flicka Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 A couple of points that don't seem to have been mentioned. The most important being for France, that your Sat Nav needs to Speed Camera Alerts switch off. If you have a Fiat based van (or Peugeot/Citroen) I found it was not very easy to read the kph on the dash & it useful to have a card showing kph/mph & mph/kph conversions stuck in a prominent position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 flicka - 2018-01-26 11:33 PM ...The most important being for France, that your Sat Nav needs to Speed Camera Alerts switch off... That’s sort of true... In January 2012 a law was passed in France prohibiting the ownership or use of all systems which indicate the presence of speed cameras. The implications were not lost on the major producers of sat-navs (Garmin and TomTom) whose devices had the capability of warning (fairly accurately) where speed cameras were located. Following negotiations between the French law-makers and the sat-nav manufacturers it was agreed that a sat-nav might legally warn of ‘Danger Zones’ - which could contain a speed camera - provided that a specific reference to the camera was not made and the exact location of the camera was not provided. Free software updates were issued by Garmin and TomTom (and perhaps other manufacturers?) so that, when the device's ‘speed camera alert’ option was turned on, if the sat-nav was being used in France only warnings of ‘Danger Zones’ would occur. If you have an old sat-nav with software that cannot be (or has not been) revised to comply with the French ‘Danger Zones’ rule, you should turn off its ’speed camera alert’ option. But any TomTom and Garmin sat-nav purchased from, say, 2013-onwards should have software compliant with the French law and its ‘speed camera alert’ feature (or whatever the sat-nav manufacturer calls it) can legally remain operative when travelling in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 The point about inadvertently setting off on the wrong side from a junction, service station or layby is important - nearly all of us have done it more than once! Couple of tips - first, I've always found that around day 3-4 of your trip is the most dangerous time for this, as you'll probably have got a bit blasé about driving on the right by then! When you first get off the ferry/train, you're thinking about it all the time. Second, if you need a layby or service station, try to find one on the right if at all possible. The most likely time to find yourself on the wrong side is when emerging from a left-hand one, the old auto-pilot kicks in! If you MUST stop on the left, take a U-turn into it, so you have to do another when you leave - that'll force you to disable the auto-pilot and think carefully! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 A windscreen-sticker is available to remind a motorist which side of the road to drive on. https://tinyurl.com/ybfp67my Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 Do be careful about speed limits, they are putting up a lot of speed cameras on the N and D roads all over France, and there is no allowance for any speed above the limit. 50 is 50, not 51 or 52, and they will now track you down in the UK. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 I have typed and laminated a list of the conversions from MPH to KPH, which we keep on the dash, as it is not always easy to read the speedo in KPH. You get to remember most after a time driving on the right. I also have a sticker regarding height of van, not for us so much , but for if it goes anywhere for work to be done. Had the sat dome broken by some one who did work on van, but they would not admit liability, and we only found out when it did not work. They altered the height of the door of the workshop afterwards !! PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Duffer - 2018-01-16 6:57 PM 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?) As nobody else has mentioned your opening paragraph about being fed up of wearing thermals and walking in rain and mud I would maybe check out some of the weather history for the regions your visiting as much of Auvergne in up on the Massif Central. Its a big bulge that rises out of southern central France and I suspect in March as well as mud and rain you could well encounter snow and skiing! Guide and map to the Massif central here. https://about-france.com/tourism/massif-central.htm It is a lovely region but a few years back we were there in August and whilst we had some nice days generally the weather was rubbish (I think that was unusual though). Its all about Elevation / altitude and you could be driving along across the Massif and think your not particularly high up but you could be 3000ft+ above sea level and it makes a massive difference to the climate. If your wanting even just a hint of warmish weather in March I would be keeping to the west of the Massif and getting as far south as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 Yes, that's true. I know it won't be warm but it may be warmer than here. (My mid-summer trip to Scotland last year was 9 during the day when everyone down here had 30+, so I do seem to head for the bad stuff!) Even at home it can be 3 degrees cooler than at the bottom of the hill and we can frequently have snow when down the hill there's none. To tell the truth, I'm not too fussed where I go, I'll just bumble about. I've been to the Auvergne before and it's beautiful so that's why it came to mind. I'll just have to keep an eye on the weather - as long as its reasonably dry I don't really mind but I can always head in a different direction. I'm sure I'll enjoy it, but I take on board what you've said and I'll pack crampons too :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 Derek Uzzell - 2018-01-27 9:48 AM flicka - 2018-01-26 11:33 PM ...The most important being for France, that your Sat Nav needs to Speed Camera Alerts switch off... That’s sort of true... In January 2012 a law was passed in France prohibiting the ownership or use of all systems which indicate the presence of speed cameras. The implications were not lost on the major producers of sat-navs (Garmin and TomTom) whose devices had the capability of warning (fairly accurately) where speed cameras were located. Following negotiations between the French law-makers and the sat-nav manufacturers it was agreed that a sat-nav might legally warn of ‘Danger Zones’ - which could contain a speed camera - provided that a specific reference to the camera was not made and the exact location of the camera was not provided. Free software updates were issued by Garmin and TomTom (and perhaps other manufacturers?) so that, when the device's ‘speed camera alert’ option was turned on, if the sat-nav was being used in France only warnings of ‘Danger Zones’ would occur. If you have an old sat-nav with software that cannot be (or has not been) revised to comply with the French ‘Danger Zones’ rule, you should turn off its ’speed camera alert’ option. But any TomTom and Garmin sat-nav purchased from, say, 2013-onwards should have software compliant with the French law and its ‘speed camera alert’ feature (or whatever the sat-nav manufacturer calls it) can legally remain operative when travelling in France. That would be handy, I'll have to take a look and see. I sold the Bessacarr on Saturday and pick up a new Autotrail next week so the Tom Tom should have up-to-date software and mapping. (Well, the latest out-of-date versions.) I'll plan a route on it and see if any cameras show up - has anyone else taken a look at the Fiat Tom Tom to check this for France? I wonder if their cameras are empty like so many of ours, or if they're all in use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 PJay - 2018-01-27 6:55 PM I have typed and laminated a list of the conversions from MPH to KPH, which we keep on the dash, as it is not always easy to read the speedo in KPH. You get to remember most after a time driving on the right. I also have a sticker regarding height of van, not for us so much , but for if it goes anywhere for work to be done. Had the sat dome broken by some one who did work on van, but they would not admit liability, and we only found out when it did not work. They altered the height of the door of the workshop afterwards !! PJay Yes, the Fiat speedo is difficult to see and I may make a ring of paper to go on the front of it that hides the mpp and write the kph on it. I bought a list of conversions for the windscreen from Halfords a couple of week ago and a reminder for the 'right' side of the road that includes a roundabout. I've download a gps app for the phone and that can have a large display showing KPH but, as with my satnav, they show the 'true' speed whereas the van speedo over estimates and therefore you have a safety margin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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