Driving in France
Discussion
- Try and remember not to try to change gear with the door handle.
- Be VERY careful when setting off in the morning, when approaching roundabouts and when leaving fuel stations, car parks etc. to remember to drive on the right. You might want to train a passenger to watch out for you on these occasions.
- If you find yourself getting into the car through the wrong door, rootle around in the glove box for a while, in case anyone is watching.
Edited by Cliftonite on Friday 16th May 18:16
Cliftonite said:
# Try and remember not to try to change gear with the door handle.
Thanks Guys and yeah ive heard the stories about the Gendarmes apparantly they have no sense of humour either
- Be VERY careful when setting off in the morning, when approaching roundabouts and when leaving fuel stations, car parks etc. to remember to drive on the left. You might want to train a passenger to watch out for you on these occasions.
- If you find yourself getting into the car through the wrong door, rootle around in the glove box for a while, in case anyone is watching.
Thanks Guys and yeah ive heard the stories about the Gendarmes apparantly they have no sense of humour either
vinnie01 said:
are there any differences and what do i have to watch out for
I was constantly reaching over my right shoulder to put the seatbelt on and also be aware when ever you pull away, even after a short stop, to make sure you drive on the right. As you are down that way a drive over the Millau viaduct is a must, there is a viewing area in the rest area on the north side. Be aware of and watchful for implementation of the dreaded Priorité à Droite rules in quiet countryside and smaller towns / villages especially.
This should help: http://wikitravel.org/en/Driving_in_France
(Other internet sites are available)
This should help: http://wikitravel.org/en/Driving_in_France
(Other internet sites are available)
[quote=Cliftonite
I can assure you from personal experience that this fools no-one if you have left the car with the engine running to open the gate......
- If you find yourself getting into the car through the wrong door, rootle around in the glove box for a while, in case anyone is watching.
I can assure you from personal experience that this fools no-one if you have left the car with the engine running to open the gate......
I still find it unusual to change gear & operate the handbrake with my right hand - it doesn't feel natural & is often strange in a hill start situation. It takes a while to get used to moving the gear lever towards you for lower ratios & pushing it away to change up. If you think this may be an issue (particularly the hill starts ) bearing in mind you are going to the mountains you may like to see if you can hire an auto. Then there is the sensation of having much of the interior to your right & very little to your left!
After picking up your car, it may be worth heading out on to open roads,rather than into the centre of say Bordeaux or Toulouse, for an hour or so until you get the hang of driving on the wrong side of the road on the wrong side of the car.
After picking up your car, it may be worth heading out on to open roads,rather than into the centre of say Bordeaux or Toulouse, for an hour or so until you get the hang of driving on the wrong side of the road on the wrong side of the car.
There's some serious points that I would make, already touched upon.
When you rejoin a single carriageway road after a stop and there's no other traffic about, that's the time when you might easily drive on the wrong side.
When you are at a road junction pay particular attention to the direction that the traffic on your side of the major road comes from, opposite to UK - the left.
That's why New Yorkers get run over by buses in London. This also applies when you park by the side of the road and open the road side door.
The priorite for vehicles joining a road from the right is mostly in towns now, so you have to take care there, and most French drivers under 80 do the same, whether they have priority or not. Worryingly one local council to me has created a "PAD" on a major road as a traffic calming measure.
Enjoy your stay, I'm sure you will.
Steve
When you rejoin a single carriageway road after a stop and there's no other traffic about, that's the time when you might easily drive on the wrong side.
When you are at a road junction pay particular attention to the direction that the traffic on your side of the major road comes from, opposite to UK - the left.
That's why New Yorkers get run over by buses in London. This also applies when you park by the side of the road and open the road side door.
The priorite for vehicles joining a road from the right is mostly in towns now, so you have to take care there, and most French drivers under 80 do the same, whether they have priority or not. Worryingly one local council to me has created a "PAD" on a major road as a traffic calming measure.
Enjoy your stay, I'm sure you will.
Steve
OP I see you live in Kent. Why not take your RHD car on a day trip/weekend to Calais before your main jaunt? That way you can have a brief trial before you go. The locals in Northern France tend to be used to Brits occasionally making a Horlicks of driving on the right. (When you are in the Pyrenees your car will of course be on French plates so will be indistinguishable from local traffic).
FWIW I went on a few booze cruises in the eighties, not just to fill up my Marina (!) with stubbies but to gently pop my European driving cherry. I had confidence when I returned a few years later for holidays in the mountains & have since driven many thousands of miles in France - nowadays it accounts for between a third & a half of my annual mileage.
Finally, be prepared to become addicted to lower traffic density, decent road surfaces & sensational scenery!
FWIW I went on a few booze cruises in the eighties, not just to fill up my Marina (!) with stubbies but to gently pop my European driving cherry. I had confidence when I returned a few years later for holidays in the mountains & have since driven many thousands of miles in France - nowadays it accounts for between a third & a half of my annual mileage.
Finally, be prepared to become addicted to lower traffic density, decent road surfaces & sensational scenery!
Although, of course, it makes sense generally to drive a LHD car when in France, I must say I much prefer to use a RHD car when in the mountains! That way the driver is near the edges that matter - the vertical cliff face or vertical drop, either of which could leave a nasty scratch in the paintwork if misjudged!
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