JamesFrance Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I think the book you mention should be renamed 'A few of the Aires in France'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian81 Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Personally I feel the beauty of France is that you can stop in so many places that aren't listed anywhere either on paper or electronically. Just log a few aires on you route to empty and refill and ENJOY!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postnote Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 JamesFrance - 2011-07-09 6:55 PM I think the book you mention should be renamed 'A few of the Aires in France'.maybe you should write to the publishers and request a name change. Better still YOU publish one, "The Aires they forgot to mention in their book, but I have listed". I know bit of a title, but hey I'm happy with my book it does us.. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyC Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Re 'Priorite a Droite' Do they not still use the roadsign to signify you should expect these any time now? yellow sign with a lengthwise black diamond outlined on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 You will come across at least two signs, look here for a full explanation, but neither are as you describe. My advice not only in France, but anywhere is drive defensively, and expect the unexpected. http://www.bwam.org.uk/articles/in_france.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 JennyC - 2011-07-10 1:15 AM Re 'Priorite a Droite' Do they not still use the roadsign to signify you should expect these any time now? yellow sign with a lengthwise black diamond outlined on it? Signage is not consistent to all classes of road. Where present, the X sign on a white triangle with a red border invariably warns of a priority on the right junction, but not all such junctions carry the sign. The heavy arrow sign with two small opposed side branches is a reasonably reliable indicator that you are on a priority road. However, road markings, and signs, on side roads may not be present, or be clear. Anywhere in open country, where you see a junction on your right, irrespective of the signs, scan up the side road as far as you can for approaching traffic, if possible keep left on approach, and be prepared to chuck out the anchor just in case! On minor country roads it is quite usual for junctions to be unsigned, and for the priority to be undefined. Larger towns and villages may have the yellow lozenge with a bar across on the main road: minor roads, and small towns and villages may not. Even if it is there, individual junction priorities may have been changed, so that most will be prioritised in favour of the through route, but the odd one may not! :-) I think those signs should be treated as indicating a principle, for information only, rather than as indication one will, or will not, have the priority. That is why I much prefer to just "clock" each junction on the right as it comes into view, to see what is there, how it is marked, and whether someone is hovering. I appreciate that this is easier with a LHD van, because the view ahead from the driving seat is better, but it only takes a quick glance to register what is there. Elderly French drivers to not always seem to appreciate the junction they have negotiated for the past 40 years now requires them to stop, and there still seem to be a few in "la France profonde" who assume priority exiting farms! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Brian Kirby - 2011-07-09 4:45 PM On speed limits, be aware that once you reach the roadside town/village nameboard, there is an automatically assumed 50KPH speed limit in force, unless otherwise indicated, that extends to the roadside sign showing the same town/village name with a diagonal line across it. ...this is something that caused me problems for some years, slowing down for every signed town/village/hamlet/individual house which had a roadside location sign, only to be impatiently tailgated and ultimately overtaken by the locals. AFAIK (and believe me, I am prepared both to be wrong, and to be told so in no uncertain terms ;-) ), the nameboards which are relevant for speed limit purposes are those that are surrounded by a red border, and as Brian notes, the limit ends at a similar, diagonally crossed sign, as per the attached example. The seemingly endless array of other village and hamlet signs (largely blue background) which one encounters on the Routes Nationale and elsewhere do not (at least in themselves) comprise a speed limit start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 You are quite correct Robinhood re the red on white signs except that they are obligatorily 50 kph other than when they are 70kph as you find sometimes. The very small hamlets with white on a black background do not benefit from any speed restrictions exept those in force for that type of road. I always feel sorry for these inhabitants as their door often opens directly on to the carriageway. Incidentally make sure that you adjust you speed before reaching the speed restriction sign as the police invariably hide behind the hedge or fence alongside the sign. They are removing all the radar signs now but putting those that clock your actual speed instead sometimes several kilometers before the restriction. They are not cameras and you cannot receive fines - they are just to slow drivers down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Quinn Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thanks a million everyone. I have taken on board all your suggestions and hopefully our first trip to France will be only 1 of many. Safe and happy travelling :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 If anyone is going to the Bergerac Sarlat la Caneda area along the Dordogne River be on the alert for speed cameras, the police pop up from behind hedges, tree trunks and side streets usually just before the end of the speed restriction signs. There must be a training college in the area with the amount of activity going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 JamesFrance - 2011-07-09 3:00 PM Yes you need to fill in your details, then they will send you the link to your TomTom download by email. The same applies to the pdf, so you click on the part saying 'Téléchargez gratuitement les aires de services évaluées par i-Camping Car' then do the same. These links are time limited so you need to download soon after you receive their email.Hi James,I now have these on my Tom Tom, thank you.In a recent post, someone was referring to the free Aire at City de Europe. In checking the data loaded to the Tom Tom, I couln't see this one - only the one on the dock, also mentioned in that thread.Do you have this aire on your Tom Tom or have I loaded a different (wrong?) file onto the satnav? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 AFAIK, there is no designated aire, as such, at Cite de Europe: it is a general car park on which some motorhomers overnight. On the other hand, the aire near the Calais port is a designated aire. However, it is not especially convenient for the tunnel. It is also, IMO, on the strength of one never to be repeated visit, horrendously noisy (ferries apart, mostly from the inconsiderate prats of motorhomers who arrive and leave at all hours, and a few of the local lads "hotting" their bikes and cars). Yer pays yer money - or not! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Thanks Brian, sounds reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Anyone wanting to know the location of the Cite de Europe, providing it is daytime, if you look for a very high curved roof on a massive scale you can't miss it. You can drive all the way round it until you see the motorhome parking signs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 This 'Aire' does get a listing in Campingcar-infos, which I think is the same poi list. The most recent comment from last August says that that parking is now blocked by rocks across the entrance, so it may have been closed because of immigrant problems which are mentioned by others. I have a very simple Garmin and I can only bring up a list of the aires in my local area which is too far from Calais. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ham Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 You can also stop over on the yacht basin, 7 euro payment when they call or at the campsite office, it is the large carpark adjacent to Bd DU 8MAI. not as noisey as the sea front aire We were there last weekend along with 20 other vans.Yes watch your speed .my mate got done cost him 120 euro on the spot. 10k over the speed limit. I set my Tom Tom to show speed limits and warn when over the limit , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Patricia - 2011-07-10 6:44 PM You are quite correct Robinhood re the red on white signs except that they are obligatorily 50 kph other than when they are 70kph as you find sometimes. This seems to happen when a major road goes through a very minor village. Watch the order of the signs though - if the 70 appears BEFORE the village sign, even just a few metres, I think you'll find the village sign over-rides it and the limit is 50 through the village. If the 70 is alongside, or slightly after, the village sign, it's 70 through the village. Incidentally make sure that you adjust you speed before reaching the speed restriction sign as the police invariably hide behind the hedge or fence alongside the sign. Quite true. Unlike our authorities, the French police don't regard their relationship with speeding motorists as a sporting one, so they don't play nice by standing out in the open! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 We have stopped overnight on the Motorhome parking area at City Europe this year with up to a dozen other motorhomes no problem its off the Boulevard Du Kent, Coquelles, look for the bus parking signs park as near to the fence opp the Eurotunnel site and you will be illumated all night and covered by the cctv camera's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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