997 cab to France too

[jonathanw]

Hi

I am taking my cab to France in June. Took it 2 years ago and had great fun with a discrete radar detector which I think I will leave at home.

Are the GPS camera locators like road pilot legal in Franc?

I understand that you can prepurchase motorway season tickets before the journey - does anybody have experience.

One more question - I have the PSE which is permanently on. Do the "flics" have any attitude to load PSE's ?

 

[Rob Edwards]

Hi Jonathan
Good idea about the detector - the french police are very hot over this, and you run the risk of being stopped just to check you haven't got one in a sports car like a Porsche. If they find it (even unplugged and in the boot!) it will be confiscated and you will be fined.
Here is a useful link to detector sites (static) in France which is updated pretty often:
http://www.controleradar.org/en.html
In my experience the Rennes to Nantes autoroute is policed pretty vigorously, although due to a Government campaign radar traps are much more prolific than they used to be.
I find the french police to be pretty even handed and tolerant of sports cars provided you don't do anything silly- as the officer in a Renault V6 Megane demonstrated when he just gestured for me to slow down a little after a 180KPH dash on a deserted bit of autoroute (when he eventually caught up!) - lucky me!
I don't think they will mind too much about the PSE as a group of Gendarmes just grinned when a Fezza and a TVR howled away from the toll booths last time I was over.
The do get rather het up (quite rightly) if you speed through villages/towns so be sure to comply with speed limits, regardless of what some of the locals might do.
Beware navy blue peugeots/renaults parked up along leafy service roads adjacent to roads (radar/speed traps) and don't think you can outrun them as there is usually a police bike 'interceptor' lurking further up the road on the radio (as one brit in a pug 307 discovered near nantes!).
Enjoy your trip - the French countryside is fantastic, as are their roads and I have always found the French to be a friendly bunch especially when it comes to the Porsche.
You can pre-purchase autoroute passes, but not sure exactly how - I would suggest a look at the Michelin french web site, they may be able to give info there.
Have fun, and safe journey!!
Rob

 

[jonathanw]

Thanks Rob.

 

[Dylan1]

my experience of the flics is entirely different i am afraid-just shows there are reasonable police and not so reasonable everywhere!!
the 996c4 i took to france last summer was fine from pt of view of pse-even thru villages- but the two occasions i ventured even marginally over 130kph i got pulled over both times by les bleus -first thing they said was-uk porsche -with an unpleasant tone while fondling their guns..even my wife found it unnerving and their attitude remarkably unpleasant-.one near dijon and one just north of paris-on each occasion i was going no more than 10kph over.

 

[Rob Edwards]

Hi Dyllan
Ouch - sounds like you met up with some really miserable cops - 10kph over is really scraping the barrel! Mind you I have to say that cops in Paris do seem to be less friendly than their provincial colleagues - probably as a result of dealing with all that traffic chaos.
Bit un-nerving them playing with their sidearms like that, probably doing it to wind you up knowing that most brits are (rightly) very wary of firearms!
I hope your next trip over is less painful and you come back with a better impression of les garcons en bleu.
Cheers
Rob

 

[okellyt]

ORIGINAL: dyllan

my experience of the flics is entirely different i am afraid-just shows there are reasonable police and not so reasonable everywhere!!
the 996c4 i took to france last summer was fine from pt of view of pse-even thru villages- but the two occasions i ventured even marginally over 130kph i got pulled over both times by les bleus -first thing they said was-uk porsche -with an unpleasant tone while fondling their guns..even my wife found it unnerving and their attitude remarkably unpleasant-.one near dijon and one just north of paris-on each occasion i was going no more than 10kph over.

Bearing in mind our history with the French shouldn't we just invade? After all we seem to be winding up to do that to an other country that doesn't agree with our (Americas's) view of the world.....[][][]

 

[Dylan1]

great idea tom
its such a nice country it seems a shame not to enjoy it just because its full of french...a takeover seems like the best option all round..

 

[robertc@okw.co.uk]

Dear Jonathan

I too am taking my 911 to France this year, next week in fact.

I have rented a Liber-T pass for use on the French Toll Motorways. This allows you to use the T lanes and charges your credit card for each journey. You pay €30 deposit for the transponder unit which sticks to the top of the windscreen - refunded on return of the unit.

