Going over to Bruges in Belgium in just over a week for a few days, so will also be driving through France....... looking to pick up the "required" items to put in the car to keep the French fuzz off my back.

I am seeing conflicting information on the internet, on the likes of the AA & RAC web sites. I gather you HAVE to have - GB Sticker, Warning Triangle, Hi-Viz, Headlamp adjustment & Breathalysers, however, what I can't seem to get a definite answer on is if I need a Spare Bulb Kit and First aid Kit?

AA site says First Aid Kit is "recommended" in Belgium, not Compulsory, and not required in France, but on the RAC site is says a First Aid kit IS required in France. Again, similar conflicting info for Spare Bulb kits too?

Can anyone shed any light on what is ACTUALLY needed please?

Thanks

 

Not checked the law on it, but I always take them anyway, not worth the hassle if you get stopped for the sake of a tenner.

 

Just make sure all high viz are accessible from inside the car, as as soon as you get out you should be wearing one.
Also alcohol breathalysers, make sure you have 2-3 as if they ask you to use one and you don't have a spare they will fine you.

This is the list I was advised to have.

Driving licence - Photocard is fine.
Proof of vehicle ownership or hire - V5 French police call this Catre Grise.
Vehicle insurance - Printed copy is ok.
Headlamp beam deflectors - MUST be fitted correctly.
Spare set of bulbs - FULL set one of EVERY external bulb.
Breathalyser kit - minimum of two.
Hazard warning triangle - In the boot.
Spare set of car keys - Not required but advised.
High-visibility waistcoats - Yellow or Orange and IN the car, NOT the boot. Under the seat is best.
Maps or Satnav - Again not required but helpful, print a route out and translate into French (if you don't speak French) so you can just point lol.
First Aid kit - Legal requirement in France. But always worth having.
Fire Extinguisher - NOT a requirement but again worth having.
Tyre Weld - Not a requirement, but very handy to carry.

 

Never bothered with that stuff, I avoid france for journeys. Roll off the chunnel. , gun it for Belgium, do not stop go until into Germany, relax

 

+1 and the toll's are expensive.

 

GB stickers are only needed if you do not have a euro number plate

 

Well, I wasn't aware first aid kit was required in France

Saved me, thanks

 

All of the above is good advice except that the Breathalyser law was abandoned last year - lasted about 5 mins.

Cash also in your wallet as on the spot fines are applicable if you're not French, 90 euros for a little over the limit, any more then don't worry about fines as they'll take the car from you or if you're lucky get your recovery company to trailer the car back to the UK.

Sat Navs with radar locations are illegal but enforcing this is virtually impossible so don't worry about it TomTom etc are all fine.

Be polite if you get stopped and try and speak a little French as the Gendarmes have enormous powers to ruin your wallet (and hols) if they feel like it.

A lot of French towns are re-instating the "give way to the right rule" so please, if in doubt slow right down and wait until you're sure it's safe to proceed. Also the French have no clue about roundabouts so eyes wide open as they'll come from anywhere, get off at wherever they like and believe that they are in the right to do so.

Enjoy your trip over here

Edit: 1st aid kit is not required either

 

Bear in mind. If caught speeding on the motorway in France it is not up to them to prove guilt. You have to prove you were not speeding. Be respectful. The motorway police answer to no one and 1000 Euro fines are not unheard of

 

quote]A lot of French towns are re-instating the "give way to the right rule" so please, if in doubt slow right down and wait until you're sure it's safe to proceed. Also the French have no clue about roundabouts so eyes wide open as they'll come from anywhere, get off at wherever they like and believe that they are in the right to do so.
[/quote]


NOOOoooooooooo <breaths > ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

stupid stupid stupid law.

I have a few assorted bulbs in the boot...even though the car has LEDs and HIDs...the reverse lamps are still normal bulbs

Those Gendarmes are like our plod back in the 80's and early 90's, sneaky, and plenty about lying in wait for a speeder. They can and do hide. Also beware of portable speed cameras...makes your tom tom speed camera alerts a bit useless.

Give anyone driving a Dacia a wide berth....its one step up from a Axiam and people who can't drive tend to drive them.

 

My sister, (who has lived there 20years), drives a dacia duster.


Chopped it in for her lada niva, since it was too much in the garage

 

get the ferry to Dunkerque (Dunkirk) - you will only be France for a few minutes !

 

+1 and it's usually a lot cheaper.

 

The speed of the chunnel beats the savings of a ferry. You would be well into Belgium and beyond before the ferry docked in Dunkirk (2 hr crossing)

I haven't used the ferries in years, chunnel is fast,convenient and flexible with docking (arrive upto 2 hrs early get on train)-never been refused earlier train space

 

I do the channel crossing quite a lot and prefer the ferries, because it's cheaper, £20/ 30 as apposed to around £100 a saving which represents around 400 miles, I usually leave home at around 1am to make the 6am ferry, so after a 4 hour drive down there it's nice to get on the boat have a full english breakfast, then grab an hours kip and have a bit of a wonder around, coffee and a dump before I take on the other 1000 miles of my journey over here in Croatia.

I would also add that I much prefer to take my chances in the channel on a life boat than 1 mile under it in a smoke filled oven should the worst happen.

