Dublin - Nice - England - Dublin

Mr. Manager

Hey Guys,

I'm heading to Nice in for a birthday at the end of September beginning of October.

I'm just looking for some key advice that I may have missed. I have read up on http://www.france4families.com/drivinginfrance/RulesoftheRoad.htm

Have since loaded up on the needed requirements such as fire extinguisher, hi-viz jacket etc etc.

On the way home I plan on stopping off at Prestwold Hall for a track day driving experience which I got 2 years ago for my 21st.

There will be 3 drivers for the entire duration of the trip so I hope it wont be too much trouble.

Our plan so far is to go:

Dublin - Rosslare (28th Sept)
Rosslare - Roscoff (28th - 29th Sept)
Roscoff - Paris (29th)
Paris - Nice (30th)

Party for 3 days

Nice - Calais (4th)
Calais - Dover (5th)
**Track Day**
Dover - Holyhead (5th - 6th)

Any general advice on the overall trip would be greatly appreciated. I heard that toll bridges can amount to quite a bit over there. Could anybody shed some light on how much they think between tolls/diesel it might cost?

Thanks!

Yeah french tolls add up
check on www.viamichelin.com, you can even select a more "economical" route option as well if it's too much.
Other than that you should be grand it's a very long trip paris-nice but there's a lot of motorway stops to rest in

have fun

from viamichelin:

75000 Paris – 06000 Nice

Costs
155.07 EUR
Toll 70.60 EUR | Petrol 84.47 EUR
Time
08h29 which 08h08 on motorways

CiniO

I don't know about toll bridges, but toll on motorways will cost you a lot.
On avarage you can assume 10 euros for every 100 miles of motorway.
So assuming you have almost 2000 miles to go, you have to be prepared to pay about 200 quid for motorways in France.

About this Priorité à Droite which everyone seems to be afraid off...
Hmm it applys in almost every county in Europe probably except from UK.
In Ireland it also applys - on junctions of roads of equal importance, you give way to drivers coming from your right.
The same in France. If the road you are driving is not the main road, then on junctions right of way goes to the driviers coming from the right. Usually that kind of junctions will be signed by a triangle sign with a X inside. Also don't expect that kind of junctions outside cities, towns and villages.

Car equipment - in international traffic, every has has to be equipped as required in country of registration. This means, that if you drive an Irish car, you don't need to have a extinguisher, warning triangle, first aid kit, and so on.

ShayK1

I'm just back from a trip and we drove 7 hours through France on the return journey and it cost €50 on toll alone..
They were something like, €4.90, €7.80, €13.20 and €20.20.

I know that only adds up to €46.10 but I can't remember the exact figures.
You look to be doing about 2300 miles. Personal I get around 550 miles from a tank at around €65 a fill. 4 fills = €260. You'll be needing a 5th I'd say so call it €320 for diesel and I'd imagine you'll be paying about €200 for tolls.

I drove from Strasbourg to Calais and it cost me 50, you're driving the length and breath of the country so I'd say 200 isn't beyond possibility.

Just an FYI on tolled roads that confused me. When you enter the tolled road you come to a barrier that only has ticket boots. You take the ticket from the machine on entry and pay at the other end when you leave the tolled road.
I had to get out of the car and ask somebody how to get through without having a ticket. (I felt pretty stupid when he told me)

Anywho, enjoy the trip. If I can be of anymore assistance just ask. If I don't reply on thread just drop me a PM.

Mr. Manager

ShayK1 wrote: »

I'm just back from a trip and we drove 7 hours through France on the return journey and it cost €50 on toll alone..
They were something like, €4.90, €7.80, €13.20 and €20.20.

I know that only adds up to €46.10

Still quite pricey.. but it is all being split 4 ways so it should be quite handy on the pocket!

Thanks!!!

John C

CiniO wrote: »

I ......

Car equipment - in international traffic, every has has to be equipped as required in country of registration. This means, that if you drive an Irish car, you don't need to have a extinguisher, warning triangle, first aid kit, and so on.

