeshop.co.uk/acatalog/beam.jpg

NinjaTruncs

Mr.David wrote: »

Also, by law you must have a high vis jacket and warning triangle in the car - I know the french police regularly sit near the ferry ports and pull over foreign reg cars and fine for each missing item!

You need one for every passanger

You also cannot pass an accident without stopping to help, i believe if someone else has already stopped you dont need to. You also need a fire extinguisher and spare bulbs.

Pkiernan

Carry a hi-vis jacket within reach.
Carry warning triangle.

If driving thru Paris watch out for the maniacal/suicidal scooters who dont know your car is RHD as assume you can see them when they cut you up.

I never had an issue with changing the beam direction. I forgot to do it, and noone seemed to notice.

Gas-ol or gas-oil is diesel.

Helps to have a passenger to pay at the toll booths for you unless you have incredibly long arms.

enda1

I think the fire extinguisher is not a requirement in France (it is in Belgium) but no harm to have one.

Credit card or debit card is needed to pay for fuel often. Usually not in big service stations but often at unmanned ones in the evening.

Get your passenger to look after paying tolls, or else run around.

At least one reflective vest is required.
One for each passenger who gets out of the car in case of breakdown on motorway I think it is.
A triangle too of course (two in Spain).

Most importantly though is to make sure you have your car papers (insurance and registration), license and an accident fill in sheet thing (don't know what they're called) along with a pen.

Drop 20kmph off the motorway speed in rain and to 50kmph in all villages as Mr.David said - this speed limit ends when you pass the village name sign with a red diagonal cross through it.

When you see a sign for speed cameras there will be a camera in 100m to 1.5km or thereabouts.

Often on Friday to Sunday there will be hidden speed cameras too, so careful.

Carry some cash to pay speeding fines in case you are stopped or else they bring you to a bank machine

Fiesta

Check out.....

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/france-monaco.pdf

-Corkie-

Bring spare bulbs and fuses as well. They look for that.

crosstownk

Pkiernan wrote: »

If driving thru Paris watch out for the maniacal/suicidal scooters who dont know your car is RHD as assume you can see them when they cut you up.

It seems to be the unwritten rule that if you are in the left lane in slow moving traffic, you keep as left as possible to allow the scooter freaks to cut you up. That's the distinct impression I got while on the Périphérique at evening rush hour.

Pkiernan wrote: »

Helps to have a passenger to pay at the toll booths for you unless you have incredibly long arms.

Passenger is essential unless you are Mr. Tickle:D

cc

You'd be surprised how quick your brain switches over to driving on the right, although I've only done it in LHD hire cars which I'd imagine makes it a lot easier.

cc

Oh yea also look out for priority signs. They are yellow diamonds on a White triangle sign. This means you have priority over traffic coming from the right. If you are on a smaller road and you do not see this sign you must give way to traffic joining from the right.

John C

Dos and don'ts in Europe from AA Ireland
http://www.aaireland.ie/infodesk/motoring_europe/dos_donts.asp

Basically a repeat of the other posts. Extra is
- Some french banks are wary of credit cards with a magnetic stripe.
- No provisional licence allowed.
- Local phonecard
- Radar detector forbidden
- The Autoroutes (Motorway) in most French provinces are tolled

---

Other info

Special traffic signs
Toutes Directions = all directions; Rappel = reminder, warning (usually in association with speed limits); Ralentir = drive slowly; Centre Ville = town centre; Déviation = detour; Passage interdit = No entry; Serrez à droite = keep right; Vous n'avez pas la priorité = you do not have the right of way; Fin d'interdiction de dépasser = end of the no overtaking directive.

A person who has his driving licence less than three years, can only drive at maximum 80km/hour outside of urban areas, maximal 100km/hour on "rapid streeets" [HQDC and equiqavalent fast roads] and maximum 110km/hour on motorways.

14th July (National holiday, Bastille day) and 15th August (feast of the Assumption of our lady) are public holidays.

