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Driving in Europe
- Thread starter Dave Potts
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I would need to remove all 4 bikes from the rack and unpack half the boot for them to get in the locker to check so I guess I’ll need to be nice or cough a lot!
as I think I said earlier in this thread I’ve always thought the French motorways were great for travel through the night when travelling south by car and worth the money. Now with the camper we would like to make a bit more of the journey and see a bit more of France so have thought about skipping the toll roads but do you really think this is worthwhile spending the extra time and fuel instead of bombing it to the locality on l’autoroute and then going off piste?
some of the "route nationale" are no slower than the autoroutes, but significantly more picturesque!
If you’ve got time then consider the National B routes thro France instead of toll roads, much nicer
Also if you do travel on the autoroutes there is one number for breakdown assistance regardless of who you are covered with, at least that was the scenario the last time we were there couple years ago
025 1092 032 Autoroute Assistance
Also if you do travel on the autoroutes there is one number for breakdown assistance regardless of who you are covered with, at least that was the scenario the last time we were there couple years ago
025 1092 032 Autoroute Assistance
The N10 will bring you all the way from Nantes to south of Bordeaux for free & is mostly dual carriageway. Get around Bordeaux & head for Mont de Marsan. There’s a P4N in a village that has excellent free clean toilets in the Mairie which are open all night. The bread from the wood fired bakery up the road is to die for.
park4night.com
( France - 40410 )Moustey, 83 Avenue Cousseau de Labarthe
Parfait pour une nuit. Toilettes publiques très propres. À côté de la mairie.
Hi Viz Jackets - I think the rule across Europe is that you have to have one for each passenger AND that they must also be easily accessible (ie. back of seat as some of you clever people have already noted) - we've got them stashed in the Euro Breakdown Kit under the passenger seat but also hang our hi viz cycling gilets on the backs of the seats (they're primarily used for being the chill off in breezy / cooler weather but I love dual / multi purpose stuff!).
Checking Gas Bottles - When we went via the tunnel last September, they didn't check anything on the way out but coming home, simply asked me to turn on the gas at the hob to check that nothing came out - good job really as getting to the gas locker in the cupboard would have meant taking a lot of stuff out of the van (but it was turned off at the bottle!
Green Card - Somebody mentioned this above but I couldn't be arsed to read it all again so apologies if I'm repeating something already said. In Europe, a Green Card is NOT required but the correct insurance cover is. I think I'm right in saying that as in the good old days when we were in the EU, all UK issued policies give at least third party cover (but mine at least have always included full european cover).
Bike Rack - At least in Spain (and maybe elsewhere but not France), if your bikes extend out past the rear of the van, you must have a big square warning thing. Something like this:
www.leisureoutlet.com
Checking Gas Bottles - When we went via the tunnel last September, they didn't check anything on the way out but coming home, simply asked me to turn on the gas at the hob to check that nothing came out - good job really as getting to the gas locker in the cupboard would have meant taking a lot of stuff out of the van (but it was turned off at the bottle!
Green Card - Somebody mentioned this above but I couldn't be arsed to read it all again so apologies if I'm repeating something already said. In Europe, a Green Card is NOT required but the correct insurance cover is. I think I'm right in saying that as in the good old days when we were in the EU, all UK issued policies give at least third party cover (but mine at least have always included full european cover).
Bike Rack - At least in Spain (and maybe elsewhere but not France), if your bikes extend out past the rear of the van, you must have a big square warning thing. Something like this:
Camping Equipment, Caravan Accessories, Outdoor Gear
Leisure Outlet are the UK's number one online camping equipment retailer. We are suppliers of camping equipment and caravan accessories.
www.leisureoutlet.com
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Great summary. On the hi-viz, I sure that it is not me for each seat though not one for each passenger - the argument being that passenger numbers vary more quickly than seat numbers. I’m happy to be corrected.Hi Viz Jackets - I think the rule across Europe is that you have to have one for each passenger AND that they must also be easily accessible (ie. back of seat as some of you clever people have already noted) - we've got them stashed in the Euro Breakdown Kit under the passenger seat but also hang our hi viz cycling gilets on the backs of the seats (they're primarily used for being the chill off in breezy / cooler weather but I love dual / multi purpose stuff!).
