First Time Taking Caravan to France!

[Boff]

As RayS mentioned, the sanneff tolling tag for the paege system is now called, emovis.
https://www.emovis-tag.co.uk/ its great, they bill you the following month and average out the exchange rates. That way your not using cash or card when on holiday. Well worth it. Where you go depends on how long your over for.[/quote]

I think that the Liber-T tag from ATMB works out cheaper. Linky

 

[Elwynhorton]

Quick question,
One of my neighbours says that we now need a green card for the insurance.
I thought this was replaced by the standard insurance certificate many years ago.
Does anyone know different?
Also, do we need headlight deflectors if only driving in daylight? Or are they compulsory full stop?
We are grateful for all the information and have now put a plan together.
I will post a summary in a few days.

 

[otherclive]

Quick question,
One of my neighbours says that we now need a green card for the insurance.
I thought this was replaced by the standard insurance certificate many years ago.
Does anyone know different?
Also, do we need headlight deflectors if only driving in daylight? Or are they compulsory full stop?
We are grateful for all the information and have now put a plan together.
I will post a summary in a few days.

While we are still in the EU you are correct you don't need a green card, but make sure that your normal cover is eligible for Europe, I assume you have fully comprehensive. Not all companies give it as standard.

Strictly speaking headlight deflectors are required although I see few Europeans using them in UK. Some cars can have the beam converted easily, but if not I would stick some deflectors on if only to ensure that the French police have no excuse to stop you.

 

[Hutch]

My insurance company , informed me that if I was going to travel to Europe they would give me a new "Green Card " form to cover in case of EU factions. .
Headlamp deflectors , some cars do it electrically. FOR THE £6 for deflectors , unless you want a big argument with the Genderame, stick them on. As per the breatherlisers. .
Big thing take your spare wheel out of the Alko carrier and carry the wheel in the car or caravan. Much safer. Even in the Uk.

 

[Elwynhorton]

Thank you.
The back of my insurance policy says 90 days European cover.
Good suggestion re the headlight deflectors

 

[Niall_McIntosh]

Quick question,
One of my neighbours says that we now need a green card for the insurance.
I thought this was replaced by the standard insurance certificate many years ago.
Does anyone know different?
Also, do we need headlight deflectors if only driving in daylight? Or are they compulsory full stop?
We are grateful for all the information and have now put a plan together.
I will post a summary in a few days.

The "Green Card" was a document which demonstrated that you held the minimum level of cover required for each European Economic Area (EEA) Country (EEA includes some non EU countries such as Switzerland). With harmonisation of motor insurance, it was no longer required as all motor policies issued within the EEA must provide the minumum cover required in all other countries. Note the use of the word minimum, this will usually only be Third Party cover. To retain your Fully Comprehensive cover you may require a Foreign Use Endorsement, for which there may be a charge (some companies include a number of days as standard). After Brexit, Green Cards MAY become required again, but hopefully common sense will prevail and the current system will be maintained.

 

[colinbal4]

.

 

[Gafferbill]

..............Strictly speaking headlight deflectors are required although I see few Europeans using them in UK. .

..........this fact used to puzzle me for years as to why continental vehicles did not need beam deflectors when driven on UK roads :huh:

The reason I now know is that their headlight pattern moves to dipped beam in a purely vertical movement whereas ours dip markedly to the left.
Hence we need to correct this when driving on the right and they don't when they drive on the left.

 

[Boff]

Some modern cars you can alter the beam pattern from within the car setup menus. I can with our Skoda Superb which I have no intention of using abroad. I can’t on the Touareg which has been used over there. I think it has a flat beam pattern.

 

[colinbal4]

.

 

[Craigyoung]

Just a thought as we are sorting all of our paper work out as well before we go in a week or so but double check your car insurance as you may be fully comp here but you are only 3rd party when you are abroad . :huh:

 

[otherclive]

Just a thought as we are sorting all of our paper work out as well before we go in a week or so but double check your car insurance as you may be fully comp here but you are only 3rd party when you are abroad . :huh:

Worth checking as you say as some companies include comprehensive and others it’s an extra.

 

[RayS]

Need for headlight deflectors depends on the car and it's age.
I questioned this after buying a 62reg Freelander for which the book claimed there were adjustment levers but none found on the vehicle. On closer investigation found that the headlights are single filament and the dip is obtained with a simple shutter which comes down part way when you dip. The pattern is straight ahead and not deflected to the side. I was advised that 'all' cars made since 2013 had such dip pattern under EU regulation. If you are at the front of the car, get someone to switch on and then dip the headlamps you can hear a muted clunk as the shutter operates. Or test at night against garage doors or something else white and convenient.

Things go full circle. the first car I owned was a 1938 Talbot 10 with a dip mechanism which physically moved the reflector behind the nearside headlamp downwards and put the off side one out altogether.
When I took this car to France in 1957 for some months I had to swap the mechanism and wiring over, but in those days you could see and reach everything much more easily than you can today.

 

[otherclive]

Need for headlight deflectors depends on the car and it's age.
I questioned this after buying a 62reg Freelander for which the book claimed there were adjustment levers but none found on the vehicle. On closer investigation found that the headlights are single filament and the dip is obtained with a simple shutter which comes down part way when you dip. The pattern is straight ahead and not deflected to the side. I was advised that 'all' cars made since 2013 had such dip pattern under EU regulation. If you are at the front of the car, get someone to switch on and then dip the headlamps you can hear a muted clunk as the shutter operates. Or test at night against garage doors or something else white and convenient.

Things go full circle. the first car I owned was a 1938 Talbot 10 with a dip mechanism which physically moved the reflector behind the nearside headlamp downwards and put the off side one out altogether.
When I took this car to France in 1957 for some months I had to swap the mechanism and wiring over, but in those days you could see and reach everything much more easily than you can today.

So that’s why my Skoda on dip isn’t good. Straight ahead is an awful compromise especially on our crowded roads.