Mini Driver

Stay outta Paris ... thats all I will say absolute nutjobs :eek:

Tabnabs

As well as roundabouts, pay extra care pulling out of petrol stations or in car parks etc. It's too easy to slip back into driving on the left. Also watch at junctions, the traffic will be coming in the opposite lane you're used to and it can catch you out.

If in doubt, keep repeating the mantra "drive on the right, drive on the right, drive on the right"

Mini Driver

by the way anyone driving in Greece, when they overtake you (and they do so at ridiculous bends etc they are just nuts) they beep at you, its just some weird custom they have over there and it doesnt mean anything.

I thought they were beeping at me for being slow and was getting really mad at EVERYONE until some local explained thats just what they do... its really off-putting though!

Berty

Yes Mini Driver. In some countries flashing another driver is "opposite world" to what we consider it here.

In some countries shaking your head to say no actually means yes. Wikitravel usually answers most questions in popular countries.

Im off to France through the UK tomorrow week. I cannot wait. I have to drive through Central London and Central Paris as well with a bike rack on the back in my fathers brand new car!

Mini Driver

Wow thats bravery!!! best of luck with that!

John C

Berty wrote: »

Yes Mini Driver. In some countries flashing another driver is "opposite world" to what we consider it here.

In some countries shaking your head to say no actually means yes. Wikitravel usually answers most questions in popular countries.

Im off to France through the UK tomorrow week. I cannot wait. I have to drive through Central London and Central Paris as well with a bike rack on the back in my fathers brand new car!

Irish people have driven through Paris.
If you do not have a SatNav, it helps to memorise the Paris landmarks. On a map of Paris one locates the River Seine, the intended bridges, the Eiffel Tower.
Better still if you have a passenger let him do it.
Best of all get a person who has lived and driven in Paris to guide you.

bongi69

Aldi was doing a European motoring kit a few weeks back for around €15, that had the triangle, beam benders, Hi Viz etc. in it.

My local store still had a few yesterday, so you can chance your arm to see if they're still around,

teacher30

Berty wrote: »

Yes Mini Driver. In some countries flashing another driver is "opposite world" to what we consider it here.

In some countries shaking your head to say no actually means yes. Wikitravel usually answers most questions in popular countries.

Im off to France through the UK tomorrow week. I cannot wait. I have to drive through Central London and Central Paris as well with a bike rack on the back in my fathers brand new car!

How did your trip go? I'm driving through UK and then getting ferry from Portsmouth. Have a '10 Laguna without a mark on it, terrified i'll come home with it in bits!!!! lol

analfabets

Do not carry to much cash with you or else declare it when entering France.
We where nearly put in jal for having more than 700€ per person and didn't declare it. That was 2003 though.

Berty

teacher30 wrote: »

How did your trip go? I'm driving through UK and then getting ferry from Portsmouth. Have a '10 Laguna without a mark on it, terrified i'll come home with it in bits!!!! lol

Trip went great. Only one error the whole way. Missed a turn around Rouen in France.

The journey to was was nothing as I stopped off twice in the UK. I changed the journey back because of work commitments and drove 19 hours more or less non stop the way back which killed me.

The car was a 1.6 Petrol 08 Mondeo and managed to keep it around 120-130kph the entire way returning a 800km or so tank of fuel. It took me 2 tanks of fuel to get there and back.

A Full tank in France cost me €101. :mad:

I never ever saw any French police on the motorways or at the ports so nobody checked my beam convertors, hi viz vests, first aid kits, bulb kit, triangle etc. I even saw people driving with their hi viz vests hanging over the back of their seats.

Their driving standards are WOW!!!!!! So much better than ours. You will enjoy the trip wherever you may go on.

Max_Damage

Berty wrote: »

Their driving standards are WOW!!!!!! So much better than ours.

I beg to differ.

L1011

Berty wrote: »

I even saw people driving with their hi viz vests hanging over the back of their seats.

