ALL ALONE IN FRANCE

[darrell_5099783]

hi all..

just had some great news..NOT.. had a holiday booked to france since last yr with friends.( 2 weeks in vendee) and now they have pulled out.. what i want to know is.?? how daunting is it driving in france.. it was going to be ok i thought, 2 caravans would have been a lot better than 1. we could have shared the responsibilities.. how hard is it driving in france.. what do i need to know.. if anyone can give me any tips on anything i might need to know i would be grateful..

thanks daz

 

[cris_408518]

First rule we made when travelling with caravanning friends or family is set the destination and a time and meet up their and do the driving your own way alone.

Riding Bikes my friends and I always do our own thing or you can have people playing catch up and that can lead to problems for those following.

Driving in France is a doddle compared to England as the roads in general have far far less traffic.

www.viamichelin.com for a route and you can customize it for type of car and towing. I wouldn't drive any more wthout a Satnav, but that is down to your personal preference.

When you arrive in France put your ferry mirror ticket dangly thing in the windsreen pillar to the right of your steering wheel where it is at the side of line of site. That folded up ticket has to be to the kerb side and is the way you turn at roundabouts and then you will keep on the correct side of the road. After you've told yourself that, it sticks in your head that it's their for a reason.

Forget your friends and just go for it, fuel is sheaper in Hypermarkets but take care that their is room to get your caravan out of the very narrow Hypermarket pay booth chicanes.

24/7 fuel stations mean that the pumps take a card for payment in towns and rural areas at night and weekends, The pumps still do no take an English cards pin. So make sure you have fuel at night and on the weekends.

Your UK credit and debit cards will work in shops and at fuel station tills and in ATM's which have instructions in English.

Don't look back just enjoy the trip.

 

[darrell_5099783]

hi cris..

thanks for the info.. we were considering cancelling too but after some deliberation decided to go ahead and take the trip.. it just seemed a bit daunting with us not having driven that far before..think i would be ok getting to calais then i have visions of the problems kicking in when i hit france.. is there only 1 route to the vendee.. i have bought a tom tom 510 to use but as of yet not put the route in..does the viamichelin you mentioned give better directions..?? we drive a freelander and tow a 23.5ft van so i better look out for the petrol stations with plenty of room to maneouver.. dont want to cause chaos..

thanks again for the advice..

daz

 

[lee2]

hi cris..

thanks for the info.. we were considering cancelling too but after some deliberation decided to go ahead and take the trip.. it just seemed a bit daunting with us not having driven that far before..think i would be ok getting to calais then i have visions of the problems kicking in when i hit france.. is there only 1 route to the vendee.. i have bought a tom tom 510 to use but as of yet not put the route in..does the viamichelin you mentioned give better directions..?? we drive a freelander and tow a 23.5ft van so i better look out for the petrol stations with plenty of room to maneouver.. dont want to cause chaos..

thanks again for the advice..

daz

Hello daz. We find driving on a Sunday easier - HGV's are not allowed. Happy driving.

 

[ValA.]

Darrell - please don't worry - you'll have a great time. Just take some time to really plan your route before you set off, even if you are using SatNav. The service areas off autoroutes are no problem, even for the largest van - and there are always the specialist HGV pumps which are often used by large outfits. Everything is more geared up to caravanning than in England - there are proper areas to park, with plenty of room, and often picnic facilities (tables, litter bins, etc) nearby.

Another way to remember the correct side when you're driving is 'keep your bum in the gutter' and this will ensure you go the correct way around roundabouts, pulling out of petrol stations, etc). Honestly, towing in France is a pleasure compared to England - and as said, if you travel on a Sunday the roads are empty of HGVs apart from refrigerated ones.

The autoroutes in France are mainly toll - you can pay with an English credit card, but some tolls are very small so keep some small change handy in your car. Take a ticket from the booth on entering the autoroute, and on exiting, or at various points on route, hand in the toll ticket and the price comes up on a notice on the toll booth. The passenger nearly always has to pay the toll, but sometimes there are 'English' booths where you can pay on the driver's side. Some areas around major towns are free, some you have to pay a couple of euros.

On viamichelin you can put in your 'preferences' for the route - so if you've an overnight stop planned somewhere you can enter that as a 'via' and it will calculate you a route with the overnight stop planned. It will also tell you approximate driving time, tolls, etc. You may find it's also worth having a paper map (michelin road atlas for France is great) just in case anything goes wrong with the technology.

Take the tip in one of the above postings, and always fill up in supermarket petrol stations (once you don't have the van with you - ie on site, and when sightseeing) but use the autoroute petrol stations on the journey there and back, it's easier. Make sure you have a warning triangle, first aid kit, and high-vis vest with you, as these are legal requirements. Also you may need to adjust your headlights, either electronically or with blackout tape, for driving on the wrong side. Watch out for police on junctions - they're often there to make sure you stop at the STOP sign, and you'll have an instant fine if you don't. There's a great posting on the uk campsite website (http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_forum_topics.asp?ForumID=7) for first timers in France. Hope you have a great time, and if there's anything else you need to know I'm sure there's someone here who can help.

