Duffer Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Hi All, I'm hoping to travel down to the Auvergne by motorhome in mid-March for 2 or 3 weeks. (I know it won't be hot, but I'm fed up with wearing thermals and walking in Derbyshire rain and mud :-) I've been motorhoming and caravanning for 12 years, but have never crossed the channel with them. I'll go through the tunnel as it's easier for the dogs, and then travel by N roads and toll-free motorways. Can anyone offer help, guidance or advice for a first time abroad? I've got a satnav, and the ACSI and aires books, and a few apps, but my biggest concern is the driving. New road signs, regulations etc and being on the 'wrong' side of the road for the first time could make it a stressful trip. The dogs aren't a lot of help - they look out the window but won't say what's heading towards us, so overtaking could be difficult if the vehicle I'm passing is big (a wagon?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zydeco Joe Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Long time since my first trip over the channel into France but still remember it... no it was not that bad. My tips would be avoid citys and travel outside peak times. As for passing big wagons, don't bother they are not that slow you are in a motorhome so should not be bothered by being a few minuets longer getting to any place. Stay safe and have fun. We are down in Spain having driven from the tunnel with no real problems driving that is lol. John ps gassing does not happen never has or never will so forget that one and the French are no worse at driving as any Brit, well most of them that is. B-) B-) B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 Zydeco Joe - 2018-01-16 7:20 PM Long time since my first trip over the channel into France but still remember it... no it was not that bad. My tips would be avoid citys and travel outside peak times. As for passing big wagons, don't bother they are not that slow you are in a motorhome so should not be bothered by being a few minuets longer getting to any place. Stay safe and have fun. We are down in Spain having driven from the tunnel with no real problems driving that is lol. John ps gassing does not happen never has or never will so forget that one and the French are no worse at driving as any Brit, well most of them that is. B-) B-) B-) Thanks for that. I wasn't thinking of overtaking wagons as I'd rather have them in front of me than behind! I was more concerned about passing them if they're parked up. Spain? You're missing the snow :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zydeco Joe Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 No I'm not missing the SNOW ...lol. Good weather today sunny at about 18 all day blue sky etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 Zydeco Joe - 2018-01-16 7:34 PM No I'm not missing the SNOW ...lol. Good weather today sunny at about 18 all day blue sky etc. It's about 18 here too on top of this hill in Derbyshire. Farenheit (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Welcome to the forum Keith and I'm sure that you will get answers to all sorts of questions, many of which you did not even ask! One of the biggest problems to overcome is being able to pay tolls etc from the wrong side of the cab and a very handy credit card or pile of low value notes and loose coins for when the card is declined might help. Also be sure to do your seat belt up before moving off just in case beady eyes are waiting for the chance to nick the unwary for not wearing a seat belt! Driving on the wrong side just takes a lot of care and a lot of observation and I found quickly gets much easier the more you do it and as everyone else is on the wrong side too that helps you get it right. The particular danger points we found were roundabouts where it is so easy to go the wrong way round, pulling out of a side turning onto a main road where it is so easy to go the wrong way especially if there is not much traffic about, leaving a lay by, or shop, or filling station etc on non dual carriageways where it is so easy to be on the wrong side until someone heads straight at you and reminds you! Overtaking especially on non dual roads is also a particular danger and can be quite fraught. Sometimes a glance at the sat nav map can give you an idea when a long straight, or a very long gradual sweeping left hand curve can allow you to see around the truck or tractor you are stuck behind. In general whilst it is of course unsafe to follow the car in front when overtaking the fact that he is out there covering the road can sometimes give you enough time to at least have a quick look as long as you leave yourself enough room and time to quickly get back in if need be. I made a bracket and fitted my TomTom on top of the speedo in line with, but just below, my forward vision and I found that it was a lot easier to use. Remove sat nav when leaving the van. Some sat navs have the option of a voice warning to tell you which side to be on and although they can become quite wearing after a while it's better than a head on crash! French road signs can be a bit odd at times but the main ones are pretty self explanatory and there is plenty online to read and look at. Being alone it will pay to get a detailed route planned and entered into the sat nav before you start each day but if you enter too much it may slow down rerouting when you get a 'deviation' as the French call a diversion or go wrong or just decide on a whim to go a different way. We found the Vicarious French Aires book to be very good and with lots of pictures and often good descriptions with generally reliable lat and long making it easier to preselect one - or more - that appeals to navigate to and well worth doing when you stop and have the time rather than when you have to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 That's all excellent advice. I've heard of people sticking post-it notes on the screen to remind them. I've navigated down there before and had a driver that kept forgetting - it got scary so perhaps that's why I'm wary of leaping in to the unknown! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 A decent rear view camera and getting to know the actual distances it shows can easily work out less expensive than replacement panels, if the panels even exist , and I always liked the added protection of a strong steel rear bumper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 I've been looking online to see if there's such a thing as a forward looking camera with a separate monitor. That would add a pair of eyes to the near side (well, off side) but they don't seem to exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 I don't recall ever having a problem going around anything parked, but I may have forgot as there is always two of us. The biggest problem with remembering which side of road to drive on is when pulling out of a junction or pulling away from side of road. When I set a route on my TomTom when setting off it reminds me to drive on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 You've been before, so you'll know that the French, generally, drive at, or just above, their speed limits. "Doodling" just isn't the French way! If you aren't going fast enough, you will be overtaken, not always in the most sensible of places! I'm going to disagree with Tracker over following overtaking cars. Motorhomes don't have the acceleration for hedge-hopping along queues of vehicles, and the gaps in the queue tend to shrink as drivers see one go past, and begin to think they may have a go too. 20 feet plus of motorhome trying to insert itself into a diminishing gap isn't the best recipe for relaxed driving! The French have become very cautious about speed limits recently, due to much more attention being paid to speed by the police, especially in build up areas. Also there are various ANPR radar traps that are not easy to spot. Locals seem to know where to take liberties, but I think it safer not to make assumptions. I'm assuming you already know that the 50kph speed limit for built up areas begins at the town/village name board (unless otherwise indicated), and is cancelled by the name board with a diagonal line through it? Beware the 30kph limits in towns - they are not always clearly visible (parked vehicles etc.). Also be aware that in towns, especially when within a pedestrian friendly (no kerbs etc.) 30kph speed limit area, there is a presumption of priority in favour of pedestrians. Also be aware that priority on the right still persists in a number of rural towns and villages. Your clue is an absence of junction markings on side roads. Tracker has mentioned a number of instances where there is a particular risk of driving off on the left. The greatest danger is after the first couple of days driving, when one begins to relax and think on" is "in the swing". Some years ago we were visited by French friends, and his tendency to revert to the right was countered by a little mantra to "turn left on the left", "turn right on the right", etc. Repeating that to yourself may work (though it needs reversing for France! :-)). Roundabouts are unfathomable. There are still a number of French drivers who passed their tests before roundabouts were commonplace - they are now: very! The taught convention on signalling, and on which lane to take, has varied over time, meaning that those who have passed their tests at different times were taught different techniques. So, some don't signal at all, some signal right turn to enter the roundabout, then change to left signal to go round it, and then signal right again to leave. Some drive round in the outside lane irrespective of how far around they are going, some signalling, others not (apparently they were taught that the inside lane was reserved for the semi-trailers of "artics"!). And of course, that wonderful French tendency to landscape their roundabouts with sculpture and ornamental gardens, designed to prevent drivers reading (even seeing!) traffic already on the roundabout until the last minute, all adds to the fun. Just don't expect it to work as in the UK, but in reverse. It don't, though it does just about work! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 Thanks Brian, that's all very helpful and covers the areas that concern me most and that I need to pay particular attention to. Priority to the right, roundabouts, etc . As you say, the danger is probably when you start to relax. You'd think that one of the major clubs would use the roads on one of their closed sites over winter to run a basic course for numptys like me! I remember when I first went to Malta that they actually drove on the side with most shade, and at junctions right of way belonged to the vehicle with the loudest horn :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Duffer - 2018-01-17 9:57 AM.... I'll go through the tunnel as it's easier for the dogs, and then travel by N roads and toll-free motorways. .... Don't be too obsessional about avoiding motorway tolls or you will make life unneccessarily complicated for yourself. For example driving S from Calais on the A16, stay on and pay the toll for one junction to get over the viaducts and past Boulogne, otherwise you'll get bogged down in traffic for the sake of a couple of Euros. Likewise when going through Rouen, pay €3.20 to use the A13 to get away from the City (and on to the free