[Closed] Driving my car in France - What do I need?

Spare bulb set, first aid kit, headlight adjusters, GB sticker, hi-viz jacket for each passenger....

Yes, breathaliser.
Also, spare bulbs, hi-vis vest and I think first aid kit.
Hedlamp deflectors, (though I've never bothered as not done any driving at night)

Standard car insurance is only 3rd party abroad. You need to tell your insurance company.

toooooooooooo slow.

Crutches, leg brace, CAT, haemostatic agents.

Judging from your past experience anyway...

..stripey jumper, beret, string of onions, condescending shrug.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/compulsory_equipment.html

A car.

So according to that your V5 and insurance documents. Also, not sure how the non paper component works now given that to hire you have to generate a temporary code via the dvla, no idea what the deal is for taking your own car.

I'd also add EU breakdown cover to the list, not that I'm paranoid, but if you don't have it you can be sure you'll need it.

Also, recently got hold of a sanef tag for the tolls to avoid having to stop and find cash each time.

Your Admiral car insurance policy covers you for driving in most EU countries, including:
Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands
Any other country which is a member of the European Union
Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Andorra, Liechtenstein and Croatia

You won't need to contact us before driving in any of these countries as long your trip does not exceed 30 days, but you will need to take your Certificate of Motor Insurance with you

Also take your driving licence (probably worth taking paper part still), vehicle registration document, and passport!

There's no fine for not having a breathalyser.
I'm not taking a spare bulb if its £80 and can only be changed by the garage.
Hi-Viz not required if you're wearing a fluro green Big Bike Bash t-shirt 😉

An additional item you'll require if driving in Paris is a "**** you attitude"

A good boot lock for the return journey ??

A chilled, cautious approach is more likely to get you through unfamiliar places with unfamiliar rules in one piece.

As above, registration document is one many people forget, me included.

You can buy the breathalyzers at the supermarket there for €1 each. The high viz jacket must be available to the driver so keep it in the car. I don't think you need one for every passenger, my French wife certainly only has 1 in her car. She has no spare bulbs either and nor do I, these days car lights are sealed units and garage change only.

You might want to take a stick to beat off the illegal immigrants 🙂

Have fun, I love a road trip ...

You do not need a breathalyzer it did not become law.

you do need a Hi-viz and they should be in the vehicle so you can put it on with out leaving the vehicle carrying bulbs is not law but advisable because you can be finned on the spot.

A little known quirk of french driving is "Priorite a Droite" means vehicles joining the road from the right have the right of way in certain circumstances, basically if they have no "ceddeze le passage" or halt sign on their road they can come straight out in front of you, its incredibly confusing and dangerous and even the French cant easily tell which road has the priority so never assume that the car you see coming from your right wont actually pullout in front of you, its more common on the B roads and in town.

read this or google for your self

http://www.vendee-guide.co.uk/priority-a-droite.htm

and even the French cant easily tell which road has the priority

Can.

I can't think of a country in mainland Europe that doesn't have the rule

Do you have indicators on your car?

The French use them a lot, follow suit for an easy life.

Obviously in addition to the sensible answers you'll need some type of fuel (could be diesel, though petrol is an option). Might I also suggest some light refreshments to keep the driver alert. Mints of some description possibly. HTH 🙂

On the theme of indicators, when you indicate to overtake on the motorway/dual carriagway and the car coming up on the offside flashes you, it's not politely flashing to let you overtake. It's a warning that they're coming through and probably not taking any prisoners (how it should be).
The car that's come behind you with its indicator on is telling you to pull back in as they really, really want you to get out of the way.

and if they don't seem to have any indicators at all, they're probably Belgian - AVOID!!

Got - V5, Insurance, MediKit, Crutches, Inflating Plastic leg cast

Need - High Vis

Not getting - Sealed unit replacement headlight, nicked for speeding

and if they don't seem to have any indicators at all, they're probably Belgian - AVOID!!

You don't need half of that lot, bulbs and breathalisers and whatnot.

You need your documentation including registration document (or a VE103 if it's a lease / company vehicle), warning triangle, and a high-vis jacket which you can reach from the driver's seat.

You also need some means of paying for toll roads; I used my FairFX card but if you're carrying folding make sure you've got some to hand. Calais to just past Paris cost me about €13.

Don't speed; speed cameras aren't the bright yellow high-viz buggers we've got here. Sat-navs with speed camera alerts are illegal, and they'll crush them on the spot if you get caught with one. If you're taking one, remove any camera POI overlays you've got on there first.

Speed limit signs often have small secondary signs underneath saying who they apply to (pictures of lorries or caravans). Took me a little while to realise these don't apply to cars. Also, entering towns showing placename signs implies a 50kph limit, which ends when you pass the same sign crossed with a red diagonal.

The Belgians are easy to spot. They're the ones trying to kiss the rear of your car at 120km/h.

A good point made above about "flashing", when the French flash it's not to say "ok come out", its more of a "stay there you rosbif"

Worth studying "priority a droite" it can and will catch you out in towns when you are barreling along the main road and someone comes out of a junction without looking (as they have right of way)

This was linked to on another thread, a good piece on priority to the right and the signs to look for. I have driven in France for 30 years and lived there for a year and I still fall foul of it, very easy to forget when you are on the "big road" and someone comes out of a side road. Likewise on other junctions. We are programmed to give way when we see lines on the road and to carry on when we don't

[url= http://pyreneesmotorcycletours.com/2014/04/12/priority-to-the-right/ ]linky[/url]

toby1 - thanks for the tip on the sanef tag ... might make the toll road journeys slightly easier.

we got our Sanef tag yesterday. Always used the automatic booths in the van anyway (always got charged as a car) so aim to be getting through even faster this year!

indicators on your car? The French use them a lot,

Not on roundabouts they don't (in my experience anyway)

Watch out for the drunks in their special little drunkard cars!! Instead of banning drink drivers, the French let them drive special little drunkard cars so that everybody knows the driver is probably p*****d and should be given a wide berth 😯

Peage tags are available [url= https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/ ]here[/url]

WCA, I have a bundle of Hi-Viz along with your water pistol and camelback 😯

You aren't towing a trailer are you?

Hmmm.. I've done it many times with large boats, it's easy to forget just how quickly you can travel on flat open E roads then find flashing blue lights both in front of you and behind..

I quite like the indicator traits and flashing lights the French use, I've adopted the continuous indicating in the middle lane of the M25, everyone seems to stay behind me 😆

A healthy disregard for other motorists. 😉

If you're wearing glasses or contacts I believe it's a legal requirement to have spare glasses too.

Hi-viz, bulbs and a triangle and all that jazz has already been mentioned.

Speed limit signs often have small secondary signs underneath saying who they apply to (pictures of lorries or caravans). Took me a little while to realise these don't apply to cars. Also, entering towns showing placename signs implies a 50kph limit, which ends when you pass the same sign crossed with a red diagonal.

Secondary speed signs also indicate max speed in the wet on major roads, IIRC.

This may be useful: http://about-france.com/driving-checklist.htm

If you're towing (or carrying bikes) and fancy venturing into Italy you'll need a red and white stripy board too.

From my recent experience of driving in France you'll be tailgated, overtaken and then cut up regularly no matter what speed you drive. Great roads though and I like the way they restrict lorries to the inside lane during certain hours which we should introduce more in the UK to improve traffic flow.

You're going by ferry but for anyone else wanting a sanef tag and travelling by tunnel you can go through their website and save €10

With your record, why has no-one mentioned the European Health Insurance Card?

www.nhs.uk/ehic

If you are only going to France once is the sanef card worth it to save the queueing time alone?