OP
OP
Mid-August - the OH has the dates. Two weeks. Heading to Gers region. An hour or so NW of Toulouse I think.
Can't wait either.
Driving through France - Advice Needed
- Thread starter Londonscottish
- Start date
Mid-August - the OH has the dates. Two weeks. Heading to Gers region. An hour or so NW of Toulouse I think.
Can't wait either.
Spin_bowler
MB Enthusiast
Nice. I'm picking the OH and kids up from Toulouse Airport and heading about an hour and a half SW of there for week one and then moving further east towards Perpignan for week two. We can compare notes on our return.
Yep - definately check that spare - funnily enough i was obsessed about checking the spare before leaving so must have had a premonition! Also, if you have to break something, make sure you do it before 5pm on a saturday!!
Also, we had the liber-t widget - definately worth it, on one of the two of the tolls the queues were about 10 cars long, whereas we could glide straight through..
Also, we had the liber-t widget - definately worth it, on one of the two of the tolls the queues were about 10 cars long, whereas we could glide straight through..
Spin_bowler
MB Enthusiast
How did you get the liber-t tag? I have had a look at the sign up and it says that you need a French bank account. Did you get yours over there?
EDIT: Sorted, some more diligent Googling got me a result. Let's hope my pigeon French doesn't let me down.
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Some of them do bank account only - i got the Sanef one Offres Liber-t - sanef - i think i paid around 35euro deposit, it took about 10 days to arrive, and i have it hooked up to use my AMEX
The instructions weren't that clear to me the first year i tried to use it - though i think it failed because i had a climate comfort windscreen in my 3 series (which i didn't know at the time)
This year, because the sticky pad had come off then i got some velcro strips and put one on the screen to the left of the rear view mirror and one on the holder for the tag - that way, when through france i could pull it off.
People also advise you to take it off when parked outside, etc, as people do steal them (apparently) - with the velcro it meant i could pull it off and put it on without fiddling with the holder..
And finally, it is a bit scarey the first time, as you don't think it's going to work - on some of them then you get right up to near the barrier before the device beeps - with others then it does it as you enter the orange section.
The instructions weren't that clear to me the first year i tried to use it - though i think it failed because i had a climate comfort windscreen in my 3 series (which i didn't know at the time)
This year, because the sticky pad had come off then i got some velcro strips and put one on the screen to the left of the rear view mirror and one on the holder for the tag - that way, when through france i could pull it off.
People also advise you to take it off when parked outside, etc, as people do steal them (apparently) - with the velcro it meant i could pull it off and put it on without fiddling with the holder..
And finally, it is a bit scarey the first time, as you don't think it's going to work - on some of them then you get right up to near the barrier before the device beeps - with others then it does it as you enter the orange section.
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D
Deleted member 6183
Guest
I'm off early Sept for the umpteenth time.
Usually find the Autoroutes brilliant around lunch (12 to 3pm) hardly any cars and no police. There's a fantastic stretch between Nantes and Niort see for miles, good test of a car.
Don't be offended to find a French driver riding your back bumper, there's no offence intended they're just nutters.
Usually find the Autoroutes brilliant around lunch (12 to 3pm) hardly any cars and no police. There's a fantastic stretch between Nantes and Niort see for miles, good test of a car.
Don't be offended to find a French driver riding your back bumper, there's no offence intended they're just nutters.
lol - they are funny the way they hang off your bumper for miles. i find it odd when they zoom up clearly going much faster, hang off your bumper (while you're in the inside lane, and the outside is clear) - stay behind you for about 10 miles - then overtake and shoot off..
D
Deleted member 6183
Guest
Living where you do I'd be very tempted to spend some time on that motorway out of Porsmouth baiting the French registered cars who are as lost as I usually am over their side of the channel
I'm off on 11 August too - although not stopping in France (mutiny from the laddo, who hates the French and is studying Spanish) and so we're staying near Girona this year.
APRR do Liber-T Balade which can be charged to a credit card - here's the link. It costs €10 for the tag (including postage) and you only pay €1.50 per month that you use it. They send it after 8 days as they have to allow 7 days to cancel for on-line orders now. The trick is to get round the requirement for a valid French post code.....