Here is how to set up an account and get the unit:


Download the application form from: http://www.sanef.com/fr/ecommerce/pdf/contrat_particuliers.pdf

Complete the application forms (it is all in french so I have uploaded a translation to my company's website: www.okw.co.uk/Liber-T_howto.pdf if you need help)

Make sure you complete both copies of the "˜Contrat De Service' form which are exactly the same. The second page of the form is only marketing information and bank details which are not needed as you will be paying by credit card.

Take a photocopy of your credit card - Front face only.

Send the two duplicate "˜Contrat De Service' forms plus the photocopy of your credit card to:

Sanef
Direction de la Clientèle
BP 50073
60304 SENLIS Cedex
France

You need to allow at least two weeks for the unit to arrive.

This is the first time I have used this, so we will see next week how it works. I will let you know.

Regards

 

[jonathanw]

Robert

Many thanks for your advice. Have downloaded form plus your translation. Have taken my various Porsches over the years to France and have found the toll booths a real pain.

Do these passes work on all toll autoroutes as they are managed by different companies in different regions.

Safe trip

 

[snarf]

Robert, thanks for the information.

I'd be very interested to hear how successful this proves to be. My fear of curbing the wheels means that I always leave too big a gap, which requires my wife to unbuckle and stretch out of the window in a rather undignified manner.

Allan

Edited to ask where on the form do you state the commencement date and what are the two tick boxes above the signature box for?

 

[ianreeves]

Yes the tolls are a pain, always fun to see the Lotus 7's struggle on the Le Mans trip. As a matter of note, Thomas Cook will supply Euro coins if you ask.

 

[robertc@okw.co.uk]

Jonathan

As far as I understand the unit covers the whole of the French network. I will find out for sure next week as we are going down to the south of France.

We are going on the Total 911 magazine tour organised with www.driving-adventures.co.uk There will be 20 other Porsches on the tour, so it
should be fun.

Regards

 

[robertc@okw.co.uk]

Allan

Yeah the curbs on those toll booths can be hard to judge with right hand drive, my partner usual hits at least one on a trip!!

The last two tick boxes are the usual marketing rubbish:

First one: I accept to receive commercial offers and promotions from Sanef
Second one: I accept to receive commercial offers and promotions from Sanef partners.

I left both blank.

Regards

 

[jonathanw]

Robert

Is there any reason that you opetd for the monthly rate. Can you cancel the contract after only a few months?

Regards

 

[franksmith]

We've had one of these for 3 or 4 years because we have a holiday house in SW France. They're a huge boon if you're on your own in a RHD car. Avoiding clambering across the interior of the car or getting out to pay is good and the peace of mind from not risking scraping your alloys makes them well worthwhile, too. They're still very handy if you're in a LHD (ie hire) car. I can confirm that if you buy a device it will work on all the autoroutes and you get a single bill at the end of the month, regardless of where you have travelled. There's a monthly standing charge but you only pay this retrospectively and only for any month that you actually incur toll charges. For most Brits this is a cheaper option than the alternative of a fixed annual charge - and you may as well hold on to the device indefinitely, against future trips to France, as there's no recurring charge.

 

[jonathanw]

Frank

Thanks for your input

 

[jonathanw]

I have heard of police waiting at toll booths and checking times for that section and then fining the poor s*d for speeding. I expect that with the Liber-T gizmo that this is not possible.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

What they do is laser/radar you from a handy bridge a mile or two before the toll booth - then radio ahead to stop "the English black Porsche".
So they can still get you no matter what lane...

 

[snarf]

ORIGINAL: franksmith

We've had one of these for 3 or 4 years . . . . and you may as well hold on to the device indefinitely, against future trips to France, as there's no recurring charge.

Forgive me for being a little slow but just to clarify my understanding. I can buy the in-car liber-t pass device using the form linked to by Robert above - or do I need to apply using a different form? However, once acquired I can keep it indefinitely and only pay the monthly standing charge for those months that I use the French toll roads?

Allan

 

[robertc@okw.co.uk]

This is the first time I have had the device so I am not sure, but you have to pay a €30 deposit for it, so if that counts as buying it......? If you send it back you get the €30 back. For those with holiday homes over there and who make frequent visits I guess it is a good idea to keep it. I plan to send it back so there is no open account on my credit card. It is very easy to get another one next time I go to France...

Regards