first time travelling France

[stardreamer]

Hi, we are off to France for 3 weeks in September. It is our first trip abroad in our motorhome. Can anyone give us tips on easily accessible places to stay, particularly on our first few days. We are travelling from folkestone via the channel tunnel to sangatte. We have concerns about driving on the opposite side of the road and whether or not we will understand the road signs etc. Our plan is to go down the coast and eventually end up in Brittany. Any advice would be most appreciated.

[Tony Jones]

Hi David, and welcome.

You've already made three very good decisions: you've bought a motorhome, joined this forum, and decided to go to France.

 

No doubt you'll get quite a few (sometimes contradictory!) replies to your questions over the next few days, but here are mine to kick off with.

 

Firstly, places to stay.

Two books to get hold of:

1) the France Passion directory, which allows members (ie everyone who's bought the current book and has a self-contained motorhome) to stay overnight free of charge on lots of farms, vineyards, and similar places, as well as giving you chance to meet the owners - "real" French people. You don't mention whether you speak any French. If so that helps, but many of the owners speak some English and the ones that don't will try to meet you half way. Most of these places don't have any "facilties" though, so you'll also need ...

2) a guide to "Aires." This word actually just means "area," but it's come to refer to places where you can fill up and empty your water (aire de service camping-car) and/or stay overnight (aire de stationnement camping-car). Many of these are free of charge, but those that aren't typically only charge 2-3 euros.

There's also a different approach legally from ours - basically, you can stay overnight in your van anywhere that a car is allowed to park overnight - which means anywhere it's not explicitly forbidden ("interdit").

 

But you may prefer, at least to begin with, to use "proper" campsites, as you would in the UK. There are plenty of these, well signposted, and still cheaper than ours even with the dismal rate of exchange.

Either way, there really is no need to book your stops in advance in France - you'll always find somewhere as you go along.

 

Second, driving on the right.

It does take a bit of getting used to, especially at roundabouts and junctions, where everything seems to come at you the wrong way. But as long as you concentrate, you'll soon get the hang of it. A good tip is not to pull over for a stop on the "wrong" side (left), as it's too easy to get it worng when you set off. Look or somewhere on the right to make that cuppa.

 

Third, road signs.

Mostly they're very similar to ours. For direction signs, though, be aware that the French tend to emphasise the destination rather than the road number. Also, at junctions, direction signs point "into" the road they refer to, so you'll often find two signs for the same place pointing in opposite directions - i.e. at each other! The road they refer to will be the one between them, which they're each pointing into.

 

That's enough from me for now - someone else will be along in a minute to add their four penn'orth. Enjoy yourselves!

 

Tony

[Brian Kirby]

Do you want to stay on campsites, or do you prefer to avoid these?

Do you intend travelling on autoroutes (motorways) or do you prefer to avoid these?  (Autoroutes are generally, though not exclusively, toll roads and motorhome tolls (Class 2 generally, higher if your van has three axles or is over 3 metres high) soon mount up.

Those items apart, I would say you will find France generally easier and more relaxing to drive in than the UK, because general traffic densities are lower. 

Road signs are generally identical/similar to UK.  If you see a sign at a junction that says Stop, you must actually stop, even if the road is clear.  Failure to do so can result in an on-the-spot fine. 

Make sure you stick to speed limits, the French have become very observant over the past few years.  You will not always see a 50KPH sign as you enter a built up area.  Towns/villages have nameboards as you enter, and a similar board as you leave showing the town/village name with a diagonal line through it.  The former establishes the beginning of the built up area, and the latter its end.  A 50KPH limit is deemed to exist between the two - observe it!

Wear your seat belt.  If you are spotted, even emerging onto the road from a supermarket car park while putting it on, you will be fined.  Similarly, if you have to release your belt to pay a toll, make sure you buckle it back on before you get the wheels turning.  The French police are very "black and white" with the law, and will seldom make exceptions.

There are still a few towns/villages where, within the built up area, the rule of priority on the right survives, meaning that you must give way to traffic emerging from side streets on your right.  However, they are a minority, and most junctions in most places now make the main road the priority road.  The give-away is the presence of a double dotted line across the right hand lane of the minor road, and a usually visible accompanying "Stop" sign, often repeated on the road.  Minor road junctions in rural areas are frequently undesignated.  In these cases the priority will be on the right.

Most, but not all, roundabouts now prioritise traffic already on the roundabout, as in UK, but a few still give priority to traffic entering.  Many roundabouts have an additional sign saying "Vous n'avez pas la priorite", so you know they will work as in UK (except for obvious reasons the traffic travels anti-clockwise).

