Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: feeutfo on 04 September 2012, 20:00:53
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Off to stinky France soon.
I'm told....New rules from July suggest all cars must carry;
Breathalyser x2
In addition to ;
High vis jacket per person
First aid kit
Warning Triangle
Spare bulb kit
Gb sticker on the car
Which was added to the original;
Beret
Striped t shirt
Garlic necklace
Frogs legs
Onions
And stinking French shite cheases
Anything else? ....ffs ;D
Oh, LPG filler adapter might be sensible.
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Oh poop. Thought I was in car chat. :-[ ;D
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If you are using the Autoroutes worth carrying some Euros as they charge extra for cards at the "pit stops" and makes for a quicker journey
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Off to stinky France soon.
I'm told....New rules from July suggest all cars must carry;
Breathalyser x2 Not enforceable `till Nov `12
In addition to ;
High vis jacket per person Kept in car not boot
First aid kit
Warning Triangle
Spare bulb kit
Gb sticker on the car
Which was added to the original;
Beret
Striped t shirt
Garlic necklace
Frogs legs
Onions
And stinking French shite cheases
Anything else? ....ffs ;D
Oh, LPG filler adapter might be sensible.
Don`t use a heavy right foot :o
Holders of EU driving licences exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 km/h will have their licences confiscated on the spot by the police.
Overtaking stationary trams is prohibited when passengers are boarding / alighting.
When overtaking a bicycle, drivers must leave a distance of at least 1 m in built-up areas and 1.50 m outside built-up areas between their vehicle and the bicycle.
In built up areas the use of the horn is prohibited except in cases of immediate danger.
As part of the changes to French motoring law, road signs indicating the location of fixed speed cameras are being removed and additional fixed speed cameras added. A GPS based navigation system (Sat Nav) which has maps indicating the location of fixed speed cameras must have the ‘fixed speed camera` deactivated, ideally they should be removed.
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Chris, somebody told me yesterday (a doctor no less!) that you need 2 triangles. Haven't checked whether that's right. :y
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Chris, somebody told me yesterday (a doctor no less!) that you need 2 triangles. Haven't checked whether that's right. :y
Only if towing. One is all you need if solo.
Also, you must carry all your documents in the car at all times, V5C, MOT, Insurance, Licence. It is also advisable to carry an international accident report form, they used to be free from Insurers but you can download one here ...
http://www.accidentsketch.com/accident-report.html
If stopped do NOT argue with Gendarmes, they are the most miserable and self-opinionated bunch of SOB's you'll ever meet, and will take great pleasure in making your life a misery. Smile, be nice, and just do as they say. :(
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The cameras are usually within a couple of km of a sign or a speed indicator. They are smaller than they were. Best to know the speed limits and do not exceed them. Cruise a big plus.
Cash at toll booths is best. I had a card cloned once. Diesel can be found at about €1.40 - 1.42 at s'markets. Petrol is more.
Wine ---ferry
Think its one triangle for France. 2 for Spain- at least it is for Spanish reg cars. The GB can be part of the no plate.
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Christ. Do I have to sing the French national anthem at the road side too? ???
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oui
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Bah! fe@k em I ain't going. ;D
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Off to stinky France soon.
I'm told....New rules from July suggest all cars must carry;
Breathalyser x2 Not enforceable `till Nov `12
In addition to ;
High vis jacket per person Kept in car not boot
First aid kit
Warning Triangle
Spare bulb kit
Gb sticker on the car
Which was added to the original;
Beret
Striped t shirt
Garlic necklace
Frogs legs
Onions
And stinking French shite cheases
Anything else? ....ffs ;D
Oh, LPG filler adapter might be sensible.
Don`t use a heavy right foot :o
Holders of EU driving licences exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 km/h will have their licences confiscated on the spot by the police.
Overtaking stationary trams is prohibited when passengers are boarding / alighting.
When overtaking a bicycle, drivers must leave a distance of at least 1 m in built-up areas and 1.50 m outside built-up areas between their vehicle and the bicycle.
In built up areas the use of the horn is prohibited except in cases of immediate danger.
As part of the changes to French motoring law, road signs indicating the location of fixed speed cameras are being removed and additional fixed speed cameras added. A GPS based navigation system (Sat Nav) which has maps indicating the location of fixed speed cameras must have the ‘fixed speed camera` deactivated, ideally they should be removed.
TOMTOM use a 'safty zone' feature which was accepted by french gov't. Free update for those with a TT gps system
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Take some Vasaline. If you haven't enough Euro's for you fine other payment methods can be used and some of those Gendarmes are big boys ;D ;D
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went fishing there 2 weeks ago.....they have some stupid rules over there... but the bread is good and so are the burgers ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Was thinking of checking what's needed myself soon as well.
Of course, in addition to the French requirements you also need the normal Omega spares i.e. Crank Sensor!!!
If you're planning to go into Belgium (where LPG is cheaper ;)) I think you need 2 different types of adaptor... I keep both in the car anyway and bought them at a French services ;)
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Chris you have three options
1. DONT GO..
2. Take the train.
3. SAME AS NUMBER 1.
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Chris you have three options
1. DONT GO..
2. Take the train.
3. SAME AS NUMBER 1.
There is option 4:
4. Do whatever the hell you want. This could be titled "the French Option"
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Need to adjust headlights, as per the glovebox literature User Manual (little levers behind the full beam rubbers).
