Driving in France, any weird rules?
Discussion
Weirdly in my 38 years I’ve never actually driven a car abroad.
We’re off on a boys family driving trip to the Loire next month. Are there any weird French rules we need to adhere to? I’ve heard we might need a GB sticker? A handheld breathalyser? A breakdown kit of some sort?
Or are these all myths/nonsense?
We’re off on a boys family driving trip to the Loire next month. Are there any weird French rules we need to adhere to? I’ve heard we might need a GB sticker? A handheld breathalyser? A breakdown kit of some sort?
Or are these all myths/nonsense?
ds drive on the wrong side.So if I’m reading it right, I need a high vis, warning triangle and a breathalyser??
https://www.theaa.com/~/media/the-aa/pdf/touring-t...
Good point on the change!
https://www.theaa.com/~/media/the-aa/pdf/touring-t...
Good point on the change!
UTH said:
So if I’m reading it right, I need a high vis, warning triangle and a breathalyser??
https://www.theaa.com/~/media/the-aa/pdf/touring-t...
Good point on the change!
I thought the breathalyser was no longer required.https://www.theaa.com/~/media/the-aa/pdf/touring-t...
Good point on the change!
If your driving in some cities you will need a ctit air sticker
https://certificat-air.gouv.fr/
costs around 4 euros and takes 2 weeks to arrive by post .....................
Print out a copy of your insurance cert , you don't need a green card ,
MOT certificate
Just returned from Paris , we booked Interparking secure undergound car park booked on line 4 days central paris was 55 euros .
https://www.interparking-france.com/parking-paris/...
Other than fuel at supermarkets its cheaper , was 1.80 euros a litre or £1,50 a litre
Take a Hi Viz vest , don't need breathalyser's anymore
https://certificat-air.gouv.fr/
costs around 4 euros and takes 2 weeks to arrive by post .....................
Print out a copy of your insurance cert , you don't need a green card ,
MOT certificate
Just returned from Paris , we booked Interparking secure undergound car park booked on line 4 days central paris was 55 euros .
https://www.interparking-france.com/parking-paris/...
Other than fuel at supermarkets its cheaper , was 1.80 euros a litre or £1,50 a litre
Take a Hi Viz vest , don't need breathalyser's anymore
Edited by Purosangue on Tuesday 13th June 08:35
Purosangue said:
If your driving in some cities you will need a ctit air sticker
https://certificat-air.gouv.fr/
costs around 4 euros and takes 2 weeks to arrive by post .....................
Ah yes I did see that. I don’t THINK we’re going to be in any major cities but I’ll double check our route https://certificat-air.gouv.fr/
costs around 4 euros and takes 2 weeks to arrive by post .....................
Worth getting a toll tag.
https://www.emovis-tag.co.uk/french-toll-tags?gcli...
Then you can play the game where you drive ever faster at the toll barrier until you bottle it.
Castrol for a knave said:
If driving across a ploughed field, you MUST drive at a speed that does not break the eggs carried by the peasants in the back.
Adult female passengers are required to be hirsute, unless deemed exempt on medical grounds and in possession of a doctor's note (certified translation required).UTH said:
Haha, yeah I hope I find that a natural thing to remember. I will be in a LHD Corvette though….so should be easy!
Be careful though, your muscle memory is very used to driving on the left, even with a lhd car. I drive all 4 permutations of steering wheel and side of road combination and find my muscle memory is now most fixated on where a particular car spends most of its miles. In other words in I just know to drive in the gutter when I’m in the unique cabin that is the Elise. I won’t mention bashing the door card to change gear.
Beware of roads and road signs where priority is to be given to traffic on the right (in a nutshell).
Three types of road sign to be aware of.
They'll take you by surprise otherwise. Check Google as well.
1. Yellow diamond = 'route prioritaire'. Your road has priority. Others have to give way. You can find these signs in built-up areas or places lacking road markings etc.
2. Yellow diamond with a diagonal black line going through it. Your road doesn't have priority (you have to give way to others, even if your road is bigger, wider, not a side street etc).
3. Red warning triangle with an X in it = 'priorité à droite'. Give way to traffic coming from the right. You can come across these in all manner of road junctions, but it again basically means you have to give way to traffic coming from the right - even if your road does seem to be the 'main' carriageway.
However, often at / on the approach to roundabouts you'll see underneath the roundabout sign 'vous n'avez pas la priorité' = you do not have priority, and the triangular give way sign.
Be very careful about crossing amber lights. I got pulled over by a gendarme once.
Also, octagonal Stop signs mean you actually have to physically come to a stop. They enforce it a lot more strictly over there.
