We're off to France at the end of August and driving all the way from Aberdeen in the FL2.
Has anyone got any useful tips for driving their own car abroad.  ______________________
2011 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8
2012 FL2 SD4 Auto HSE
2013 Kawasaki Versys 650

Most useful tip you will get from someone who lives in Kent - When you get to Dover, don't try wading the FL2 across that river with Calais on the other bank. Take a ferry instead.  FL2 TD4 XS Santorini

Off anywhere nice

you will require a High Viz jacket or waste coat for each passenger (?) by law now in the cabin, within reach i.e not in the boot, as well as the warning triangle and i think spare bulbs and a working spare tyre

Make sure you have money for the toll roads, or visa as i believe they don't accept Switch Maestro at the toll booths. they didn't when i last drove over there

When I say you i mean the missus as she have to do the paying as the booths will be at her side

If you are unfortunate to fall foul of a breakdown, do your best to GET OFF the toll road, you would not be able to be picked up by LRA there, you need to be recovered by a private company, who will want paying there and then €220

Also ring and speak to your car insurance company, lots say your covered in europe, but its only third party only, you may need to pay a little more for fully comp cover Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

dont get stuck behind any caravans, that would really slow your journey time

take a high vis jacket for France and a warning triangle, spare bulbs, GB sticker, fit headlight beam deflectors, of you go have a good un  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

npinks wrote:

Off anywhere nice

you will require a High Viz jacket or waste coat for each passenger (?) by law now in the cabin, within reach i.e not in the boot, as well as the warning triangle and i think spare bulbs and a working spare tyre

Make sure you have money for the toll roads, or visa as i believe they don't accept Switch Maestro at the toll booths. they didn't when i last drove over there

When I say you i mean the missus as she have to do the paying as the booths will be at her side

If you are unfortunate to fall foul of a breakdown, do your best to GET OFF the toll road, you would not be able to be picked up by LRA there, you need to be recovered by a private company, who will want paying there and then €220
Also ring and speak to your car insurance company, lots say your covered in europe, but its only third party only, you may need to pay a little more for fully comp cover

Thanks for the replies chaps

Didn't know about that, thanks for the heads-up on that one Nick

We're off to see Mel's cousin again in a wee town called Le Bugue in the south west just north of Bergerac, but instead of flying & hiring have decided to take my car (at least we'll be able to bring back more duty-free with us )

It'll be serviced about a month before we go so should be no problems with it (fingers crossed)

Au revoir  ______________________
2011 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8
2012 FL2 SD4 Auto HSE
2013 Kawasaki Versys 650

Did this trip last summer! Highlands to France. As you're planning got it serviced just before we left which I think is a sensible thing to do. It was just a little early but well worth the peace of mind.
The Sat nav was a real asset but I would still recommend taking a map to plan where your going rather than zooming and scrolling all the time. Used the POI function a few times for finding hotels and calling them as we toured round (not completely organised and didn't have everything booked in advance!)
We were planning flying but after having the FL2 for a few months we decided to drive and it didnt miss a beat as we piled on the miles. Other than whats been mentioned previously about the safety gear theres no other advice I can offer. Have a great time.

Try to remember to have the headlights on at all times.It isn't yet law in France, but you will get pulled in a GB car with your lights off. You also need a GB sticker,
Don't turn up in France on a Sunday with an empty fuel tank as they still have a problem with opening on a Sunday.
Not all automated fuel stations accept UK credit/debit cards, especially the ones at Intermarche/Ecomarche/etc
DO NOT HAVE A RADAR DETECTOR IN THE CAR.
having one in the car, even when it isn't plugged in could result in your car being impounded
print off a copy of the letter available from most satnav sites in the UK which tells the french police, if you get stopped, that your satnav is not a radar detector i french
Have a good time

Don't forget to drive on the right!

Seriously, when driving in urban areas look out for the yellow diamonds which indicate that you have right of way. If you see one crossed out, such as:
then this means that traffic entering from the right have priority!! Meaning they will pull out in front of you!