1st aid kit is "highly recommended", which means jumped up little gendarme will want to do a prostrate check if you lack one.
I believe you have everything you need, except the breatherlysers (which have to be compliant with a certain spec)
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Chris you have three options
1. DONT GO..
2. Take the train.
3. SAME AS NUMBER 1.
Only if you take half a tonne of semtex to educate the lying, thieving bastards. Did I mention they are a bunch of lying, thieving scumbags?
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Breathalysers are available in UK at around £5:00 for 2 .. but watch out for expiry dates and if they actually meet french specs.
In France they are around 1 euro each ... if you can find them. Leclercs did stock them but had a problem with an incorrectly dated batch so withdrew them. Intermarche do not stock them. Some pharmacies may stock them.
They are called "alcotest" and in hypermarkets may be found on the car accessory stands .. along with the airfreshners and oils .. :)
In 2 weeks of looking we never found anywhere actually selling them, and the french folk on the camp site said they did not carry them !!
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Thank you for this post ! Remind me NOT to visit France any time soon....what a farce !
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Well yes, it is a farce. Could quite easily have a car full of crap before we've loaded up. And an empty bank account before we've even got off the drive.
Although it might wake up a few BMW drivers with an ounce of practicality. ...actually no. Who am I kidding. ;D
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Chris you have three options
1. DONT GO..
2. Take the train.
3. SAME AS NUMBER 1.
Only if you take half a tonne of semtex to educate the lying, thieving bastards. Did I mention they are a bunch of lying, thieving scumbags?
You also forgot to add, as long as your car doesn't run on LPG as they don't allow LPG powered vehicles but you can take a cylinder in a pikey van through ::)
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Christ. Do I have to sing the French national anthem at the road side too? ???
;D ;D ;D
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Chris, somebody told me yesterday (a doctor no less!) that you need 2 triangles. Haven't checked whether that's right. :y
Only if towing. One is all you need if solo.
Also, you must carry all your documents in the car at all times, V5C, MOT, Insurance, Licence. It is also advisable to carry an international accident report form, they used to be free from Insurers but you can download one here ...
http://www.accidentsketch.com/accident-report.html
If stopped do NOT argue with Gendarmes, they are the most miserable and self-opinionated bunch of SOB's you'll ever meet, and will take great pleasure in making your life a misery. Smile, be nice, and just do as they say. :(
Def agree with that and would add if you get on the spot fine pay by card, under no circumstances offer CASH, If you pay by cash it generally ends up in there pockets.
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Oh... Another point. Inform your insurance company if needed. Some only provide 3rd party cover unless you have informed them ;)
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Oh... Another point. Inform your insurance company if needed. Some only provide 3rd party cover unless you have informed them ;)
good point,my traders policy is like that :y
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Oh... Another point. Inform your insurance company if needed. Some only provide 3rd party cover unless you have informed them ;)
good point,my traders policy is like that :y
As is mine ;) But I remember that a lot of insurance companies started making European cover an option as an excuse to reduce the headline premiums but get more money out of others ::)
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Dont forget " Le spare Crank Sensor" if it's V6
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Chris you have three options
1. DONT GO..
2. Take the train.
3. SAME AS NUMBER 1.
Only if you take half a tonne of semtex to educate the lying, thieving bastards. Did I mention they are a bunch of lying, thieving scumbags?
You also forgot to add, as long as your car doesn't run on LPG as they don't allow LPG powered vehicles but you can take a cylinder in a pikey van through ::)
I was thining of donating the TBE to the cause, if only I could find a way for it to combust about 12m from Folkestone.
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I take my miggy to France 4 or 5 times a year, i take the following:
Hi-vis vests, 4 of, put them behind the front seats
Warning triangle
First aid
Spare bulb kit
Breathalyser pack
All in the boot. Never had any trouble, just stick to speed limits. Defo check your insurance, I had to pay extra on my LV policy to drive abroad, don't forget breakdown cover too ;)
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Mrs TB wanted to reiterate the crank sensor and a torx to change it.
Not sure why she wanted to say that ::)
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You're unlikely to ever hear about a mild speeding offence caught on camera. I had 3 in France in one journey. Never heard a thing. Guess it depends on the links between the countries or, more accurately, how much money is to be made. My offences were in a German registered car - even got the plate up in lights overhead at one point "TR NB37 Trop Vite".
Although Luxembourg plated cars near the border get done all time. Mind you there are 70-80,000 people driving daily over the border so I guess it's a good revenue collector.
Many of the requirements are very silmilar to other western European countries. Personally I agree with the triangle, hi-viz jackets and all car documents rule. First aid kit has come in handy too.
And one very important item which I am not sure has been mentioned. Breakdown cover.
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Travel insurance, although E111 (if yours is in date) should cover basic health scares.
PM sent about cheap, single trip breakdown cover.
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Travel insurance, although E111 (if yours is in date) should cover basic health scares.