Unlike in the UK, pedestrian crossings at corner junctions can be green for pedestrians whilst the traffic lights are green for vehicles, so watch out for pedstrians, especially as you turn into a road. You have to stop and let them cross.
There's a habit of some people in the outside motorway lane of keeping their left indicator on to denote they're still overtaking.
Also it's way easier in the UK than it is in France (and in the USA for that matter) to let someone pull out who's, say, stuck behind a stationary bus or is in the wrong lane. So good luck if ever you are ever in (what's usually something so simple to deal with in the UK).
We don't appreciate how great driving standards and manners are in the UK compared to other parts of the world.
However, the tarmac on motorways etc is in top nick. Enjoy that!
Three types of road sign to be aware of.
They'll take you by surprise otherwise. Check Google as well.
1. Yellow diamond = 'route prioritaire'. Your road has priority. Others have to give way. You can find these signs in built-up areas or places lacking road markings etc.
2. Yellow diamond with a diagonal black line going through it. Your road doesn't have priority (you have to give way to others, even if your road is bigger, wider, not a side street etc).
3. Red warning triangle with an X in it = 'priorité à droite'. Give way to traffic coming from the right. You can come across these in all manner of road junctions, but it again basically means you have to give way to traffic coming from the right - even if your road does seem to be the 'main' carriageway.
However, often at / on the approach to roundabouts you'll see underneath the roundabout sign 'vous n'avez pas la priorité' = you do not have priority, and the triangular give way sign.
Be very careful about crossing amber lights. I got pulled over by a gendarme once.
Also, octagonal Stop signs mean you actually have to physically come to a stop. They enforce it a lot more strictly over there.
Unlike in the UK, pedestrian crossings at corner junctions can be green for pedestrians whilst the traffic lights are green for vehicles, so watch out for pedstrians, especially as you turn into a road. You have to stop and let them cross.
There's a habit of some people in the outside motorway lane of keeping their left indicator on to denote they're still overtaking.
Also it's way easier in the UK than it is in France (and in the USA for that matter) to let someone pull out who's, say, stuck behind a stationary bus or is in the wrong lane. So good luck if ever you are ever in (what's usually something so simple to deal with in the UK).
We don't appreciate how great driving standards and manners are in the UK compared to other parts of the world.
However, the tarmac on motorways etc is in top nick. Enjoy that!
Original V5C
Thought you also needed spare headlight bulbs which I didnt see on the AA list.
Easier to go to Ebay and buy an Euro Car Kit that has it all included. Keep it in the back of your car not the boot as hi vis vest and warning triangle have to be within easy reach. I don't stick the headlight deflectors on just have them handy as I don't tend to drive at night on my euro trips. Never been stopped for that.
Also speed camera warning devices are banned n France. Most sat nav get around this by calling them danger zones rather than speed camara ahead.
As someone has already posted - If you are driving on the toll roads then Emovis tag is an absolute must. It will save you stopping entirely as you can slow down to 30 and just drive through.
Thought you also needed spare headlight bulbs which I didnt see on the AA list.
Easier to go to Ebay and buy an Euro Car Kit that has it all included. Keep it in the back of your car not the boot as hi vis vest and warning triangle have to be within easy reach. I don't stick the headlight deflectors on just have them handy as I don't tend to drive at night on my euro trips. Never been stopped for that.
Also speed camera warning devices are banned n France. Most sat nav get around this by calling them danger zones rather than speed camara ahead.
As someone has already posted - If you are driving on the toll roads then Emovis tag is an absolute must. It will save you stopping entirely as you can slow down to 30 and just drive through.
captain.scarlet said:
Beware of roads and road signs where priority is to be given to traffic on the right (in a nutshell).
Three types of road sign to be aware of.
They'll take you by surprise otherwise. Check Google as well.
1. Yellow diamond = 'route prioritaire'. Your road has priority. Others have to give way. You can find these signs in built-up areas or places lacking road markings etc.
2. Yellow diamond with a diagonal black line going through it. Your road doesn't have priority (you have to give way to others, even if your road is bigger, wider, not a side street etc).
I've driven loads in France and never been aware of this!!Three types of road sign to be aware of.
They'll take you by surprise otherwise. Check Google as well.
1. Yellow diamond = 'route prioritaire'. Your road has priority. Others have to give way. You can find these signs in built-up areas or places lacking road markings etc.
2. Yellow diamond with a diagonal black line going through it. Your road doesn't have priority (you have to give way to others, even if your road is bigger, wider, not a side street etc).
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