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Give way to Belgian drivers. Trust me.
Nickc speaks the truth.
Loads of them on the road at Easter. Big BMW's and Mercedes most of them.
OP mentionned Brocantes - I go over most years in the van to stock up in Brittany & Vendee, off again in a few weeks - but also look out for Vide Greniers (literally means 'empty attic') - our equivalent of car boot sales but usually less tacky & much better, particularly in towns when everyone seems to turn up, families, food, drink etc. Depending where you are heading, this is a good site for finding dates of them https://vide-greniers.org/
The good stuff gets sold on LeBonCoin.fr these days and vide greniers are often disappointing. Brocantes are still worth a visit, many advertise on the LeBonCoin. Either way have a look at LeBonCon for wherever you are going. (Madame picked up a nice art-deco 1930s chair in a brocante last week for 100e - found on LeBonCoin)
Yes agree leboncoin is good if look for stuff like on gumtree and your French is good for emails/phone, still prefer wondering about at a Brocantes or vide greniers though - ones I go to in Brittany are usually great.
I find driving in Europe much more chilled than over here, apart from when I came off the Motorway too early and found myself in the middle of Naples....
I'll add the middle of Lisbon to that list. that's half a day of my life i'll never get back, i only wanted to go round it too, not through 🙂
OP i found quite a good little sticker among the overpriced fluro vests and the (now not so) compulsory breathalyzers, its see-through and has a diagram of a road and roundabout with direction arrows, you stick it to the top corner of your windscreen, when you get back off the ferry/tunnel you flip it over and is right for the UK
Found it helped the first time i drove in europe especially if you have a "F***! which side of the road am i on?!?" moment.
But to be honest you spent the first hour out of the tunnel driving like its your test again then it becomes second nature. As others have said the most dodgy moments are leaving the hotel the next morning as you just jump in the van and go.
Be excited! And have a lovely trip - we've always found driving through France an absolute joy, especially if outside school hols (when the roads don't seem busier, but the rest areas do!).
Noting to add to all the good advice above.
All the peage I drove on took CC without issue anyway
This got me thinking. I've never bothered with SANEF before, but my cards have a non sterling transaction fee per use on top of the percentage, so that might be 15, 20 times in a trip. SANEF and one transaction for the total would be a good slice cheaper.
All the peage I drove on took CC without issue anyway
you will have one moment where you drive on the left usually when ther's no traffic but that'll be it. You'll be fine.
I took a wrong turn in a village last year, turned it round in a junction and carried on back the way I came. Couldn't understand why a crazy French bloke was driving straight towards me waving his hands about...
Tsk.... French drivers eh? 😳
The 'spare bulb' thing is actually really bad advise unless you read the small print - the police won't ask you to see it, it's not a requirement they don't care - what they can do is stop you and fine you if you have a bulb out - just like the Police here can do, the only difference is their fines are payable immediately. The bulb kit 'rule' is more about not being stuck in France trying to work out what the French for 'Halfords' is so there's little point rocking up with a standard issue Halfords spare bulb kit if you vehicle takes funny bulbs or needs half an F1 pit crew to access them.
It's hardly bad advice anywhere.... but I always found hyper-markets cheaper than Halfords... though that was with a better exchange rate.
The thing is there is a lot to me said for "Yes Sir/No Sir" when your on holiday with a vehicle. That applies most places but France the various police/gendarmes have a lot of leeway and I've found being rather effusive over compliance a good start.
Having lived in France for 7yrs but had my British car I did get stopped with a bulb out (driving back from the Alps to Paris) and pulled out high viz vests and such whilst apologising profusely and saying it was fine when I left that morning and I had spare bulbs ... they ended up being more amused I had a PUG 306 Gti6 with English plates and I don't remember them even checking the paperwork/license.
I've used a borrowed toll tag on two trips and paid with card or csdh on maybe ten or more trips.
Having a tag is nice but paying by card has never been an issue and when I last looked the tag had an intitial cost that made it poor value for one or two trips.
I've never bothered with headlight tape, I dont drive at night.
I dont speed either here or abroad so its a none issue.
I think I have a hi viz but it may be in the boot, it just go under my seat when travelling abroad.
Thats about it realy, otherwise I just get in the car and drive. I do agree its swapping back to driving on the left thats more difficult.
Speeding wise, some of the popular places to get caught are where motorways stop being 130/ 110 and go to 90 through cities/ big junctions etc. The rhone Valley from Lyon to St.Etienne and then onwards through St. Etienne towards Clermont....is rife and well known for constantly changing limits that are difficult to keep up with. Albertville is another one...
The only time I have been pulled over in over 9 years of living here and before that regular holidays here was my 1st trip out on my new (to me) motorbike. Regular check: they did the same for bikes ahead and behind me..they weren't too bothered that my insurance cert wasn't 100% as it should be due to newly purchased etc... but they just wanted to talk and talk and talk and check out my bike as it's 30 years old and a legendary model and in good condition etc....i..e they were more interested in chewing the fat than checking legalities! I felt I had passed their initial check in the first minute.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR V5/ logbook/ owner registration with you. In france you need to carry it with you at all times when driving (and ID at all times): in the UK (last I knew) you don't. This is a reason that so many french guys have manbags for all the stuff you need to carry: cheque book, owner papers, driving licence blah blah.
I used to stick a bloomin great "KEEP RIGHT" sign on the centre of the steering wheel when first driving over there. I don't bother now . I have to say though ..like a few others ..the most risky time is probably in the morning when you're joining a road and there are no other cars about to give you a subconscious cue . it's easy to swing across to the left side and suddenly get a frightening reminder as you see a car coming towards you on the same side. Hopefully it won't be on a bend and without collision. happened to me a few times over 40 yrs ..often when hung over .
Finally . a comment about the french car boots ...rarely found a good one unless at the large brocantes. Things seem more expensive than over here and they have a lot of real junk for sale at daft prices. I think the dealers picked through most of the good stuff years ago.