You will generally find traffic lights have neat little repeater sets of lights mounted on the post, so that you can see their state when at the line.  Most go from red straight to green, with amber only following green.

You may find it easier to adjust to driving on the right if you avoid motorways for the first day or so, and travel on the "D" roads (the rough equivalent of UK "B" roads).  These will tend to take you through places rather than round them, but the roads and most of the places you pass through will be fairly quiet, so you can adjust without the stress of being harried by impatient drivers. 

I would suggest you get the 2009 edition of the Michelin 1:200,000 scale road atlas of France.  This has much useful information in the front about driving in France, and explains many of the rules.  The quieter, "D" roads are generally shown yellow, though the more important regional "D" roads are shown red.  The Michelin 1:1,000,000 scale folding map No 721 "France" will be a better route planner, and shows more of the "D" roads in yellow to better differentiate them from the national main roads.

Be especially careful if you take a wrong turning and need to turn round.  You will be liable to complete your manoeuvre on the left, instead of on the right!  Same applies to exiting car parks etc.  Also be very guarded on the second and third days as you set off in the morning, the same applies.  Biggest danger is just when you begin to feel you "have the hang of it", confidence rises prematurely to quickly be dashed with a rude reminder.  By the end of a week, if you stay fairly local so you get to know a patch, you should be quite comfortable.

[Peter42]

I would agree with everything Tony says. Also, be aware on Continental campsites (Not only French ones) that often, because of the Continental system, that often electric hook-ups can have reversed polarity, so it is wise to have a Blue (CEE17) plug wired in reverse for such occasions, and often continental sites will not use the CEE17 plug system, so it is useful to carry a continental type plug. This can be a French 2pin plus earth type or ( even better) a German 2 pin plus 2 earth type. The latter is preferable because, in case of reversed polarity, the plug then only has to be inserted the other way up to achieve correct polarity. Of course, to check if the polarity is correct or not you will need a polarity checker, which plugs into your 13amp socket inside the van. All these articles can be purchased at your local accessory dealer.

As for driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, most mistakes are made (apparently) when leaving an overnight stop, when you are likely to be relaxed or, as it is known in the services, gear is engaged before the brain is engaged. Good luck with your holiday.

[W3526602]

Hi,

 

I agree with al of the above, plus........

 

If your passenger pays the toll, make sure their seat belt is re-secured before MOVING.

 

If a road sign says stop.....STOP.....and stay stopped for three seconds.

 

Note that they know your average speed between tolls. The time you left the last toll is on your ticket.

 

Advise your partner/spouse that normal rules of matrimony are suspended. If they find they are closer to the kerb than you are, they are allowed to scream at you. They are also allowed to shout "drive on the right" as you exit aires and garages. Same applies for the first few miles after you return to the UK. Your survival instinct of "if in trouble, steer left" gets confused. My wife still asks me ...."Which side of the road am I suppposed to be"?

 

Pedestrians accelerate as the approach zebra crossings, but don't look.

 

602

[ron.]

David

 

Just to put your mind at rest. I guarantee that after driving abroad and returning to the UK you will think you have returned to the madhouse such is the difference.

 

Ron

[mel wood]

We find it is best to have one driver and one navigator. When planning your route put the name of the town on your list not the road number. The caravan club book on campsites for France is well worth buying. Municiple sites are usually good and reasonably priced. Hope you have a great time.

[mondo]

As for driving on the right,do what I do get a piece of paper approx 3ins wide by 4ins long draw a circle approx 1.5ins diameter in the centre with an arrow going round the right-hand side of the circle from the six o clock position to the twelve o clock position and write on the bottom ....DRIVE ON THE RIGHT...then stick it on the bottom right of the windscreen just in your periphal vision.....and it WILL remind of your road position ...simple but effective!!! and it's FREE!!

[trooper]

Just one more book extra to Tonys list, which we and many more Motorhomers find invaluable,

The caravan club book europe 1, this lists 1000s of sites which have been visited by members including many municipal sites which are normaly very cheep including electic, and often near a town or village.

We had much advice before we went to france, but it was easyer than people said.

all the best,

[alan k]

Lots of good advice about France and motorcaravanning.

 

Be especially careful when setting off again after any stop, signs for drive on the right are a good idea, My satnav allows me to set it to give me a reminder each tme we set off. Be especially careful after a 3 point turn!!

 

We did Calais to Brittany, down to the Vendee, across the Loire Valley and back up thro Champagne last August staying mainly on aires and French Passion sites. no planning just meandered, followed tourist signs and visited interesting looking places on the coast.

 

To get the best out of your holiday, try to speak a little french, any amount will do, even with a phrase book in your hand. You'll get a much better response than asking in English.

