Bringing car to France, what do I need?

abceire

Well do I need lots of stuff, yellow things for lights, to booze testers? Can I buy it in a pack?

Big Nasty

A horse!

wesf

google is your friend
http://driving.drive-alive.co.uk/driving-in-france.htm#Radar

MCMLXXV wrote: »

A horse!

was just about to type that when i saw the thread

Tigger

A boat ?

eringobragh

Going tomorrow funny enough,

You'll need a hi-viz jacket for each passenger onboard, and you'll need to keep the drivers one inside the car.

A breakdown triangle

A bulb kit - not sure if this is mandatory

The alcohol tester - thats a grey area at the minute theres alot of himming and hawing about it, I've a disposable one I picked up in france years ago so thats what im going to present.

..you should bring a toolkit, jump leads, fuses, tow rope, air compressor, cable ties, duct tape, coolant, oil, brake fluid...basically anyhting to get you out of a hole.

randy hickey

eringobragh wrote: »

Going tomorrow funny enough,

You'll need a hi-viz jacket for each passenger onboard, and you'll need to keep the drivers one inside the car.

A breakdown triangle

A bulb kit - not sure if this is mandatory

The alcohol tester - thats a grey area at the minute theres alot of himming and hawing about it, I've a disposable one I picked up in france years ago so thats what im going to present.

..you should bring a toolkit, jump leads, fuses, tow rope, air compressor, cable ties, duct tape, coolant, oil, brake fluid...basically anyhting to get you out of a hole.

CiniO

eringobragh wrote: »

..you should bring a toolkit, jump leads, fuses, tow rope, air compressor, cable ties, duct tape, coolant, oil, brake fluid...basically anyhting to get you out of a hole.

I carry those things in my car nearly always anyway...
But I wonder why you advice all this to OP particularly for trip to France?
Those things might come in handy the same much during trip to France, as during normal driving in Ireland.

gowley

You'll need a hi-viz jacket for each passenger onboard, and you'll need to keep the drivers one inside the car.

where should you keep the passengers hi-viz. outside of the car.

Quazzie

gowley wrote: »

You'll need a hi-viz jacket for each passenger onboard, and you'll need to keep the drivers one inside the car.

where should you keep the passengers hi-viz. outside of the car.

The drivers needs to be in the cabin. The passengers can be in the boot. The reason for that is the driver has to be wearing it as he exits the vehicle if broke down on the side of the road.

gowley

Quazzie wrote: »

The drivers needs to be in the cabin. The passengers can be in the boot. The reason for that is the driver has to be wearing it as he exits the vehicle if broke down on the side of the road.

in the cabin. are you talking about the boat or the car.

Marcusm

The breathalyser is mandatory now and I think the fines are now permitted - sat Summer it was "mandatory" but no fine pre November Iirc. I find this I s a good resource for what's required vis a vis triangles, hi vis, bulbs and first aid.
You don't need to buy it there-just check out what's needed.
http://shop.theaa.com/content/driving-in-europe

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

dh0011

beambenders

FR85

Judging by all the ****e you have to bring I'd bring a truck!!! What are you going in? Bags and baggage and half of Halfords....

kyote00

Don't forget a string of onions around your neck....;)

It's the law in France to carry - Bulb kit, hi viz, triangle and breath-alyzer kit. Best to get them here before hand --- Halfrauds have the breath-alyzer
(Aldi/Lidl for the onions)

Don;t forget hi beam deflectors/converters.

darragh o meara

Marcusm wrote: »

The breathalyser is mandatory now and I think the fines are now permitted - sat Summer it was "mandatory" but no fine pre November Iirc. I find this I s a good resource for what's required vis a vis triangles, hi vis, bulbs and first aid.
You don't need to buy it there-just check out what's needed.
http://shop.theaa.com/content/driving-in-europe

That requirement is now not going ahead but it is advised to carry a breath test kit. They're only about €2 in the supermarket as you leave roscoff.