 

[darrell_5099783]

hi valerie..

thank you for the advice.. it is all getting printed out to help us on our way.. will probably have more weight in a4 paper than all our stuff put together on the day of departure..

once again thank you

daz

 

[cris_408518]

Hi Darell.

Valerie has explained that petrol stations are fine on the autoroutes etc, it's only in the Hypermarkets that you need to check out the exits.

I wouldn't give Calais to the Vendee a second thought for a one day trip in France towing. We've done Jard to calais both ways in one hit and further, I love driving, but wouldn't thik of doing 400 + miles in the UK in a day.

France is so easy we have done 500 miles + with the caravan quite a lot of times and when working in Europe I do a lot more down through France.

You should find that your Satnav takes you from Calais to Rouen - LeMans - Angers - Cholet and towards La Roroche or wherever you are going much the same as Via Michelin. It is all very easy and nearly all Motorway all the way and averaging 60 miles in an hour is quite easy if you desire a lot of the time.

When you get back you will wonder why you ever wooried ;-)

 

[sharpy]

darrell, driving in france is nothing like driving in the uk, it's an absolute pleasure!! sure, to start with it's daunting, but i'll bet that towing for the first time was too?

please don't worry, the road signs are far better than here, display more relevant information and are often larger. the roads generally, are the best you've driven on. roadworks (when there are any) have little or no effect on your journey.

within 10 or so miles i'll wager you'll wonder what all the worry was about.

just don't forget your triangles, yellow jackets (one for everybody) and first aid kit. if you wear glasses then you'll need a spare pair too. a cheap bulb/fuse kit costing a couple of quid should also be included.

cheers .dave

 

[Angela_5076436]

Don't forget that the Hi Vis must now be in the car with you.

Recent changes insist that if you get out of the car the Hi Vi must be on

 

[SteveW77]

The use of a high vis vest is not mandatory in France at this time.

Steve W

 

[Cockovan]

I personally would NOT recommend trying this sort of distance in one journey for a fisrt time in France, particularly if you have children. We spend a month each year over the last 15years touring France and although I agree with the ease of driving we do not aim to drive more than 300 in a day, our youngest is now 9, its not just the driving but the passengers you have to consider.

 

[EvansofSprot]

500 miles is ridiculous - you're on holiday young man!

 

[Anthony_5105557]

Hi Darrell I am going to France in July & I am driving over there for the first time I am doing 203 miles to site near the village Le Plessis-Feu-Aussoux I hope you have a good time sorry I can't be of much help as to driving in France but at least you know you are not the only one driving there for the first time.

 

[john_374300705]

believ me you wont be alone in France there will be loads of other UK caravaners all over the place at service stations on the ferry on the motorway all desperate to tell you how to go on and what to do. my advice would be dont plan to much and take it as it comes its easy and if you can drive in the UK you can drive anywhere!

 

[Robert_374242026]

Hello Darrel,I would sooner drive 600 miles in France than the same mileage in UK.Especially useing the N roads.Apart from the language i find every thing better.

 

[Patricia_374236243]

Hi

We've driven many times in France and LOVE IT !!. It is so much more relaxing, even in summer and as for looking out for petrol stations with good access you'll discover virtually all have. If you intend to use the motorways then the service areas are large with easy access and the picnic stops, with toilets etc., are still capable of taking you though you'd most likely have to go in the commercial vehicle area. You don't say when you are travelling but if in the height of summer the lorries are kept off the road most of the day at weekends.

Fuel is considerably cheaper as well.

OK, when going round Paris it will be busy, but avoid obvious busy times and you'll manage! My navigator doesn't read maps but we haven't got lost yet!

Relax and enjoy.

Pat

 

[RayS]

Lots of good advice already. Suggest you get CC Camping Europe volume 1 which is primarily a site guide but has sections of advice on driving, planning, medical, and lots of contact numbers which we hope you never need.

Autoroutes are very easy driving although are getting a bit expensive in places. Get the current Michelin maps and/or put in your route to www.viamichelin.com which will print out showing you the exact road signs you will see. Another good site is www.mappy.fr which enables you to go into English at the first screen.

There tends to be less HGV traffic on the roads 12.00 - 14.00 - lunchtime, but equally it can be a bit frantic around towns at the beginning and end of the this period - particulalry around industrial estates etc. Don't stand between a Frenchman and his lunch.

If your satnav has French speed camera warnings there may be a problem as they don't like speed camera detectors at all. I don't know the full ins and outs of this one, but I'm sure there is someone out there who will.