Checking Gas Bottles - When we went via the tunnel last September, they didn't check anything on the way out but coming home, simply asked me to turn on the gas at the hob to check that nothing came out - good job really as getting to the gas locker in the cupboard would have meant taking a lot of stuff out of the van (but it was turned off at the bottle!
Green Card - Somebody mentioned this above but I couldn't be arsed to read it all again so apologies if I'm repeating something already said. In Europe, a Green Card is NOT required but the correct insurance cover is. I think I'm right in saying that as in the good old days when we were in the EU, all UK issued policies give at least third party cover (but mine at least have always included full european cover).
Bike Rack - At least in Spain (and maybe elsewhere but not France), if your bikes extend out past the rear of the van, you must have a big square warning thing. Something like this:
Camping Equipment, Caravan Accessories, Outdoor Gear
Leisure Outlet are the UK's number one online camping equipment retailer. We are suppliers of camping equipment and caravan accessories.
I got stopped by the police in France last year not long after leaving Spain. They wanted to see my driving licence, passport, insurance and V5. Got interesting when the French cop wanted the proof that I owned the van. Told him it was the V5 but he pointed out that on top of the V5 it does say "This is not proof of ownership" or words to that effect. Took a while trying to explain that that is how we do it and that the name and the address on the doc was the same that is on my DL and insurance certificate, which he accepted. Had a look in the van too.
He wasn't interested in checking any of the other requirements.
Over the years I have been stopped twice in Spain and once in Switzerland. Only there and in Switzerland did they ask for any of my paperwork other than passport, which on one occasion in Spain I didn't have with me. That stop came to a happy ending when I showed him my UK warrant card as ID, lol. He miraculously spoke good English then!
He wasn't interested in checking any of the other requirements.
Over the years I have been stopped twice in Spain and once in Switzerland. Only there and in Switzerland did they ask for any of my paperwork other than passport, which on one occasion in Spain I didn't have with me. That stop came to a happy ending when I showed him my UK warrant card as ID, lol. He miraculously spoke good English then!
Thanks everyone, some really excellent information from people who know what they're talking about - saves me having to Google and read through loads of nonsense. Had I not asked I would have headed off with nothing but my driver's license and probably ended up in some clink in rural France. Heading to Primavera music festival in Barcelona so unfortunately it'll be a straight drive there with one night in an Aire which I'll find using Park4Night App. Hopefully I will return on a more leisurely basis in the style of Salty Spuds to enjoy the landscapes of France & Spain. Thanks again all, very much appreciated, Ian.
Don't you need one of those red/white signs to stick on the back?
A quick google has brought a few things up..
There are rules for transporting cycles outside cars in France.. They have to be fixed with equipment which meets NF (normes Françaises) or ISO standards (the exact numbers are NF 18-903-2/ISO15263-4).
In both Italy and Spain you must display a 50cm x 50cm overhanging load reflective panel with read and white diagonal stripes.
In Portugal bikes cannot be carried at the back of a car, but are permissible on the rear of a Caravan or Motor Home, so long as they don’t extend the vehicle length by 45 cm.
There are rules for transporting cycles outside cars in France.. They have to be fixed with equipment which meets NF (normes Françaises) or ISO standards (the exact numbers are NF 18-903-2/ISO15263-4).
In both Italy and Spain you must display a 50cm x 50cm overhanging load reflective panel with read and white diagonal stripes.
In Portugal bikes cannot be carried at the back of a car, but are permissible on the rear of a Caravan or Motor Home, so long as they don’t extend the vehicle length by 45 cm.
Bar hoping for reasonable copper how else would you prove ownership of the vehicle? If you do not own the vehicle then heard you need owners permission to take it abroad (for example lease cars) but how do you prove it? If you lease it you would have V5 and insurance in your name but not own it.
That is how I explained the meaning of the phrase TBH. I reckon he knew the answer and was just playing with me. He spoke very good English, was at a spot the a lot of UK cars would come through. he no doubt has come across it before.
We went through the same spot last month. They were still there on the roadblocks (the police that is, not the same ones!). I didn't get stopped this time. They weren't picking on UK cars, French and Spanish were also getting pulled in. This time there was a Dutch van being stopped I noticed.
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