SANEF only do the french bank account on-line now - if you phone them they will send a form that allows for credit card charging.
211 DVD Navigation will cover France - if you've got TMC in the UK then you should get it in France as well. Also, there is a dedicated traffic radio station for the motorways which has a bulletin in English every half hour or so IIRC - can often be useful to check just before a long haul.
WRT Xenons - pull off the black cover behind the light and you'll (eventually) find a little lever. Flick it across to the opposite position, and repeat for the other side. You'll then have a symmetrical dipped beam pattern that is fine for continental travel.
I've always tried to keep within the speed limits in France - had a mate who was pulled once on the way down and then again on the way back. Second time he had his licence and car confiscated until he could go in front of a magistrate - which seeing as it was a Saturday meant waiting until the Monday. His wife was not very pleased....
Also remember that the limit drops to 110kph in the rain or fog.
Apart from that, have a great trip. I always enjoy the drive, and we're planning a decent rest halt around Millau so that we can admire the bridge.
APRR do Liber-T Balade which can be charged to a credit card - here's the link. It costs €10 for the tag (including postage) and you only pay €1.50 per month that you use it. They send it after 8 days as they have to allow 7 days to cancel for on-line orders now. The trick is to get round the requirement for a valid French post code.....
SANEF only do the french bank account on-line now - if you phone them they will send a form that allows for credit card charging.
211 DVD Navigation will cover France - if you've got TMC in the UK then you should get it in France as well. Also, there is a dedicated traffic radio station for the motorways which has a bulletin in English every half hour or so IIRC - can often be useful to check just before a long haul.
WRT Xenons - pull off the black cover behind the light and you'll (eventually) find a little lever. Flick it across to the opposite position, and repeat for the other side. You'll then have a symmetrical dipped beam pattern that is fine for continental travel.
I've always tried to keep within the speed limits in France - had a mate who was pulled once on the way down and then again on the way back. Second time he had his licence and car confiscated until he could go in front of a magistrate - which seeing as it was a Saturday meant waiting until the Monday. His wife was not very pleased....
Also remember that the limit drops to 110kph in the rain or fog.
Apart from that, have a great trip. I always enjoy the drive, and we're planning a decent rest halt around Millau so that we can admire the bridge.
Spin_bowler
MB Enthusiast
Thanks for that. That's the link that I found, I used the post code of my friend's place over there and it worked fine. My only concern is whether there was enough of my address in the form to let the postal service work its magic, although I followed up with an email to their fulfilment people with the complete address. I shall cross everything and see what happens.
I won't be going over the Viaduc de Millau, alas, this year but will come back that way so I get to go over it once at least. If you like bridges it's also worth stopping at the aire which has a spectacular view over the Viaduc de Garabit. You may well have seen it already. Have a good trip yourself, we may well pass one another on the Autoroute at some point.
MarkJunedd
Active Member
Only advice I would give is buy your fuel at the supermarkets. Having returned from the south of france this morning, there is a vast difference in the prices between supermarket and motorway services, as much as 30 cents per litre so it pays to fill in towns, or centre comercail as they refer to them.
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Excellent advice
If you want to see how much fuel prices vary in France, then this French Government site is very useful.
killwilly
Active Member
I always take a litre of top-up engine oil. It.s not always possible to get the one you are using in France.
crockers
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I use my speedtronic - set it to 135 kph and relax and enjoy the scenery. Agree with the supermarket fuel advice. The French when overtaking use their indicators to continuously flash to indicate "I am overtaking"...
Would that be the same on mine?
Heading to Monaco Monday so reading with interest
Do you mind me asking what route your taking? Thinking of heading to Europe this year and thats on my list of "must sees"
jeremytaylor
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Yes the 211 DVD is Europe-wide. RTFM.
I never bother changing the headlamp beam, personally (how many of them do it when they come here?).
GB sticker on the back, hi-viz vest, 'leccy tyre pump, iPod connected - off you go! (but keep an eye on your speed - they are hotter over there now and hide their grey boxes in the bushes in the central reservation)
