Waze gives you an idea of the cost for different routes.
2023 French road trip.
- Thread starter True Romance
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Good advice. Had to use the same at the mother in laws farm in rural Normandy when charging our EV. Definitely worth adding to the kit when venturing into France.
For a newbie, it might be worth pointing out that when the French flash their headlights it means they're asserting their priority and they're coming through rather than an invitation for you to proceed. I presume this still holds true - it's been a few years since I drove in France last.So a few hints and tips for anyone venturing into France (or the eu) for the first time. Only our second trip so not experts by any means but just our observations.
* The French. Contrary to the public perception but the French are actually very nice people. Never had an issue with anyone.
* Toilets. A lot of sites don't have toilet seats fitted. Start doing squats a few weeks before travellingt to build up you leg/thigh muscles. Makes squatting so much easier **
* Public loos. Some Aires have very nice modern loos others are still the hole in the ground type. See above and be prepared. Mens urinals can be pretty much on open view.
* Campsite toilet/shower blocks. I'd say more are unisex than split into male/female. Mrs and daughter didn't find these particularly nice but guess that just how they do things. One of the reasons we paid extra for premium pitches with private bathrooms.
* Driving. Honestly if it's your first time don't worry. Roads are mainly very quiet away from larger towns/cities. Surprising how quickly you adapt to driving on the wrong side.
* Shop around for fuel. Prices vary dramatically, seen €0.40 difference between places. FYI Best we saw was €1.62.
* If your going to be using tolls get a tag. Not very expensive but so much easier and less stressful with one fitted. Lost count of the nunber of times other vehicles would fly past us only to be over taken at the toll booth by us. Also comes into its own if you don't have a passager.
* If your short on time use the toll roads. Super easy to move long distances in a short space of time.
* French driving standards are actually pretty good. However they will drive right up to your rear bumper on motorways. Don't get into road rage this is just how they do it.
* Take windscreen cleaner if travelling during summer. The amount of bugs that got baked onto the windscreen was ridiculous.
* Never had an issue with language as all sites spoke English.
* Don't trust your satnav for speed limits. Ours was updated before we left but a lot of villages are introducing reduced 30kph zones that were still showing as 50kph on the satnav.
* Drive 10khm under the speed limit. Speed camera warning devices are illegal in France.
* Take food with you. Supermarkets are expensive.
* Out of season book sites as you go. No real need to book weeks in advance.
* Taking pets can be expensive. Average around £200 per trip for a AHC. Plus any vaccinations required. Add around €45 for worming tablet in France.
* Take all EHU adapters with you. Most of the bigger sites are all standard blue round type as used in UK but have seen all sorts of different types so be prepared.
* Try and plan short distances between your stop overs. We did a lot of long runs between stops. We were doing 3-4hr journeys, add on stops for fuel, toilet breaks, supermarket top ups and it soon turned into 5hrs plus. Then you've got pitching up time and before you know it you've lost the best part of a day. Next time will plan for under an hour between sites once in a particularly region we're visiting.
* France is massive don't try and see it all in one trip.
* will update as I think of other things or ask if theres something you want to know and I'll try to answer.
Thanks.
**
Also, priorité à droite - has that now completely gone or does it sill apply in rural areas?
Never noticed it in France but apparently it exists.
French road signs | Useful French phrases | RAC Drive
We look at the meaning of some of the more confusing French road signs, as well as some useful French words and phrases for your road trip.
There are a few traffic rule variations depending on how many bottles of wine went in the tank at dejeuner.
I use the park4night app, you can sometimes find good spots. If not, you can of course always look around and bump into somewhere where you can park.
A couple of years ago we got woken up by a woman knockin on our window (in France, that was), we had parked on the edge of a forest, and put the bike rack with bikes next to the car (to have access to our kitchen which is on the back, cooking outside). She was wondering what we were doing, and if we were not some kind of refugees or so... But apart from that she was nice. We probably should also have gotten up a bit earlier
Yelloh have bought up a lot of good (formerly independent) sites and are creating a great network of sites
I’ve wanted to cross that bridge since it was built! Fantastic piece of engineering
Gotta love travelling in France. With a UK-registered car you’re treated as crud. Within minutes of meeting, a splattering of school French and the realisation that I am Irish, everything changes. Suddenly it becomes: “we hate the English, you hate the English, we are friends and how can I help?!!”
Gotta love travelling in France. With a UK-registered car you’re treated as crud. Within minutes of meeting, a splattering of school French and the realisation that I am Irish, everything changes. Suddenly it becomes: “we hate the English, you hate the English, we are friends and how can I help?!!”
Edit: tongue firmly wedged in cheek!
Edit: tongue firmly wedged in cheek!
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It wouldn’t! The frogs make it up as they go along!Sorry for being thick, but how would this work in France when testing the polarity of the EHU?
I'm sorry, but that couldn't be further from the truth- we spend 4 months each summer doing a mixture of house sitting and camping in our T6 and I have never come across any form of English bashing or whatever. French love talking politics, so you will always get asked about Brexit/Boris Johnson etc etc. Like any country - treat everyone with the respect that you would give anyone else and you will be fine.
I have one of these RSCP201 | Martindale, Model CP-201 Socket Tester 16A 230V ac CAT III 300 V | RSSorry for being thick, but how would this work in France when testing the polarity of the EHU?
I’ve edited my post to reflect that it was a tongue in cheek comment
Joke that landed badly!
I didn’t realise park 4 the night worked in Europe ….. use it a lot over here
i wish English campsites were like this, Dream on !!We spent a few nights here last here as we were travelling through France. We had a pitch right on the riverside.
View attachment 195459Tremalot by Nigel G, on Flickr
View attachment 195460Tremalot4 by Nigel G, on Flickr
View from our pitch
View attachment 195461Dordogne bridge by Nigel G, on Flickr
Camping Dordogne : Camping 4 étoiles en Dordogne à Trémolat
Pour des vacances en camping en Dordogne réussies, optez pour le camping 4 étoiles Berges de la Dordogne en Périgord Noir.www.camping-tremolat.com
