Driving in France - any top tips?

[dannyp1]

ORIGINAL: Mercurial
http://www.frenchleave.com/autoroutes.asp

yes, i have been using www.mappy.co.uk which seems better than www.Multimap.com
all the cameras listed and better instructions. however it did not understand my postcode in UK, which was a little strange.

I also have to test out the Porsche Satnav tonight. I have the europe CD's but want to make sure it understands what is required.

Also bought 9 new CD's for the journey too[] Cleaned my sunglasses[] Not doing any work this week at the office[] Holiday preparations going just fine....

 

[Chris_911]

Too late for the Telepeage unit - from memory I think they take about a week to come through.

 

[jr2015]

I noticed driving down here last week, that the telepeage thingy now appears to be free of charge which is fair enough as they`re going to eventully lay off all the people in the tollbooths and save a whack of money. I think you can apply at the offices on the side at the peage stations, but you won`t be able to use it immediately. Take care re the speed limits as a night in the cells and a morning court appearance is a possibility if you`re really tanking on and in my (bitter) experience les flics are humourless bastards.. I`d recommend the routes nationales, as the driving is more interesting, there are better places to eat, and oncoming motorists flash their lights if you`re approaching a speed trap.
bon voyage!!
jr.

 

[mikegentle]

The gendarmes have fallen in love with speed cameras (or radar as its known in France). Many unmarked camera cars are in use. As in England you can drive like an idiot as long as you are not breaking the limit!!

Some links
http://english.controleradar.org/
http://english.controleradar.org/driving-in-france.php
http://www.securiteroutiere.gouv.fr/infos-ref/regles/csa/csa.html

Even though you will not be pursued for a camera 'flash' remember that the more fines they can't collect, will be used as evidence to press for pan-european/cross border speed control. Imagine getting points on your licence for an incident 2000 miles from home with an impossible chance of contesting it.

Do not drink and drive. Random testing is in place, and the limit is lower than in England. You don't have to be involved in an accident to be breath tested.

Most motorways in France are tolled. The French word for toll is peage. For short sections there is a fixed fee, paid by cash or credit card. Longer sections are priced by collecting a ticket at the start of your journey then paying when you leave either onto a non-tolled section or at a junction. Payment can be made by cash or card. There are lanes at the toll booths with an orange "˜t' above them, this stands for tele-peage. These are for cars equipped with a sensor and should not be used. Credit card lanes have a blue CB (carte bancaire) sign above them. There are always manned booths, usually on the right. Automatic cash lanes take credit cards as well, and usually give change. Press the big red button for a printed receipt. If the machine starts to "˜talk', you have probably put either the ticket or your card in the wrong way. No need to mess around with a pin number.

 

[jr2015]

Hi Mike, Good point about the unmarked cars. The first time I got weighed up, the radar equipment was in the back of a motorway maintenance van driving on the bande d`urgence ( hard shoulder) and I was collected by a motorcycle cop a bit further down the road, led to the next Aire, and the motorway van arrived a few minutes later. Incidentally the motorway van was also breaking the speed limit, but not as much as I was.
jr.

 

[POR_NT]

If you have any form of radar detector you'd be well advised to leave it at home.
You are not allowed to use one or even have one in your car, and if the Police pull you over and spot one, they'll fine you and confiscate the device...

 

[POR_NT]

Oh, have just noticed that Diesel has given you that advice already...

(note to self - must remember to read threads from start to end...)

 

[Dylan1]

as in another thread about this i got well and truly stuffed last summer by les flics north and south doing very marginal over limit-first thing they greeted me with was -GB-porsche[][]dont risk going over at all and definately have lots of euros in the car
have fun which you will if you remember the above!!france seems almost completely covered in radar traps now so nowhere is safe to blast it

 

[dannyp1]

Whenever I go on holiday, I always always get mega busy in the office just before I go away. All I want to do is sit around planning & chillin' & getting in the right state of mind"¦..but as usual I'm rushed off my feet. Thanks for all the advice; I will let u know how many times I got stopped, but hopefully none now I have been warned.

Richard. I did have a look at the headlights, but I think that's best left to the pro's, I am not a technical person. The last thing I need to do is balls anything up before I get going.

Had a play around with the Porsche Sat nav and it seems to understand where i need to go & all works fine. Destination is saved and the route looks good compared with the michelin route suggested. 889 kilometers each way.

Happy dayz[]

 

[jamma]

Hi,

are you back yet? I am off to South of France (Near Montpellier) next Friday for 6 days. Its a 650 mile drive from Cherbourg but I thought I would take the scenic route rather then the auto route. It's same distance although slower but the French A roads are very good and I wont have to pay tolls or have the hassle of getting out of my car at tolls.

cheers

Jamie

 

[beavercraig]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett

The toll thing is actually that the police will laser you some time before the toll, radio ahead and arrange for you to be pulled over by their colleagues waiting at the toll.
You will get no warning, and they will often hide to zap you.