Thats the advised place to keep them, they have to be in the cabin not the boot, and its easy way for them to be seen by a gendarme.

rugbyman

All of the above is true
but beware of Paris.!!

if your trip takes you by paris i recommend buying a map of paris and its environs, which you will buy at a service area as you approach paris. i have limited experience of sat nav and I am sure it may be better.

the reason I advise this is that the Boulevard Periphique (ring road) and the outer eastern ring the AN86 are completely unforgiving if you dont know exactly where you are going. i have advised people for years to make a list on paper of the road signs for which you need to look out .
if you go wrong there is no where to stop and ask. pulling off at a junction will not help much.

If going on the BP (periphique) learn in advance where you intend to exit, the exits are called Portes, the signposting is excellent and is easy when you know what to do.

the outer ring on the West side is a mystery to me and I have travelled on it many times.

Regards ,Rugbyman

CiniO

Berty wrote: »

I never ever saw any French police on the motorways or at the ports so nobody checked my beam convertors, hi viz vests, first aid kits, bulb kit, triangle etc. I even saw people driving with their hi viz vests hanging over the back of their seats.

I was saying it in the other similar threads.
But I'll repeat again.

Every car in international traffic, has to be equipped as required in country of registration. That's stated in Vienna Convention from 1968 about road traffic, which was signed by almost all European countries.

In short word this means, that no matter if cars in france are required to be equipped with fire extinguisher, first aid kit, spare bulb, towing rope, warning triangle, or spare tyre - you, when driving a car registered in Ireland, are required to have in the car, everything what is required in Ireland (means nothing from above).

Everyone who buys all these things just for international trip because they thing it's required by law, are wrong.

L1011

CiniO wrote: »

I was saying it in the other similar threads.
But I'll repeat again.

Every car in international traffic, has to be equipped as required in country of registration. That's stated in Vienna Convention from 1968 about road traffic, which was signed by almost all European countries.

In short word this means, that no matter if cars in france are required to be equipped with fire extinguisher, first aid kit, spare bulb, towing rope, warning triangle, or spare tyre - you, when driving a car registered in Ireland, are required to have in the car, everything what is required in Ireland (means nothing from above).

Everyone who buys all these things just for international trip because they thing it's required by law, are wrong.

Good luck to you trying to argue that with a Gendarme who will suddenly be unable to speak a word of English. Car would likely be impounded while you end up spending rather a lot of money on lawyers and translators.

Sometimes its a lot easier to comply than be the "big man", don't you think?

Sids Not

Not sure of the rules in France, but in Spain at a roundabout the cars on YOUR right can take the 1st , 2nd OR 3rd exit....:eek:....watch out...

keithclancy

CiniO wrote: »

I was saying it in the other similar threads.
But I'll repeat again.

Every car in international traffic, has to be equipped as required in country of registration. That's stated in Vienna Convention from 1968 about road traffic, which was signed by almost all European countries.

In short word this means, that no matter if cars in france are required to be equipped with fire extinguisher, first aid kit, spare bulb, towing rope, warning triangle, or spare tyre - you, when driving a car registered in Ireland, are required to have in the car, everything what is required in Ireland (means nothing from above).

Everyone who buys all these things just for international trip because they thing it's required by law, are wrong.

Thats correct, they are not required by law, but if you break down and don't have them you will get a ticket.

teacher30

Berty wrote: »

Trip went great. Only one error the whole way. Missed a turn around Rouen in France.

The journey to was was nothing as I stopped off twice in the UK. I changed the journey back because of work commitments and drove 19 hours more or less non stop the way back which killed me.

The car was a 1.6 Petrol 08 Mondeo and managed to keep it around 120-130kph the entire way returning a 800km or so tank of fuel. It took me 2 tanks of fuel to get there and back.

A Full tank in France cost me €101. :mad:

I never ever saw any French police on the motorways or at the ports so nobody checked my beam convertors, hi viz vests, first aid kits, bulb kit, triangle etc. I even saw people driving with their hi viz vests hanging over the back of their seats.

Their driving standards are WOW!!!!!! So much better than ours. You will enjoy the trip wherever you may go on.

Thanks a million - i really appreciate that. Glad you made it back in one piece!!