Mandatory stuff for France

Warning triangle
First aid kit ( not 100% sure if its mandatory but a good idea nonetheless )
Hi vis jackets for all passengers. Drivers to be in the car and not in the boot.
Bulb kit, there's a hefty fine if your bulb is found to be blown.
Drivers licence
Insurance cert
If driving someone else car you need to have a letter if consent from the owner.
Irl sticker to be placed on the rear of the car.
If you have a bike rack, you need an extra number plate and separate lights if your own are in anyway obstructed, I know someone who got a fine for that last year.

Btw breakdown services are very very high in France so bring a few bits n bobs to get you through a small breakdown.

I've packed:

Screwdrivers
Pliers
Snips
Cable ties
Insulating tape
Long arm ratchet and socket ( for wheel changes )
Couple sockets (10,12,13,16,19)
Same size spanners
Selection of fuses
All of the above fit neatly in a small tool bag I have.
Just to be sure a small bottle of oil and a litre of water. Oh and a jump start box which also powers the cooler box. All if this might seem a bit overkill but previous experiences in France have thought me to be prepared for the unexpected. All of this fits neatly in one corner of the boot.

Oh and to a previous poster. I'm also heading out on the ferry tomorrow

Solair

The IRL sticker's unnecessary as all Irish cars have the country on the number plate.

It was necessary for GB cars to have stickers as they only got the plates relatively recently compared to IRL.

You need to have your lights adjusted for driving on the right or you will blind oncoming traffic on single carriageway roads.

bonzodog2

I think I heard before, if you wear glasses for driving you need a spare pair.

TheVman

Porridge.
Guinness.

Seriously. Been living in france for ten years.
Breathlyser tests. No need. Legislation postponed.
Triangle and vis jackets necessary.
European accident declaration forms. Dont know if you have these in eire.

Honestly dont worry. Be careful on roudabouts.
Try avoiding filling up on motorway service stations as 20 to 30 cent more expensive per litre.
Have a visa card for toll stations otherwise go to station which takes notes... If your on your own you'll have to get out of car to pay (on left)
Dont forget drive on the right ;0)))

Del2005

bonzodog2 wrote: »

I think I heard before, if you wear glasses for driving you need a spare pair.

Should really be common sense if you require glasses to see, but unfortunately it has to be made a law and not even in this country.


European breakdown cover is always handy to have, cost a bit but is cheaper than trying to get a broken down car home on your own.

snaps

Lads it was a serious question and no laughing matter if you get stopped either as the French Police are as hard as nails.

You need: First aid kit, Fire extinguisher, Hi vis jackets, bulb kits, Warning triangle, breathalizer kit.

I got stopped and didnt have an extinguisher, luckily the police man took pity on me as I made the effort to speak French and he gave me 2 options, fine or go to nearest Hypermarket (Over the road) and buy one. I brought one, wasnt expensive about 11€. And they actually waited for me to come back with it, before letting me go!!

handlemaster

be careful at roundabouts dont know what it is with the french but they always seem to pull out just in front of you without any regard. Even the odd articulated truck with zero take off. The overtaking lane is for over taking none of this irish rubbish of hogging the 'fast lane' and holding up traffic

Del2005

handlemaster wrote: »

be careful at roundabouts dont know what it is with the french but they always seem to pull out just in front of you without any regard. Even the odd articulated truck with zero take off. The overtaking lane is for over taking none of this irish rubbish of hogging the 'fast lane' and holding up traffic

If you don't see one of these



then the person coming from the right has priority. There are also some old type roundabouts still active in France, not sure how they are signed.

Give priority to the right

- almost all roundabouts in France now give priority to traffic already on the roundabout (like most other countries) but there are very occasional exceptions where people on the roundabout must give priority to cars entering the roundabout.

pred racer

darragh o meara wrote: »

That requirement is now not going ahead but it is advised to carry a breath test kit. They're only about €2 in the supermarket as you leave roscoff.