I still forget when travelling in Normandy and frequently mutter "bloody frogs" as they attempt to drive into my path.

if you see the yellow triangle, which you will most of the time, this means you have priority.

Steve

Tandemman wrote:

Try to remember to have the headlights on at all times.It isn't yet law in France, but you will get pulled in a GB car with your lights off.
Have a good time

I've driven in France before in a hire car but not in my own.

Appreciate all the info given, cheers  ______________________
2011 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8
2012 FL2 SD4 Auto HSE
2013 Kawasaki Versys 650

Are you driving to deepest Dover or leaving the UK from Hull/Newcastle/Harwich? I can recommend the Hull/Zeebrugge route , get on the ferry at 6 pm ish, watch a cheesy cabaret have a meal and a few beers, retire to your cabin, wake at 6am in Belgium fresh and alert for the drive into France. Or stop and enjoy Belgium's charms on your way , Brugges for one is a great town Don't believe everything you hear about the Belgians some of them are pretty cool A night in Brussels is a real eye opener , strong beer, stuffed horses, peeing statues, crazy locals. Sadly they make terrible chips/french fries ( with mayo on ), their frying skills are just an urban myth..great chocolates though.


If you choose Hull why not call in for a tractor driving lesson on your way past my place (only £500 per hour + fuel + insurance + vat ) At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

chicken george wrote:

Are you driving to deepest Dover or leaving the UK from Hull/Newcastle/Harwich? I can recommend the Hull/Zeebrugge route , get on the ferry at 6 pm ish, watch a cheesy cabaret have a meal and a few beers, retire to your cabin, wake at 6am in Belgium fresh and alert for the drive into France. Or stop and enjoy Belgium's charms on your way , Brugges for one is a great town Don't believe everything you hear about the Belgians some of them are pretty cool A night in Brussels is a real eye opener , strong beer, stuffed horses, peeing statues, crazy locals. Sadly they make terrible chips/french fries ( with mayo on ), their frying skills are just an urban myth..great chocolates though.


If you choose Hull why not call in for a tractor driving lesson on your way past my place (only £500 per hour + fuel + insurance + vat )

Nice offer CG but unfortunatley I'll need all my cash for fuel for my car. Another time perhaps

We're driving all the way to Dover, I like driving plus its a shorter ferry route.  ______________________
2011 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8
2012 FL2 SD4 Auto HSE
2013 Kawasaki Versys 650

while in France travel to St Emilion and then the to the coast to the huge sand dune just south of Arcachon bay (dune de pyla) well worth it and great seafood.

 At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

C.George on Belgium: "Sadly they make terrible chips/french fries."

Well, you haven't bought them in the right place. Perhaps in the tourist traps. The truth is that the Belgians make the best chips in the world. You need to get them from the roadside 'friteries'. They fry them twice. First they partially fry them, and then when you order them, they fry them again - to perfection. Crisp and dry. Its true that 'French fries' should really be called 'Belgiam fries'.

They also make the brest beer. And I say these things as an Englishman.

On some other comments. The idea that GB cars would be stopped for not having their headlights on in the day sounds implausible. The idea that every passenger needs its own hi-vis vest sounds doubtful. Yes, several European countries require the vest to be in the front of the car, but one is enough.

Yes, beware of the 'priority from the right'. Very common still in Belgium. Less so in France.

The key thing is to be aware that every country has its own driving habits and etiquette. Its important to try and follow and understand this, but without getting frustrated that they don't do it like us. For example: in both France and Belgium, drivers are very poor at using indicators. They are also pretty poor at 'giving way'. When they have priority, they take it! When you indiate to change lanes on the motorway, don't expect others to slow up to let you in. You need to wait til they pass.

Vive la difference!.

You will also need a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.
I am going this year and at the moment there are some good offers with Norfolk Line, Dover to Dunkirk.
The ferry port is on the Calais side of Dunkirk.
Cameras are now starting to appear in France but they don,t look like ours.
Oh and you don,t need GB plates if you have the Euro symbol on your number plates.