 

Chunnel every time, love the turn up and go facility

 

I tend to use the ferries as by the time I reach dover I've done nearly 250 miles, usually with no break and been in UK traffic anything up to 6 hours. Or coming back, have done 500 miles and 8-9 hours driving, so am ready for a break.

On motorways, look out for broken down vehicles in the breakdown lane......quite often cover for a speed trap

Other fave places are at exits from villages, and where the limit changes...be vigilant.

I tend NOT to speed on motorways, you can legally do 81mph, no-one does much more. FAR too easy to get caught over the limit, too many places to hide

Been stopped twice when I had the Scoob over there, supposedly for papers check...they were more interested in the car.
One asked me if I had any trouble overtaking, with the driving position on the right.
I just laughed and said, "What, in a car with over 400bhp?"

He also laughed...then told me where there was a speedtrap on my route.LOL

 

Covered many thousands of Km in France during the last two summers;

Don't always take the motorway, unless you are in a hurry to get to point B. The tolls are expensive, and in many cases I found the motorway route to be considerably longer in duration - found it frustrating where long sections of 3-lane motorway were limited to 90kph where others were 130kph.

Roads through rural France are deserted, good fast roads, but punctuated by small villages or hamlets - there are static speed cameras in some really rural places - they are well signed, and look like grey filing cabinets with yellow and black cheveron tape on their edges.

Watch out for the weather conditions, the speed limit drops by 10kph (20Kph on motorways) when it is raining.

50Kph limit for villages and towns starts outside the town, typically where the sign showing the hamlet / village / town name is placed, the speed limit sign may be beyond this, but the limit is enforced as described.

I think if you wear specs you are supposed to carry a second pair - it's a road safety thing, if the specs you are wearing get lost or damaged, you need the second pair to be able to drive safely.

You need high viz for yourself, I would take the same for your passengers - vests can be had from Ikea for about £1 each. As stated, keep these in the passenger compartment.

you will need you drivers license, V5 and proof of insurance cover for Europe.

Unlike the UK there is no need for French police to have a reason to breathalise you - they can do this on a whim. The drink drive limits are lower in France than the UK also.

Would highly recommend sygic as a sat nav application if you are planning some long distances - great software which will advise you of the severity of upcoming bends and the speed at which to take them, will also remind you of the speed limit for the stretch of road you are on - there are probably others which do the same thing, but I was impressed by how good this was having only cost me about £30.

 

Scoobs do look good in Gendarme livery.

I don't speed either...I do 130km/h on the sat nav which is 135km/h (83mph) on the car. Being stopped means what time you gain by speeding is immediately lost and any faster tends to trip the speed cameras anyway (so I've found ), so you have to be much more observant. This was a Spanish registered car, never had fine come through (yet - I'll give a few more years to confirm that - ) . Can't say if it'd be the same with e British registered car.


I Love the Tunnel. Turn up too late, just jump on the next one in 15mins, pay the difference. Turn up early, take the earlier one if you want - sometimes at no extra charge. Only issue is there appear to be some faffing around on the motorway junction (A16) Calais (as of last week - maybe clear now). There are cheap crossings less than £70 if you time it right too (usually about £80 though).

The only annoying issue is being parked next to the bog, and fatties tying to squeeze past and scratching the car - They could walk round and cross over at the end of the carriage, but no that would mean they'd need common sense

 

Chunnel every time for me, so much better than a ferry in my opinion, especially if you suffer from sea sickness

It sounds quite stressful with all the rules and regs and gendarmes hiding waiting to rape you of hundreds of euros for the slightest infringement and whilst I'm not saying it doesn't happen it's not as common as it sounds either in my experience. I've driven on the continent (France, Belgium, Luxembourg & Germany) many times (all but one of those in the scoob) and I've never been stopped or had any issues.

Relax, drive sensibly, keep your car in good order and enjoy the experience of driving on the continent. I love it......except Belgium , I hate Belgium, most of the roads are rubbish and the drivers seem oblivious to everything around them. I've had Belgian drivers pull out on me on the motorways with no signals or warning so many times. Certainly tested the Brembos a few times

 

This Mercedes driver was experiencing the Gendarme treatment last time I drove down to the Somme.



That was the only other Impreza I saw the whole time I was in France.

 

Thanks for the info.

Have booked to go over on the tunnel as I had tesco vouchers sitting in a draw wasting away so thought I would use some for the tunnel. £40 in vouchers paid for return trip so can't complain

Have also ordered a travel kit which includes all the required items plus a few extras like first aid kit and bulbs, plus 2x hi viz vests so me and the other half are covered if required.

 

Probably a stupid question, but is there plenty of VPower in France and Belgium?

 

Every shell garage I stopped at had it and there were plenty around. Depends how far off the main roads you're venturing though.

 

Never seen it over here (very few Shell garages in the Le Mans/Loire Valley area) - I run SP98 in mine.

 

SP98 available almost everywhere...but they ARE talking about phasing it out.

 

Ever heard of planes

 

You don't need much; high vis vests (easily accessible), warning triangle, driving license. Insurance documents are a good idea too.

Watch the autoroutes in Belgium; shockingly potholed!

 

I tend to drive, when alone, with my hi-viz vest over my seat, draped.

They can see it, you don't get stopped.

 

lol, yea, but I'm only about 2 hours from the tunnel then half hour crossing and it would seem its about an hour and a half from Calais to Bruges so I can't be arsed with messing about with air ports for that short distance..... plus I quite fancy driving