PM sent about cheap, single trip breakdown cover.
Is that the one I sent you?
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Travel insurance, although E111 (if yours is in date) should cover basic health scares.
PM sent about cheap, single trip breakdown cover.
Is that the one I sent you?
Qui, monsieur. Looks to be £25 for a week for an 03 car.
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Travel insurance, although E111 (if yours is in date) should cover basic health scares.
PM sent about cheap, single trip breakdown cover.
Is that the one I sent you?
Qui, monsieur. Looks to be £25 for a week for an 03 car.
That was a subtle hint :-X ::)
Mind you, I think my breakdown from the bank is good for European use on cars up to 11 years old so no need to worry for a while :y
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Ignore my last... Just checked the bank account details and I have Full European RAC cover for a car up to and including 11 years old :y
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Don't flash your headlights, doing so means different things in France ;)
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Skip all that stuff, ferry to Northern Spain. Everything much cheaper and Spain has more sunshine and substantially less French people. ;D ;D ;D
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Body armour :-X :-X
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Travel insurance, although E111 (if yours is in date) should cover basic health scares.
PM sent about cheap, single trip breakdown cover.
Is that the one I sent you?
Qui, monsieur. Looks to be £25 for a week for an 03 car.
I finished a vehicle breakdown insurance website for an insurance company I do a lot of work for a few weeks a go and it is now live.
They charge £21.99 for a weeks European cover.
The link is: http://www.insure4breakdown.co.uk/?part_id=381 (http://www.insure4breakdown.co.uk/?part_id=381)
The most important thing is to check the policy wording to make sure it is suitable for your needs.
It is only fair to tell you that I will earn a small commission from any sales when I'm acting as an introducer.
If anybody is interested then PM me and I will send you a discount code to give a 10% discount on the quoted price.
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Off to stinky France soon.
I'm told....New rules from July suggest all cars must carry;
Breathalyser x2 Not enforceable `till Nov `12
In addition to ;
High vis jacket per person Kept in car not boot
First aid kit
Warning Triangle
Spare bulb kit
Gb sticker on the car
Which was added to the original;
Beret
Striped t shirt
Garlic necklace
Frogs legs
Onions
And stinking French shite cheases
Anything else? ....ffs ;D
Oh, LPG filler adapter might be sensible.
Don`t use a heavy right foot :o
Holders of EU driving licences exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 km/h will have their licences confiscated on the spot by the police.
Overtaking stationary trams is prohibited when passengers are boarding / alighting.
When overtaking a bicycle, drivers must leave a distance of at least 1 m in built-up areas and 1.50 m outside built-up areas between their vehicle and the bicycle.
In built up areas the use of the horn is prohibited except in cases of immediate danger.
As part of the changes to French motoring law, road signs indicating the location of fixed speed cameras are being removed and additional fixed speed cameras added. A GPS based navigation system (Sat Nav) which has maps indicating the location of fixed speed cameras must have the ‘fixed speed camera` deactivated, ideally they should be removed.
Sounds fun going to France ::)
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But will tmc work? :)
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But will tmc work? :)
Some stations are free, some are encrypted.
Obviously, you need a French map.
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Don't forget, France is mahoosive :o Basel, on the Swiss border is 400 miles away, yet only halfway down...
Also travelling costs are best split into 3 equal parts:
1. Fuel.
2. Tolls.
3. Fines.
2 and 3 can be lessened by avoiding the toll roads :y As good as the toll roads are, the main roads are in a better shape than ours, and free :y you will also see alot more of the place :y
P.S. don't forget your passports ::) they won't let you on the ferry without :-X
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Should point out that the speed limits are:
130kmh on motorways (dry)
110kmh on motorways (wet)
110kmh on some dual carriageways (normally signposted with that limit)
90kmh is their 'national speed limit' - ie, unspecified, unstreetlit, non built up areas
50khm is their normal urban limit, usually signposted, but follow our 30mph rules
Many towns/villages now have a 30kmh limit.
Speeding is class as antisocial out there, as drink driving is here. You are more likely, IMHO, to be pulled.
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My golden rule, pretty much anywhere in the world I have driven, is not to be the fastest thing on a stretch of road. Unfortunately in the land of the "cheese-eating, surrender monkeys" those GB plates normally make you an easy target.
Best bet is to stick to roughly the limits... I normally cruise at around 135kph on motorways in the dry and have been left alone so far :y
<rushes off to touch wood!>
As for roads choice... Depends what you are going for and what you wish to do ;) Sometimes it's just easier to pay the tolls and get on with it ;)
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But will tmc work? :)
Some stations are free, some are encrypted.
Obviously, you need a French map.
uk and major roads of Europe i fink...?
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But will tmc work? :)
Some stations are free, some are encrypted.
Obviously, you need a French map.
uk and major roads of Europe i fink...?
Trust me, that will be as much use as tunnie with a tight bolt.
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But will tmc work? :)
Some stations are free, some are encrypted.
Obviously, you need a French map.
uk and major roads of Europe i fink...?
Trust me, that will be as much use as tunnie with a tight bolt.
PMSL :D :D :D