driving in France/Belgium – any tips?

Driving abroad this weekend for the first time, going to the xmas markets in Bruges

I’m a 40K a year driver in the UK, but there’s something slightly unnerving me about driving on the continent.

tips please, starting with don’t crash.

They drive on the other side of the road over there

Hth

Not much difference really, but take change for the motorways, if you are nervous (and if its your first time,pfnaaar,you will be) just use more observations, plan ahead, don’t rush….enjoy the road trip.
France is really easy to navigate around too. We always manage with a paper fold out map.

Don’t forget your hi vis/breath/alcohol kit too. Compulsory equipment you heed to carry.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-2104222/What-need-drive-France-Now-pack-breathalyser-risk-fines.html

Don’t forget your hi vis/breath/alcohol kit too

No need for breathaliser anymore, but you do need hi-vis jackets for the driver/each front seat passenger in the vehicle, not in the boot. First aid kit too IIRC.

They drive on the other side of the road over there

Sounds like a daft thing to say but it’s actually quite important to remember this.

A friend of my sister, who drove for his living in the UK, forgot and entered a roundabout on the wrong side resulting in a rather nasty accident that amongst other things broke both his legs. Was in hospital for over 4 months.

Don’t forget to pack a breathalyser when driving across France, it’s a legal requirement.

It’s a lot easier than you think. Merging traffic from motorways can be dicey. You’ll soon pick it up though.

In Belgium you have to watch out for the ‘priority from the right’ thing. For us if we are driving along then traffic can only join (from the left for the UK) if there is space. In Belgium if they have priority they can, and will, pull out right in front of you 🙁

However, they can only do it if the junction they are at doesn’t have ‘sharks teeth’ across it. It’s usually only in towns and smaller roads where they have priority and will pull out now but pay special attention in towns

hope that all makes sense

yep piece of pi55, you’ll enjoy it (oddly) i do..

Find out what colour pumps are for what colour fuel. Yellow threw me completely.

All was fine though

Draw a picture of a roundabout as you would see it from wrong side of road and place it on the dash.

fuel prices change a lot more over there. crazy expensive (relatively) on the m-way as opposed to off.

Remember we drive on the wrong side when you get back.

i put a big sticker on my windscreen each time I cross now. Coming out of car parks is the worst

Oh, and it’s legal to overtake in any lane on the motorway in Belgium – no prisoners for anyone dawdling

Don’t forget to pack a breathalyser when driving across France, it’s a legal requirement.

No you don’t

January 2013 – the French government announced that the implementation of the sanction for drivers not carrying a breathalyser – a fine of €11 – has been postponed indefinitely

Sauce

So while it’s required if you don’t have one they can’t do anything about it. I didn’t take one when we went, nor did I faff on with headlight sticker things.

January 2013 – the French government announced that the implementation of the sanction for drivers not carrying a breathalyser – a fine of €11 – has been postponed indefinitely

Handy to know, cheers Matt. The french change rules more times than italians change sides. 😀

roads in France are smooooothhh, as soon as you cross the border into Belgium they are like the pot-holed excuses for roads we have here.

oh and i do have a breathalyser in the glove compartment even though, like my tax-disc I know I don’t need it (did you see what I did there).

I also keep a hi-viz jacket stuffed into the driver’s side door-pocket. Only had to use it once for a puncture but glad I had it.

I do the ghetto-headlight thing using duct-tape. Much cheaper than the ‘proper’ things plus they actually stick to the lights. The expensive bits of plastic will disappear as soon as you get up some speed on the motorway.

I use a Tom-tom and it works fine. it all switches over automatically and actually helps you get used to driving on the right hand side

I find it very easy, my problem is when I get back to the uk and find myself having to concentrate very hard about which side of the road to be on! Strangely I also can’t imagine trying to ride a bike on the other side of the road even though driving isn’t a problem. For gods sake when anyone passes you they see the wrong side of your bike, how can that be right.

you’ll find it a lot less stressful than driving in the UK

Lived over there for 6 years in the Nederlands near the Belgian border. The Belgians were proud that their motorway network was the only one in Europe that was lit at night, shame they spent all funds on lights rather than tarmac, some roads are appalling. Tailgating is compulsory, I was told that they did not have a driving test until the mid 70s, seeing the standard of driving I think that may be true, the driving can be quite poor.
As has been said earlier, watch out for roundabouts and pulling out of carparks, quite easy not to engage brain and revert to driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. If you get pulled by the police, they issue on the spot fines for some offences, if you do not have enough cash they escort you to the nearest cashpoint. When travelling through, we used to see quite a few Brit cars pulled over, not sure if they did it as easy pickings, certainly didn’t see them pull many Belgian tailgaters over.

Make sure you have enough dayglo vests in the car for all occupants (not in the boot) and enjoy the experiance.

Doesn’t take long to get used to, but beware reflexes making you turn the wrong way on the empty roundabouts of their out of town industrial estates. (Roads are generally a lot emptier than in most of engerland.)

It’s easier in a left hand drive car, once you stop reaching down the wrong side for the brake.