Warning triangle is needed in France regardless of the country of registration.

http://www.aaireland.ie/infodesk/motoring_europe/compulsory_equi.asp

John C

bluewolf wrote: »

Yeah french tolls add up
check on www.viamichelin.com, you can even select a more "economical" route option as well if it's too much.
Other than that you should be grand it's a very long trip paris-nice but there's a lot of motorway stops to rest in

..............

Bluewolfs's post is in order. Just an addition.
I drove from Roscoff to Paris on non toll roads. It was slow and painful. Traffic was through lots of of towns at 50 k.p.h.
Petrol consumption was higher than at 120 k.p.h. on Autoroute.

After Paris I gladly took the toll Autoroute.

kindalen

if possible, dont fill up at motorway service stations, supermarkets tend to be a good bit cheaper. viamichelin is a great tool, also you can use your credit card to pay tolls. it saves looking for change, and means when you get home you can easily split cost four ways.

Redderneck

Fill up at supermarket stations; Hyper or Super-Us. If you google the corporate site, I'm sure they'll have a map of their locations.

BTW - double check that your Track Day voucher is still valid after two years before you rock up.

Jomcc

Cereal Rapist wrote: »

Hey Guys,


Any general advice on the overall trip would be greatly appreciated. I heard that toll bridges can amount to quite a bit over there. Could anybody shed some light on how much they think between tolls/diesel it might cost?

Thanks!

Did this trip and back in June........ Found this site useful to let you know approximate costs. http://www.autoroutes.fr/

Many had warned me about problems with travelling around Paris......dunno why, because from Roscoff to Nice, I didn't go next or near Paris.
I had a warning triangle, high vis jacket, spare set of bulbs, beam benders etc. Thankfully, didn't need any of them. Wasn't stopped once........even for a passport check!!!!!!
I would suggest staying in a F1 Hotel http://www.hotelformule1.com. Basic, but clean and fantastic value.
I came back via the A75 autoroute. This took about an hour longer but I wanted to see the Millau Viaduct. Well worth the journey. Also, think it saves something like €20, but that wasn't reason why I chose that route.

keithclancy

CiniO wrote: »

Car equipment - in international traffic, every has has to be equipped as required in country of registration. This means, that if you drive an Irish car, you don't need to have a extinguisher, warning triangle, first aid kit, and so on.

Not true, personally know of 1 expat who recieved a fine for not having a Warning Triangle or Luminous vest at night time in Germany.

For heavens sake its only 20 euros .. and its extremely dangerous not to have an advanced warning for people using the motorway.

I.E. Lorry has a blowout, pulls in, no warning, BANG .. the car and maybe you are gone.

John C

Cereal Rapist wrote: »

Hey Guys,

I'm heading to Nice in for a birthday at the end of September beginning of October.

I'm just looking for some key advice that I may have missed. I have read up on http://www.france4families.com/drivinginfrance/RulesoftheRoad.htm

Have since loaded up on the needed requirements such as fire extinguisher, hi-viz jacket etc etc.

Any general advice on the overall trip would be greatly appreciated. I heard that toll bridges can amount to quite a bit over there. Could anybody shed some light on how much they think between tolls/diesel it might cost?

Thanks!

Above is an edited quote of OP's question.

An earlier similiar post is quoted below.

CiniO wrote: »

You are unnecesserly nervous.
Driving on the wrong side of the car is not a big deal.
I assume that most of the way through Continent, you'll go through motorway. And to be honest, while driving on motorway it doesn't make any difference if you're driving LHD or RHD. Just remember to look in the mirros before changin lanes and stick to the right.
Also in Germany remember to double check (or triple check) in the mirrors before you start overtaking, as there might be cars aproaching from behind way over 200km/h or even more than 300km/h. Doesn't happen very often, but sometimes it happens.
Anyway, you said that you've driven in Germany, so you probably know all this.
Also while driving in the towns and cities, doesn't really make any diffenece if it's LHD or RHD.
Only where you have to be more carefull is normal roads (not motorways), where it's not that easy to overtake. Just remember to keep bigger distance before car in the front, even if you don't intend to overtake. Otherwise if the car slows down or stops, you can't really see anything if you can pass him or not.