A154) because otherwise it's a nightmare of traffic and urban roads. Our dog always took Dover-Calais ferries in her stride but you are right, the Tunnel is better. It's the same thing, don't bite your nose off to spite your face. Unless you have tag axles at the rear, in which case toll charges are really steep, French motorways can be a very pleasant way to make a transit journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Brian Kirby - 2018-01-16 10:58 PM Roundabouts are unfathomable. There are still a number of French drivers who passed their tests before roundabouts were commonplace - they are now: very! The taught convention on signalling, and on which lane to take, has varied over time, meaning that those who have passed their tests at different times were taught different techniques. So, some don't signal at all, some signal right turn to enter the roundabout, then change to left signal to go round it, and then signal right again to leave. Some drive round in the outside lane irrespective of how far around they are going, some signalling, others not (apparently they were taught that the inside lane was reserved for the semi-trailers of "artics"!). And of course, that wonderful French tendency to landscape their roundabouts with sculpture and ornamental gardens, designed to prevent drivers reading (even seeing!) traffic already on the roundabout until the last minute, all adds to the fun. Just don't expect it to work as in the UK, but in reverse. It don't, though it does just about work! :-D No different to the UK then, and no I'm not joking. p.s. And that includes 'landscaping' the roundabouts, a complaint was put in about the visibility on a couple of roundabouts on the Bedford bypass, the reply was they where built so that you can't see what the traffic is doing that is coming around the roundabout so you will slow down! I sometimes wonder if this was the same moron who designed a roundabout in Shefford that had to be remade several times so the trucks could get round it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 StuartO - 2018-01-17 8:05 AM Don't be too obsessional about avoiding motorway tolls or you will make life unneccessarily complicated for yourself . If I was driving on my own I reckon I would avoid motorways too. I think I would find constantly scrambling across to the passengers side to pay the toll, an unnecessary complication. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Duffer - 2018-01-16 6:57 PM Can anyone offer help, guidance or advice for a first time abroad? I've got a satnav, and the ACSI and aires books, and a few apps, but my biggest concern is the driving. New road signs, regulations etc and being on the 'wrong' side of the road for the first time could make it a stressful trip. I don't think you'll find it as bad as it seems. My advice would be to just take your time - just follow other traffic for a while ( no unnecessary overtaking ) and avoid towns and cities. Although most towns seem to have by-passes which are easy to navigate. Most dodgy time I've always found is when there is no other traffic about. If you come out of a layby or garage into a traffic stream you automatically join the correct lane - but if there's no other traffic it's easy to revert back to U.K. mode ! ( Actually happened in reverse to me in Scotland. As I've almost always driven the van on the continent I'm used to driving it on the right. I left a remote campsite in Scotland once - and with no other traffic about - I started driving on the right. Suddenly realized it when I saw a car coming towards me in the distance ! ) One useful sign to know in France is a small yellow diamond - which means that the road you are on has priority - if you see a yellow diamond with a black line through it ( usually when entering towns and villages) - you no longer have priority- so watch out for traffic joining from side roads. Most signs are self explanatory - the ones at roundabouts simply say " you have not got priority " ( i.e. give way to the left ). Have a good trip. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 malc d - 2018-01-17 9:51 AM StuartO - 2018-01-17 8:05 AM Don't be too obsessional about avoiding motorway tolls or you will make life unneccessarily complicated for yourself . If I was driving on my own I reckon I would avoid motorways too. I think I would find constantly scrambling across to the passengers side to pay the toll, an unnecessary complication. ;-) On our first trip across Europe would have to get out the car to pay if it had roof up, nowadays have the TT set to avoid tolls and have had no problems in Calais or Rouen, we did pay the toll to cross Millau viaduct, but only because we had made a detour to do just that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 I found the French way of pointing their road signs was not easy, when its pointing left at a junction it really means 'take this road' and not go to the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Duffer - 2018-01-17 7:29 AM Thanks Brian, that's all very helpful and covers the areas that concern me most and that I need to pay particular attention to. Priority to the right, roundabouts, etc . As you say, the danger is probably when you start to relax. You'd think that one of the major clubs would use the roads on one of their closed sites over winter to run a basic course for numptys like me! I remember when I first went to Malta that they actually drove on the side with most shade, and at junctions right of way belonged to the vehicle with the loudest horn :-) I saw a wonderful sign in a French village a few years back, at the entrance to a narrow lane. It said (liberally translated) "The first to enter has priority"! In France? Zut! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Brian Kirby - 2018-01-16 10:58 PM I'm going to disagree with Tracker over following overtaking cars. Motorhomes don't have the acceleration for hedge-hopping along queues of vehicles, and the gaps in the queue tend to shrink as drivers see one go past, and begin to think they may have a go too. 20 feet plus of motorhome trying to insert itself into a diminishing gap isn't the best recipe for relaxed driving! That is NOT what I said Brian, read it again, but for those in any doubt I will attempt to clarify further.. Very obviously, do NOT blindly follow anyone overtaking a slow moving truck or tractor but you can use the fact that the road should be clear enough for him/her to be out there passing in the first place to enable you to move out, without passing or drawing level, to take a look and then move swiftly back in if the road is not clear. Using common sense I tended to leave a gap and let any faster cars through first so that I then have the peace of mind from knowing there is no one impatiently up my tail . I do hope that is clear now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Duffer - 2018-01-16 8:08 PM I've been looking online to see if there's such a thing as a forward looking camera with a separate monitor. That would add a pair of eyes to the near side (well, off side) but they don't seem to exist. Over the years there have been various gizmos designed to make overtaking safer when driving a RHD vehicle in countries that have 'right-hand traffic’ (or when driving a LHD vehicle in countries that have ‘left-hand traffic’) These products have used a pair of mirrors as shown in this advert https://tinyurl.com/y7ucr8ro The type of camera-based system you mention is advertised on this website http://www.4kam.com/continental_cam_lhd_rhd_car_camera.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fellwalker1 Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 The sign I loved most was, approaching a junction, "toute directions" (all routes) pointing right, and "autre directions" (other routes) pointing left! Confusing, or what? I wish I could remember where it was. I think I have subsequently concluded that "toute directions" refers to all through traffic, I.e routes beyond the nearest town. So, unless you are close to your destination, take "toute directions". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinM50 Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Having lived in France for six years and been there with caravans and motorhomes the last few years too, I think it's fair to give my p.o.v. Generally I think the French are better, more curteous drivers than us Brits. I like their habit of, if coming up behind you on a motorway rather than flash their headlights and sit 2 metres off your bumper, they just click their offside indicator on to let you know they're there and politely ask you to move over and let them through. Tres poli. They also are more likely to let you out of junctions and in the main are much more sensible with their driving. Never seen a boy racer on the road though they do tend to have a brmm brmm play round the supermarket car parks at night. Car drivers in the main had scooters and small motorbikes when they were teenagers so they're more aware of them and more forgiving of "stupid lads" making a cock up. Where I lived it was close to a petrol garage and there was a roundabout there that regularly had diesel spllled on the rod from overfilled trucks and caused scooterists/bikers to fall off. French car drivers were the first to stop and help rather than the Brits who would stop and laugh and take the p88s. Only time i had a problem was driving my 1930's style kit car. Kitcars are forbidden in France and so very rare and the amount of people that would slow down and on two occasions stopped me to chat about the car was incredible. On one occasion I was stopped by M. le Gendarme purely because he'd never seen one before and he called up his mates at the station to come out and see the car. Stopped at a set of lights on one occasion right outside a bar and one of the waitresses came running over, effusively talking about the car, in French obviously, then just jumped in and asked me to give her a ride. Mine was painted in Navy Blue, which they call French Blue so tres patriotic. Link to Google Wouldn't have any qualms about driving (defensively) in France. Of course if you want to drive like a prat, be prepared to be treated like one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 ColinM50 - 2018-01-17 12:16 PM Generally I think the French are better, more curteous drivers than us Brits. They also are more likely to let you out of junctions and in the main are much more sensible with their driving. . I think the " politeness " of drivers is proportional to the congestion on the roads - so the comparatively quiet roads of France could explain why you find French drivers more courteous. The difference always hits me when we arrive back in the U.K. after a month wandering leisurely around France. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 malc d - 2018-01-17 9:51 AM StuartO - 2018-01-17 8:05 AM Don't be too obsessional about avoiding motorway tolls or you will make life unneccessarily complicated for yourself . If I was driving on my own I reckon I would avoid motorways too. I think I would find constantly scrambling across to the passengers side to pay the toll, an unnecessary complication. ;-) Worse than that - I'd have to get out and walk around the van because it's not easy to get the right distance from the toll catcher! The drivers behind would love me (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.