No one’s mentioned priorité a droit yet. You’ll know you’ve got it wrong when someone beeps you for not letting them out.

The french are pretty considerate drivers, other than on the paris peripherique…

Going to the Christmas Markets you say.. ?

All the German ones are now in the UK, your going to get this:

A satnav takes all the stress out of driving abroad.

Bruge is brilliant and the beer is beautiful.
Standard of driving in Belgium is shocking for Western Europe
Their full motorway system is lit for a reason -so you can see the crap concrete surface riddled with potholes.
Don’t stop at the motorway services unless you like the smell of piss.
From 55secs onwards – driver did survive

Actually, I’ll second what Mundie said about the roads, they are crap in every respect…holes, different surfaces, road markings all over the place, undulations .. daytime makes it a whole lot easier.

No need for breathaliser anymore, but you do need hi-vis jackets for the driver/each front seat passenger in the vehicle, not in the boot. First aid kit too IIRC.

You don’t need a first aid kit in France (though sensible), you do need a red warning triangle though. And if you’ve got a passenger up front you’ll need an extra hi-viz. Belgium I’ve no idea.

I use a Tom-tom and it works fine.

Careful here. If you’ve got anything that gives you speed camera warnings, these are illegal in France. Les Fuzz will destroy the device on the spot.

Oh, the one thing that threw me in France, is that the town name markers and their subsequent town-name-crossed-out signs demarcate the speed limit changes. I spent ages looking for actual speed limit signs.

Look left at islands!

We (Belgium) don’t illuminate highways as a standard anymore.
Only obliged to light junctions & during bad weather.

Roads are also fine regards holes and such like. (I ride a motorbike so I’m fairly exposed to any issues)

Be very careful on roundabouts…. Belgians think it’s normal to join that you can turn left by driving all the way around the outside of a 2 lane roundabout. Highway code used to be written that way (allegedly)

Tailgating is normal as is undertaking on the highway

The pulling out from the right thing is only valid in built up areas but still rather surprising all the same.

Is the xmas market in Brugge really that good (or are you coming to watch some cyclocross as the same time)? I hear Koln or Aachen are much better.

The telepeage tags are great – put it in your windscreen and the tolls get deducted automatically. No faffing for change and less delay.

Going to Brugge you won’t be on any peages ( E30 – Dunkirk, Ostende, Brugge) …..
And you do need breathalysers in France ….

you’ll find it a lot less stressful than driving in the UK

Lol.. Belgium.. lol!

Re headlights – many cars nowadays have an adjuster that lets you flip them over to point the other way. I only discovered this AFTER I got back from Germany where I’d used the stickers for 6 months – I coudn’t see a bloody thing.

France – easy, especially in the North where the motorways are empty. Standard of driving generally far higher than UK, esp lane discipline (until you get to the South).

Belgium – tailgating was once accurately described on STW as a “national sport”. Mega speed essential.

Brugge – beautiful city. Make sure you track down dime bike racing (the other national sport) – it’s cross at this time of year, and a Superprestige race is something to behold.

And you don’t need breathalysers in France (well you can if you want, but the fine when it was going to be enforced was not much more than the retail price, but now it’s officially not enforced, so it’s a complete waste of cash)

And if you come across a peage, you’ve gone the wrong way.

The motorway services that smell of piss are the French ones. New one at Wetteren (think that might be after Bruges turn off?) is pretty neat.

Don’t expect your bank cards to work in any petrol pump, so you need to find one with a cash prepay, in foreign, and hope €50 fits in the tank.

Tailgating in Belgium is compulsory.

I did just mean the French roads 🙂

You need a hi-viz for everyone in the car.

oh… and since it’s forbidden to use any technology in France to warn of speed cameras…

there’s one sneakily hidden in the middle of the autoroute on the Dunkerque bypass bit.

UK registered cars should be safe from that. Not sure which (if any) countries have reciprocal agreement with France for speeding penalties. But do beware gendarmes that prey on UK citizens running for the ferry at warp 3.

Draw a picture of a roundabout as you would see it from wrong side of road and place it on the dash.

Except the Continentals will go all the way around in the outside lane, and be seriously surprised by a Brit ‘cutting’ them up 🙂

some good advise guys!

Headlights have been tested and benign a BMW they have a flat beam so no beam benders required, as well as warning triangle and first aid kit.
Got hi-viz’s in glove box, with insurance, V5 and license in boot.
Sat nav is ‘plumbed in’ so no camera alerts on it, although I have a tom tom in boot as reserve 🙂
Not bothering with breathalyser as there;s now more info pointing to the fact they can’t/don’t fine you for that.
Got 4mm of tread on fronts and 7mm on rears
Got breakdown assistance with BMW europe wide
Got snow shovel (thanks to Daily Mail reports)
Got life assurance for above (thanks to Daily Mail reports)

not sure about this roundabout malarkey but i’ll have a go at it!

here goes…

When I drive back to the UK (I’m in Spain), I have a big post-it note on the wheel saying “Drive on the LEFT” – useful reminder when you set off. Once driving it’s dead easy.