Mandatory stuff for France

Warning triangle
First aid kit ( not 100% sure if its mandatory but a good idea nonetheless )
Hi vis jackets for all passengers. Drivers to be in the car and not in the boot.
Bulb kit, there's a hefty fine if your bulb is found to be blown.
Drivers licence
Insurance cert
If driving someone else car you need to have a letter if consent from the owner.
Irl sticker to be placed on the rear of the car.
If you have a bike rack, you need an extra number plate and separate lights if your own are in anyway obstructed, I know someone who got a fine for that last year.

Btw breakdown services are very very high in France so bring a few bits n bobs to get you through a small breakdown.

I've packed:

Screwdrivers
Pliers
Snips
Cable ties
Insulating tape
Long arm ratchet and socket ( for wheel changes )
Couple sockets (10,12,13,16,19)
Same size spanners
Selection of fuses
All of the above fit neatly in a small tool bag I have.
Just to be sure a small bottle of oil and a litre of water. Oh and a jump start box which also powers the cooler box. All if this might seem a bit overkill but previous experiences in France have thought me to be prepared for the unexpected. All of this fits neatly in one corner of the boot.

Oh and to a previous poster. I'm also heading out on the ferry tomorrow

I have lived in france for the past 3 years and I have the warning triangle and a vis vest, but Ive never been asked for either.
You will see just as many cars with blown bulbs as at home.

Del2005 wrote: »

If you don't see one of these



then the person coming from the right has priority. There are also some old type roundabouts still active in France, not sure how they are signed.

just be careful in small towns as cars coming from the right have the priority, but 99% of the time there will be no sign

Old type roudabouts have a sign " vous n'avez pas le priorite" (excuse the spelling)

2 phrases in french that you need to know for talking to the gendarmerie and the police municipal....... "Je ne pas parle francais" (even if you do )and most importantly "je suis Irlandais" this will mostly get you out of everything except speeding!

Solair

Read the rules of the road in France before setting off! There are a few good sites online if you google.

The rules aren't exactly the same as Ireland and there are some fundamental differences - especially the 'priority to the right' rule which would nearly get you killed / into major accidents if you're unaware of it.

French drivers are also rather unforgiving in urban areas compared to Ireland and they will sometimes get very aggressive if you do something wrong.

Rural areas aren't so bad. People are generally far more chilled out but they've a major issue with boy racer types. Be very careful on rural roads at night / early morning in the weekends as you can find drunken / duggie muppet teenagers on their way home from the local nightclub which tends to be a massive venue out in the countryside somewhere in rural spots.

The police have cracked down on it big time but its sill a significant problem and it occurs later into the night than in Ireland.

Also beware that you can turn at SOME but but not all red lights. Look out for a red + shaped light which means no turning. Sometimes signage is also used and on old signs it can be verbal so learn some basic French traffic language

All in all French driving isn't too bad but statistically speaking its more dangerous than Ireland and most of Northern Europe (except Belgium).

Just drive with extreme care until you're familiar with everything !!

...

The other practical tip is to have a visa / MasterCard handy for tolls. They're pretty big on interurban motorway trips.

If you're not in a rush, taking the N-road alternative can be a much nicer experience too if you want to explore towns and have a few planned stops !

Check : http://www.autoroutes.fr/index.htm?lang=en for more info

There are also some excellent apps out there for android and iPhone. Pick up a local French sim and you'll be able to use google maps etc without being shafted for data roaming rates. Most networks will be happy enough to sell you one if you provide ID

Bon voyage!

HungryJoey

TheVman wrote: »

Porridge.
Guinness.

Some potatoes too. They saved us before!

dr.fuzzenstein

Tigger wrote: »

A boat ?

Not necessarily!

CiniO

As usual there's plenty of misinformation in that kind of threads.

According to Vienna convention on International traffic from 1968, every car in International traffic must be equipped as required in country of registration.