 

And enjoy it, if you want any more advice re route, places , just ask

 

alan

[tonyishuk]

trooper - 2009-03-23 5:45 PM

 

Just one more book extra to Tonys list, which we and many more Motorhomers find invaluable,

The caravan club book europe 1, this lists 1000s of sites which have been visited by members including many municipal sites which are normaly very cheep including electic, and often near a town or village.

We had much advice before we went to france, but it was easyer than people said.

all the best,

 

The CC Book also has a preamble to each country dealing with all the problems / queries / answers that generally arise, including other advice. You do not have to be a CC member to buy it.

 

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/Shop/Shopping/Product%20Detail?ProdName=200917_200920&Channel=A+-+Z

 

European recovery is worth a thought if your m/home insurance does not cover recovery.

 

Rgds

 

[Losos]

Tony Jones - 2009-03-23 1:30 PM A good tip is not to pull over for a stop on the "wrong" side (left), as it's too easy to get it wrong when you set off. Look or somewhere on the right to make that cuppa.

Of all the tips about driving on the right this is IMO by far the most important. It's so easy to do with a RHD vehicle in Europe. So, as Tony says, always pull into laybys on the right. Other than that you'll quickly get the hang of it.

 

[Hopesy]

Stardreamer, although we've holidayed in France for the past few years last year was the first year in the motorhome. After a few days you'll wonder why you worried the stress will fall away. We used a mixture of aires and campsites (when we wanted to stay a bit longer) and you can make it up as you go along. I can't remember if someones already mentioned it but carry all your vehicle documents ( I carry copies too) with you in a safe place. Make sure you've got a warning triangle and hi viz tabbards.

I know it seems a lot to think about at the moment but it really is brilliant. France and motorhomes go together like red wine and cheese. :D

[Mel B]

Welcome to the forum

 

Aires - make sure you only use the 'safer' one, ie not the ones at the side of motorways or main roads for over-nighting - they're okay for rest stops during the day but don't use them at night.

 

Do yourself a list of the speed limits so that you know that 30mph = 50kph etc, etc, much easier to refer to quickly to remind yourself that trying to read the small kph figures ont he speedo! After a while you'll get used to them.

 

A common problem when driving is when you set off after a stop - make sure you know which way to exit car parks and get on the correct side of the road - this is the 'danger' time and it is all too easy to forget when you are looking for directions as to where you want to be to naturally place your vehicle as if driving in the UK. Also remember to allow enough room to 'swing' the motorhome rear-end when turning right abroad - you don't have the other half of the road to avoid hitting the kerb etc which is now much closer on your right, and you also have be mindful of your rear-end swinging out to the left too in to the oncoming traffic.

 

Just take it steady and you'll soon get the hang of it all though!

[Big Momma]

At the risk of repeating all of the excellent advice already given. I Lived in Europe for 11 years (Germany and Holland) and travelled frequently all over Europe. Since being back in the UK (13 years) I often spend my summer months in Europe (France, Switzerland, German, Belgium) and I can assure you that you will find travelling on the majority of European roads very much easier than back here at home. The one thing that helped me was having a right hand vehicle and driving on the right, the kerb or hard shoulder is always on your side. My advice would be to take extra care when you come back home, it is okay on the Motorways or Dual carriageways but on A roads or other lesser category sometimes it is hard to remember that you should be on the Left !

 

Do take care and like any driving keep your concentration but otherwise I am confident you will come back wondering what all the fuss was about and then be ready for an adventure a little further :-)

[RoyH]

Although I'd been many times to various parts of Europe I found last year that having invested in a Satnav that things were made so much easier as it can be rather frantic when in traffic and seeking the correct way. Unless of course you have a very good navigator sitting beside you. Be careful, as always, that the Satnav doesn't take you down unsuitable roads.

 

Have a great time.

[Patricia]

Welcome David. There is already a wealth of advice on this thread for you but a few more suggestions:

 

As Brian says the towns and villages are signposted as you arrive and as you leave. If the sign is black and white the 50kph does not apply. These are usually only very small hamlets. Some towns (name edged in red) are not marked 50kph but this speed limit still applies and the police often hide behind a hedge close to this sign so be sure to slow down before reaching it. French drivers approaching you will often flash their lights as a warning of a mobile police presence. Most of these occur on Saturdays and Sundays or fete days. Fines are instant. Make sure your licence is handy - no time allowance to present it to the police station in France as you can in England. If stopped they will want to see the vehicle papers too i.e. V5 and apparently they are on the look-out for speeding GB plates particularly around Calais. After years of driving in France I can still be confused by the speed signs - I instinctively think at first in mph rather than kph!