Happens a lot more during the run down to Le Mans week (and back), and will often happen close to the ports to catch the people late for the ferry.

Having been to France zillions of times I agree with Mark. The toll tickets are often stamped but I have never seen or heard of anyone's ticket being measured for speed! They do however laser you a couple of miles from the toll and then wait for you. I think us Brits have just pushed it too far, as we have completely ignored the speed limits and now we are paying the price for it, me included. Be careful around the ports especially on ur return, stay under 30mgh above the speed limits as this is now instantly bannable but go enjoy lovely quiet French Roads. I am driving down to Biarritz in a couple of weeks, can't wait! Shame its in my BMW and not my Turbo!

 

[Stewart H]

I got done at the tolls back in 1991. Fined 900 Francs for doing an average of 190 kph from Paris to Calais. These days they are far more strict and far heavier with the fines.

On the Autoroutes, generally if you see a sign, there is a camera pointing at you, shortly afterwards. They don't seem to use signs just as a deterrant.

 

[Mercurial]

ORIGINAL: Stewart H

I got done at the tolls back in 1991. Fined 900 Francs for doing an average of 190 kph from Paris to Calais. These days they are far more strict and far heavier with the fines.

On the Autoroutes, generally if you see a sign, there is a camera pointing at you, shortly afterwards. They don't seem to use signs just as a deterrant.

Definitely not. Everybody else will start slamming on the anchors as soon as they've seen the sign.

 

[h20mrv]

if you have a jammer (sorry garage door opener) remove the head unit, they get VERY upset if they find one!

 

[Mercurial]

ORIGINAL: h20mrv

if you have a jammer (sorry garage door opener) remove the head unit, they get VERY upset if they find one!

"Total sense of humour failure" comes to mind.

 

[beavercraig]

ORIGINAL: Mercurial

ORIGINAL: h20mrv

if you have a jammer (sorry garage door opener) remove the head unit, they get VERY upset if they find one!

"Total sense of humour failure" comes to mind.

"Bust a blood vessel" comes to mind having been nearly locked up a few years ago for having a radar detector in the car![]Lost the radar detector and fined €750!

 

[Dylan1]

and yet the b****ards drive over here like their gallic pants are on fire[]

 

[Mercurial]

ORIGINAL: dyllan

and yet the b****ards drive over here like their gallic pants are on fire[]

Just don't mention the Poles, Rumanians, etc., etc.

 

[Dylan1]

or the war[][][]

 

[dannyp1]

I'm back and apart from the lousy weather on the 2nd week I had a great holiday. Drive was about 9 driving hours each way. About 600 miles but I took my time and stopped plenty. Stereo was cranked-up big-style. Just me, myself and I and the mostly open road. Happy dayzzz[]

I saw plenty of Les Flic's stopping plenty of people. At the tolls there was always some poor sod being pulled over but I didn't get stopped, fined, confiscated, or anything, which I would have done if I hadn't asked here, so cheers everybody[]
Was great to holiday with the Porker too.

Two important things I learned:

1) Richard "" changing the speedo to kph was inspired. A great idea that made the drive much easier, and prolly why I did not get stopped.

But by far the most important discovery was"¦.

2) I have the Bose stereo, which I have been disappointed with since I took delivery. I really struggle to understand how the Bose can be an "upgrade," the sound is so flat & basic & just cr$p, but I'm an audiophile so I guess its my own fault. Anyway"¦whilst sitting in a jam for 45 minutes waiting to pay my 3euro's toll, I was pressing all the buttons in site, as you do"¦and look what I found! A special button that transforms the sound from unbearable to rubbish, then another button from rubbish to pretty damn good. Wow! Pretty cool. Made my trip MUCH better. Its unbelievable that Bose puts this function on the system, because the difference is black and white.
If you press the "sound" button you get the options to change the bass, treble, balance, fader, audiopilot. Well"¦. there is another option within this option. If you then press "set" you get to "listening position" either left, symmetric or right. And what a world of difference it makes. Mine was set to symmetric and I was a pretty unhappy customer. Changing to left made the sound worse, but set to "right" and low and behold, musical bliss. Finally the Bose sounds like what a couple of grand hifi should sound like. Still not a patch on my home system, but that's a different kettle of fish. Why Bose put this option in, in the first place is amazing, and to hide it away like that is just not cricket. RTFM

The Porsche performed like a dream, with zero problems, smooth and easy"¦.all the way. 4 x new Michelins pilot sport's performed as they should. Satnat was quirky but fine, although was 4 years out of date and a few new junctions caused.... some fast decision making[&:]

I averaged 60mph @ 28.7 mpg, which sounds rubbish but does include plenty of waiting to pay the tolls.

Q: would I drive down to France again? With the wife and kid"¦never. In any other car?......no way, no point. In my Porsche"¦yes"¦planning another trip in October. Happy dayzzz.

I love my Porsche[]