There are some exceptions.
1. Some countries might require warning triangle even though one is not required in home country.
2. Some countries might require beam benders for your lights.


Also when travelling abroad you need to carry your "Registration certificate" with you at times and insurance cert - best to have it in your wallet instead of leaving it in the car.

In relation to equipment AFAIK in France you must carry a warning triangle.
I'm not sure about beam benders - I never put the on - but maybe I was taking the risk. Instead not to dazzle drivers oncoming, I was just lowering my lights a bit - that did the job.

Reflective jackets, spare bulb, etc can not be enforced to carry from foreign driver, but you can be fined for example for leaving your car during breakdown without wearing a reflective jacket, or for your blown bulb if you don't have one for exchange. So it's definitely worth having one.

Solair

CiniO wrote: »

As usual there's plenty of misinformation in that kind of threads.

According to Vienna convention on International traffic from 1968, every car in International traffic must be equipped as required in country of registration.

There are some exceptions.
1. Some countries might require warning triangle even though one is not required in home country.
2. Some countries might require beam benders for your lights.


Also when travelling abroad you need to carry your "Registration certificate" with you at times and insurance cert - best to have it in your wallet instead of leaving it in the car.

In relation to equipment AFAIK in France you must carry a warning triangle.
I'm not sure about beam benders - I never put the on - but maybe I was taking the risk. Instead not to dazzle drivers oncoming, I was just lowering my lights a bit - that did the job.

Reflective jackets, spare bulb, etc can not be enforced to carry from foreign driver, but you can be fined for example for leaving your car during breakdown without wearing a reflective jacket, or for your blown bulb if you don't have one for exchange. So it's definitely worth having one.

Ireland is one of the few countries in Europe that is not a signatory to the Vienna Convention!
For some strange reason we go it alone when it comes to signage, rules etc etc

CiniO

Solair wrote: »

Ireland is one of the few countries in Europe that is not a signatory to the Vienna Convention!
For some strange reason we go it alone when it comes to signage, rules etc etc

That's true. And I think it's not only one of few in Europe, but one of few in the world which didn't sign this convention.

But anyway - I assume then when visiting counties which did sign that convention, then those requirements apply.

wonski

CiniO wrote: »

That's true. And I think it's not only one of few in Europe, but one of few in the world which didn't sign this convention.

But anyway - I assume then when visiting counties which did sign that convention, then those requirements apply.

I was about to post that as long as the car has all the equipment required in the country of origin(registration) it's all OK. Now i see it isn't the case.
Saying that i know of few people who got fined in Slovakia for hi-viz vests (rather lack of those), and their Police don't care about the law at all.

CiniO

wonski wrote: »

I was about to post that as long as the car has all the equipment required in the country of origin(registration) it's all OK. Now i see it isn't the case.
Saying that i know of few people who got fined in Slovakia for hi-viz vests (rather lack of those), and their Police don't care about the law at all.

That's different story.

I was once pulled over in Poland in my Irish registered car, and policeman asked if I had warning triangle and fire extinguisher (as those two are legally required from cars registered in Poland).

I opened the boot, showed him him warning triangle and first aid kit (which I carry anyway), but said I didn't have fire extinguisher.

He said it's going to be 50zl fine (about 13 euro).
I said that fire extinguisher is only required in Poland and before even I continued about Vienna convention and quoting adequate Polish regulations he interrupted me and said to buy a fire extinguisher as next time he stops me he is going to fine me.
I agreed as this was easier than fighting the case in court, even though I would win.

However he never f.e. mentioned anything about lack of beam benders, which everyone here seems to say are compulsory all over continent.
No - they aren't. Maybe in some countries, but I'm sure that in Poland they aren't.

Reflective jackets, spare bulbs, spare glasses is different case, as they are not really part of car equipment. And while you can't get fined for not carrying them, you can get fined for not using them when they are needed, in countries which requires you to carry them.