 

If a parking sign says 'car' it is for a coach, not for cars! In most towns parking meters are only in use during the morning and afternoon - not usually over the two hour lunchtime. Parking and speeding infringment notices will be served back in England soon - I think it starts this year.

 

If you do not speak French it is a good idea to have an English/French dictionary with you to help with the more obscure signs and for menus if you eat out or if you are unlucky enough to have a breakdown. Car parts in French are not logical translations of English words so it is useful to gen up a bit on these words. I am lucky as the French mechanics are often quite chauvinistic so they don't expect me to know the names of the parts. Quite right - I don't know them in English so why should I know them in French?

 

Fuel is bought at a service station; repairs at a garage. Petrol (essence) and diesel (gas-oil) are cheaper at supermarkets (watch the height though), most have 24 hour pumps now and many now accept British credit cards but not all. Supermarkets usually close for lunch about mid-day until two or maybe three o'clock and few open on Sundays.

 

The coast road that you propose to drive along is interesting but quite narrow in places and you may find it difficult to find a layby. Do not drive on the shoulder where it says 'accotement non-stabilise' or you could sink in the gravel, watch for the deep ditches (lots of French cars end up there) so don't drive too close to the edge and beware of 'sortie de camions' or 'sortie de poids lourds' (lorry exit). Beware of the changes in the road numbers even if you have an up-to-date map. The French government are handing over the financing of the N roads (Route Nationale) to the Departement so they are all being renumbered and maps and sat navs have not caught up yet.

 

Roads are usually quite traffic free at lunchtime so this is a good time to go through towns and cities. Most lorries are banned on motorways at weekends and at holiday times so that is a good day to travel long distances.The road infrastructure in France in excellent, lots of motorways (some free) with lots of lovely picnic areas, by-passes (rocade) which are often very fast moving and crowded around the large cities. In smaller towns parking is usually easy and free.

 

Until you get used to keeping on the right it might be better not to listen to English on the radio - I certainly know that if I listen to the French radio in England I drift to the right if I am not very careful.

 

Finally, (I am sure I have written too much and bored you) I think you are wise to take the coast road. You can wander through the countryside and towns and discover what a wonderful country it is with lots of unexpected discoveries, such as going to a local bar to buy bread and seeing the French enjoy a meal in the front garden instead of in the back as we do.

 

So have a wonderful time.

[trickydicky]

hi, we, like yourselves,have just spent a few weeks abroad,including france for the first time, and i was very nervous.i needn't have worried, everything went brilliantly.we went armed with the "aires de france" book and the "acsi camping card",which turned out to be a godsend.as for the roads, fantastic, we didn't have one traffic jam, in 1200 miles abroad.

have a great time.

[gasgobill]

Assuming you have a right hand drive van, the advice I was given many years ago to stop my panic when joining a road, turning left or right etc. was :-

 

" the Driver Drives in the Gutter" .

 

It still stops me panicing on the odd occasion.

 

You are going to a country that welcomes campers with open arms.

 

Have fun.

Bill

[W3526602]

Hi,

 

Two things puzzle me.

 

The car that catches up with me then refuses to overtake, despite me obviously driving slower that he wants to. Being RHD, I cannot wave him on. Slow down and even stop....and he still stays behind you.

 

You pull up somewhere safe, to check your map. Other drivers take offence at this, and give you a blast on their horn as they pass.

 

Then there is the driver on the main road who insists on stopping to let you out of a a side road. I know why .... but this is 2009, can't they come out of the dark ages?

 

Oh yes, in UK, if you are on the wrong motorway, you simply pull off at next roundabout, and go back the way you came. Not in France you don't. The slip-road will just take you to a town that you have never heard of, many km beyond your fuel reserves. Refuel when your tank is half empty.

 

602

[Rapido-lass]

I have since learning to drive driven on the continent, but when we decided to take the motorhome over for the first time, my partner was worried and anxious, not able to properly sleep the night before despite my words of it'll be fine etc....

 

Well now he admits he doesn't know what he was worrying about and is happier driving abroad than in the UK. I'm not saying that we haven't had a few forgetful moments over the years - like why is that car driving towards us???......silly frenchman, why doesn't he move over???...... oh s**t!......... it's because we're on the wrong side!.........sorry!!!!

 

Seriously, don't worry about things, prepare your journey so you have an idea of where you are heading and are more relaxed. Remember you are on holiday and the journey is part of it, and being abroad, they like motorhomes and are geared up for them, that's half the battle over so to speak.

 

Trying to speak French helps as if you make the effort they will often speak English to you. Don't try and they'll not bother either.