...
Well...

Driving licence - yours definitely, your girlfriend's - only if she intends to drive.
Passports - definitely
Travel itinerery - it's up to you. If you car remember where you have to go, then you don't need it
VLC - what's this?
Insurance Details - just take you insurance certificate (disc on the windscreen might be not enough) - police might ask you to show this. Also phone numer to you insurance company in case of any accident will be handy.
Hi-Vis jackets - some countries require them, some don't.
Spare bulbs, warning triangle - this is all handy stuff, but they (local police) can't require from you to have it. They also can't give you any penalty for not having it. It's written in Vienna convention about international motor traffic, that every car while in international traffic, has to be equipped according to requirements in country of registration. As in Ireland all this is not required, you are not required to have it, while abroad.
On the other hand, that stuff might be actually really handy, so there's no harm to have it.
Can of tyre inflating stuff - what would you need it for? Don't you have a spare wheel?
Beam deflectors - hmm. You can read in many articles they are required. But to be honest, there's lot of cars from continent in Ireland and UK which don't have them, as well as lot's of Irish and UK cars on the continent, without them.
I've driven for over 2 months over Europe without them, and no one complained. Even more, I made some test with friends, and they said there were not dazzled at all by my dipped headlight.
Only if your headlights are properly adjusted, you shouldn't dazzle anyone. Because on the other hand it you put them on, your lights usually start giving worse light on the road, as it's almost imposible to put them on perfectly.
Only what you are risking without them, is that police might ask you to put them on your car. But wouldn't worry to much about it, as most of policemans wouldn't even know such thing as beam deflectors exist.

What else... Hmmm
Your registration certificate - you'll definitely need this as a proof that you own the car. If the car is registered on someone else's name, then you also need a written agreement signed by this person, that you can use the car.
It also applys to your girlfriend.
Let's say (if the car is registered at your name) while being there you give her a car to go to town for shopping.
Make sure she takes with her registration cert, insurance cert, and little letter stating that she's allowed to use the car signed by you (car owner).
If she is stopped without any of this, car can be easily impounded, and then you'll have to pay a fee to get it back.

Also make sure, that you don't have any radar detection devices, as they are legal in UK, but definitely not legal in France or Germany.

CiniO

John C wrote: »

Warning triangle is needed in France regardless of the country of registration.

http://www.aaireland.ie/infodesk/motoring_europe/compulsory_equi.asp

No it isn't.
Only if you need to use it, and if you don't then you can be penalized.
That's even what a website you linked says.

A warning triangle should be carried (two are required in certain cases) as its use is compulsory after an accident or breakdown in most countries,

During normal road check they can't issue a penalty for you for not having a triangle, as it's not required for cars registered in Ireland.

CiniO

keithclancy wrote: »

Not true, personally know of 1 expat who recieved a fine for not having a Warning Triangle or Luminous vest at night time in Germany.

Did he receive fine for not having it, or not using it while needed?
If he received it for not having it in the car, he could not accept it, as the penalty was against the law.

For heavens sake its only 20 euros .. and its extremely dangerous not to have an advanced warning for people using the motorway.

I'm of the same opinion, that's why I don't understand why is it not required in Ireland.

I.E. Lorry has a blowout, pulls in, no warning, BANG .. the car and maybe you are gone.

Lorrys in Ireland are required to have warning triangles.

keithclancy

CiniO wrote: »

Did he receive fine for not having it, or not using it while needed?
If he received it for not having it in the car, he could not accept it, as the penalty was against the law.

He got a fine for having no warning equipment.

Ha ha .. Try telling a German your not accepting the fine

During normal road check they can't issue a penalty for you for not having a triangle, as it's not required for cars registered in Ireland.

They don't do random inspections of cars for warning triangles ... if your in a situation where you need it they do fine you though.

CiniO wrote: »

Lorrys in Ireland are required to have warning triangles.

What difference does that make when the Lorry crashes into your car ?