Club 80-90 Forums

We are heading off to France soon. We are roughly planning on Dunkirk, Paris, Le Mans, La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Cap Feret. We have the Aires book so will use these but will want to stay on campsites also. Ideally nice views and showers. Any places/route you can recommend would be appreciated.

I have heard you need to take certain items when travelling in France but have only found you must have a warning triangle. Is this correct?

Thanks

Tom

ninja.turtle007 wrote:I have heard you need to take certain items when travelling in France but have only found you must have a warning triangle. Is this correct?

Thanks

Tom

Found this:

Warning triangle: if your vehicle breaks down or is involved in an accident, you must give warning to approaching traffic by placing a warning triangel 50 - 150 metres behind your vehicle. The use of hazard warning lights alone is not enough.

A complete set of light bulbs: all lamps, including lenses and reflectors must be in working order, even during daylight hours. Failure to be in a position to replace an exterior bulb could result in temporary cessation of your journey and/or an on-the-spot fine.

Headlamp beam adaptors: failure to adapt your headlamps at any time, day or night, will render your vehicle unfit for use on the road and could invalidate your motor insurance.

GB sticker: required by law to indicate country of registration.

First Aid kit and fire extinguisher: The European Good Samaritan Law requires every driver to stop and provide assistance when an accident is encountered, providing it is safe to do so. This may require a first aid kit and fire extinguisher and it is advisable to have these items when driving in France.

Reflective vest: Anyone providing roadside assistance or leaving a stranded vehicle should always wear a reflective vest for their own safety. This is now a legal requirement in a number of European countries. (I carry one per person)

A GB Sticker is not necessary if you have the European style number plates which have the country code as part of the plate.

Don't forget that your Hi-Viz vests need to be reachable from within the vehicle (not normally an issue for us).

Some countries require a spare set of spectacles for drivers who need them.

Have a good look at the toll roads (peage) as it can be quite expensive on some routes from what I have heard

ninja.turtle007 wrote:We are heading off to France soon. We are roughly planning on Dunkirk, Paris, Le Mans, La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Cap Feret. We have the Aires book

There's an Aire about 20 klicks south of Le Mans (if ou want I'll look in our aires book for the exact one, but that will be Monday), in the center of a little town/village it's behind a supermarket and has a bar and a boulangerie/pattiserie withing easy walking distance. BUT be warned the church bells ring all night and beware the mad Canadian woman !! ... when she met us she'd not spoken English for 40 years since moving to France and she was determined to make up fer lost time

Ian

Thanks for the replies. I will get the ful kit, I see the AA do a bundle.

Ian, thanks I would like the location please.

I've never driven in France before. Are their lots of campsites? Or do we really need to make plans before leaving?

Driving is easy and more relaxed than here, after an hour you'll forget we drive on the wrong side. The law forbids lorries from overtaking each other on the long uphill stretches and the hard shoulder turns into a crawler lane to be replaced by small refuges .... WHY can't we do that here ?? ... many of the motorways have no embankments so you can still see the expansive scenery, unlike here. If you need to cover the ground use the Peage (toll motorways) otherwise kick back and enjoy the feel of France on the equivalent of our A and B roads. Watch your speed through towns and villages and keep an eye out on the smaller roundabouts

There's loads of Aires and even more places to free-camp IF you use your noggin and have a good old butchers around the place first. Most large towns have Camping Municipal which are council-run campsites ... E14 ish/night, they are quite rudimentary though and can be VERY packed in popular areas, you can't book them in advance so it's turn up and see. Most seem to be run by old dragons who take the mandatory French 3 hour lunch break and who speak no English at all.

Nothing beats the fresh morning walk/ride to the boulangerie for bread, croissants and pain-au-chocolat. If you see some darker brown denser looking croissants thay are almond and SO good dipped in a coffee I'll dig the aire details out when I can and get back to you

Ian

You really need to get an up to date camping book. Sites that may have been there a year or two ago may well have closed down. I have a michelin one and an AA one. There are parts of Northern France between the coast and Paris where sites are few and far between. Once past Paris they begin to increase rapidly. France has thousands of sites. I will always use them as aires are not particlarly safe places to stop over. Enjoy yourself and keep safe.

Thanks. Just got the michelin guide.
Just need to brush up on my really poor French. Lost a stone in weight fixing my van up over the last 8 weeks. But plan puttingit all back on with good wine, cheese, pate, salami and bread!

Have always found the remote aires to be pretty safe. The ones tucked away near picturesque villages in the a*** end of nowhere.

Hi there,
Every town and village has a tourist office. Opening hours vary, but the staff can always speak a bit of English, and are usually enthuiastic. They will print off info and draw you maps. Nigel.

ninja.turtle007 wrote: Ian, thanks I would like the location please.

The aire in question is at Laigne-en-Belin ... gps is N46 19.901 W001 18.503

Sorry for the delay, I've been stuck at head office

Ian

We never really "aimed" for anywhere as when we found somewhere interesting we asked at the Tourist Info Office and found them very helpfull with campsites, locations, prices and some of them even booked ahead for us. We have been three times now Dover/Dunkirk and I suprised myself how quickly I got used to driving on the wrong side. In more remote areas the Tomtom found us a couple of sites. Have fun.

Thanks.

Au revoir mon amis!!