Another tip is that alot of campsites either don't have toilet paper or have a large roll outside the cubicles for you to help yourself, so take some spare rolls in the motorhome for this as you don't want to get caught out!

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

 

[malc d]

Hi Stardreamer, and welcome to the forum.

 

 

I hope you don't feel overwhelmed by all this advice.

 

My advice to anyone going to France first time is just to take your time.

 

When you leave the ferry just follow everyone else along the road and don't feel rushed. You will soon get used to it.

 

One road sign that is very common is the one pictured below ( mentioned by Brian ) "Vous n'avez pas la prioiritie" which means

" You have NOT got priority" ( in other words 'give way').

 

Most other road signs are the similar to ours and are self explanatory.

 

Their campsites have a star rating system, from 1 star to 5 stars - which indicate their facilities, and not their standard.

Municipal sites in villages and small towns are usually good value and with only basic facilities are normally 1 to 3 stars.

( 5 stars means : pools, restaurant, etc - the more stars - the more expensive the site ).

 

Get yourself a campsite book, such as from Caravan Club or Alan Rogers, try to learn a little bit of French for 'on-site' use (if you don't speak it already).

 

Along with a number of other people on this thread, I now prefer driving in France to driving in England, and I'm always disappointed to get back on our congested roads.

 

Have a good trip !

 

[Geoff Tuckley]

Something I found to make life easier was to make a print a list on paper of differing speeds at mph and then in red the corresponding speeds in kph.

I found that in the bright sunshine in Spain and the south that the red kph figures on the speedometer were sometimes difficult to read so all I had to do was glance at the paper on the dash which also had Length, width and height of motorhome in Metric and ft.

[LordThornber]

David, blindingly obvious to us now but not then when cost was a bit of an issue but after our first trip over the water I read summat like this...

 

Draw a line from your starting point to your first stop in France, (or wherever abroad for that matter), and use the ferry that dissects them.

 

Naturally cost can be an issue, your home location etc etc but it's just another little nugget to thrash your head with 8-)

 

I concur with Malc about the Municipal Sites, excellent for us, no kids to entertain, have no desire for pools/golf/whatever on the 5 star sites, and they are great value. Still typically only around £10 per night on our average.

 

Good luck and enjoy it.

 

Martyn

[Brian Kirby]

W3526602 - 2009-03-25 6:55 AM Hi, Two things puzzle me. The car that catches up with me then refuses to overtake, despite me obviously driving slower that he wants to. Being RHD, I cannot wave him on. Slow down and even stop....and he still stays behind you. You pull up somewhere safe, to check your map. Other drivers take offence at this, and give you a blast on their horn as they pass. Then there is the driver on the main road who insists on stopping to let you out of a a side road. I know why .... but this is 2009, can't they come out of the dark ages? Oh yes, in UK, if you are on the wrong motorway, you simply pull off at next roundabout, and go back the way you came. Not in France you don't. The slip-road will just take you to a town that you have never heard of, many km beyond your fuel reserves. Refuel when your tank is half empty. 602

I can't argue with John's experiences, but I do think they may raise unnecessary fears.

The driver who follows without overtaking is not unique to any country, but I would say is far less common in France (or Italy!) than almost anywhere else.  In general, if you are caught up with, you will be overtaken - though not always at the most sensible place.  Some folk, however, just lack the confidence to overtake.

The toot as you stop is as likely to be a warning not to fling open the door as a sign of frustration - unless your safe place happens to be their driveway, of course.  :-)

As stated above, there are a number of towns and villages within which priority on the right still exists.  This is not the dark ages, it is the default rule of the road in France and, if you look, you will see that all junctions and roundabouts where this priority does not now exist, have the priority cancelled by signs or road markings.  That is why I said be alert, if the junction is not so marked, the priority will be on the right.  John might be well advised to take this into account, before he finds out it was him who should have given way to that car that has just pulled into his path!

The situation described re motorway exits is only true for partial interchanges, of which there are a few everywhere.  The most annoying thing about missing an exit in France, is that the next exit is liable to be a long way ahead, and you will have to pay the toll to get off, and then another to go back.  The only exceptions I know of are where there is an aire de services built on one side of the autoroute only, that is accessible via a bridge from the other side.  With these you can, indeed, drive out on one side and back via the opposite side without paying the toll.  However, you will have to explain how you came to be using a North bound exit when your toll ticket is from a point even further North.  They get it in the end, but it can take time!  :-)

However, refuelling when half empty is excellent advice, as it avoids all those frustrations over finding the filling station has closed for lunch, or even for the day.  Buy fuel at supermarkets for the best price but, as Patricia said, watch the canopy heights!!