997 cab to France too

Rob Edwards · Mar 30, 2007

Hi Jonathan
Don't worry about getting nicked by them checking times between booths - that's just an urban myth and has never actually happened.
I had my suspicions about that practice a while back and this was qualified very comprehensively on this forum by a knowledgeable French chap (with a masters in French Law) who dismissed this 'supposed practice' categorically.
As Mark alludes, they can laser you or radar you from a point further up the road before radioing their colleagues to stop you further down the line.
I have however, seen the odd stop-check after the booths to check over cars, check documents and probably to ensure no detectors are on board.
I find that the stretches of autoroute south of Bordeaux towards Carcassone and Perpignan to be very lightly policed with some great scenery to boot.
Have fun!
Rob

Dylan1 · Mar 30, 2007

**** me rob that makes my experience positively friendly....!!
always preferred driving in germany and italy anyway...

Rob Edwards · Apr 1, 2007

Good God - that's the worst case I've ever heard!
A salutory lesson to us all - and all for 40kph over - OUCH!![

][

]
Rob

robertc@okw.co.uk · Apr 11, 2007

Hi Jonathan

Update on the SANEF Liber-T

Just got back from the Total911 magazine French Riviera Tour. The Liber-T system worked perfectly! It was great to sail thro the Toll Booths with ease. Only problem was that we had to slow down once thro to let all the other cars catch us up.

Pic of us from the tour, doing 130 kph of course!!

jonathanw · Apr 11, 2007

Good to see you had a great trip. I have applied for the windscreen gizmo and will be using it in June.

Will keek you posted.

Many thanks

garyw · Apr 11, 2007

Great news Robert, I'm just writing the PP report and thought it worthy of a mention.(being as it works [

] )
I think this is great information for the club in general.

garyw

Julio Geordio · Apr 11, 2007

That is absolutely horrendous Rob, you have my full sympathy there.

I was caught last Sunday just south of Bethune heading north on the A26 towards Calais in a similar manner. Radar trap a couple of miles before the junction, I was escorted off by a bike cop to a smallish lorry park by the peage, where a small army of Gendarmes were dishing out fines. That's where the similarity ends. I was doing 154kmh on a 130kmh stretch, so less over the limit than you, and was fined only 45Euros. I was expecting something in the order of a couple of hundred though, so feel quite lucky.

With my cynical head on though, it was like shooting rats in a barrel. Empty road in excellent conditions, loads of GB cars either rushing to catch their ferry or trying to catch an earlier one (that was me). The rozzers took my passport and licence and in return handed me a pre-printed map to the nearest cash machine to get my fine. To be fair though, they were actually really cool about it - no hint of satisfaction or sneering at all.

Oh well, you live and learn.

okellyt · Apr 11, 2007

ORIGINAL: Julio Geordio

That is absolutely horrendous Rob, you have my full sympathy there.

I was caught last Sunday just south of Bethune heading north on the A26 towards Calais in a similar manner. Radar trap a couple of miles before the junction, I was escorted off by a bike cop to a smallish lorry park by the peage, where a small army of Gendarmes were dishing out fines. That's where the similarity ends. I was doing 154kmh on a 130kmh stretch, so less over the limit than you, and was fined only 45Euros. I was expecting something in the order of a couple of hundred though, so feel quite lucky.

With my cynical head on though, it was like shooting rats in a barrel. Empty road in excellent conditions, loads of GB cars either rushing to catch their ferry or trying to catch an earlier one (that was me). The rozzers took my passport and licence and in return handed me a pre-printed map to the nearest cash machine to get my fine. To be fair though, they were actually really cool about it - no hint of satisfaction or sneering at all.

Oh well, you live and learn.

B***r,

there goes thoughts of a quick blast across the channel for some high speed fun

Is this mostly the north or is it anywhere the gendarms can catch Le rosbeef

snarf · Apr 12, 2007

ORIGINAL: garyw

Great news Robert, I'm just writing the PP report and thought it worthy of a mention.(being as it works [] )
I think this is great information for the club in general.

garyw

Gary some additional background material courtesy of Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2006/03/11/etonthecase11.xml

As the DT says it is possible to apply directly on-line: http://www.sanef.com/fr/ecommerce/particulier/souscrire.jsp#correspondance
but you need to be able to read/understand French or, as I did, enlist the help of someone who does. Billing monthly is a little more expensive but I went for this option as I didn't want to wait 12 months to find out someone was taking advantage of my account! Total up-front cost is â‚¬30 plus â‚¬3 postage. Now just waiting for my unit to arrive.

Allan

jonathanw · Apr 12, 2007

Just received my transponder from Sanef having sent the application form off 2 weeks ago. I look forward to using it in June. So far so good.

robertc@okw.co.uk · Apr 13, 2007

You will enjoy the satisfying beep as you pass thro the orange reserved lane! Free from the hassle of getting your wheels too close to the kerb or having to find loose change!

Have a great holiday

Regards

Chris_911 · Apr 13, 2007

Thanks for the info guys.

My wife and I are making 3 trips to France this year so I think I will get a couple of these (we're taking boths cars to Le Mans for the 24hrs). Bound to speed up the Le Mans trip tremendously - without breaking the speed limit!

snarf · Apr 14, 2007

ORIGINAL: snarf

. . . . .As the DT says it is possible to apply directly on-line: http://www.sanef.com/fr/ecommerce/particulier/souscrire.jsp#correspondance
but you need to be able to read/understand French or, as I did, enlist the help of someone who does. Billing monthly is a little more expensive but I went for this option as I didn't want to wait 12 months to find out someone was taking advantage of my account! Total up-front cost is â‚¬30 plus â‚¬3 postage. Now just waiting for my unit to arrive.

Allan

Ordered on line last Saturday afternoon, arrived this morning and credit card not even debited yet.[

] Now at the risk of provoking Gary where do I stick it?

robertc@okw.co.uk · Apr 14, 2007

Top of windscreen, next to rearview mirror, on passenger side worked for us. You should have received installation and operating instructions with it.

snarf · Apr 14, 2007

ORIGINAL: robertc@okw.co.uk

Top of windscreen, next to rearview mirror, on passenger side worked for us. You should have received installation and operating instructions with it.

Yes I did have instructions but Gary is something of an expert on sticking things on windows and I just wanted his take on this before I committed glue to glass[

].

Dylan1 · Apr 14, 2007

i got done in the north and in the south....anywhere there is a gb sticker...and all the better if its a gb AND a porsche!!!....

garyw · Apr 15, 2007

[

][

] I don't have this yet...
So unfortunately I can only make one suggestion on where to stick it [

]

garyw

snarf · Apr 15, 2007

ORIGINAL: garyw

[][] I don't have this yet...
So unfortunately I can only make one suggestion on where to stick it []

garyw

Not sure it would work there. But on a more serious note the Daily Telegraph article warns about leaving the unit on display as they are frequently stolen from cars - "Make sure you keep the box hidden when not in use as it is quite a popular thing to steal from cars." And as many sat nav owners know just removing the device and leaving the holder on display merely alerts thieves to the possibility that there is something in the glove box worth nicking.

I think I might try using a couple of rubber bands around the passenger sun visor or just placing on the dash when approaching the toll booth.