Advice for Trip to France

Thanks very much to everyone who replied, I have printed out all of the advice and I will take it a long to our next planning meeting (or is that just an excuse to the wives for a few beers on a Tuesday night !!).

My French is "merde" but I'll give it a go.!!

Cheers again !!

If you are starting off on the Dover to Calais or Channel Tunnel route I'd suggest a tiny detour to start the journey with a smile on your face.

Instead of belting onto the A16 south follow local signs to Bleriot Plage, Coquelles and Sangatte which should take you along the D940 a lovely coast road with some nice twisties along to cliffs of Cap Gris Nez. Bits of the old Atlantic Wall and the memorial obelisk to the Dover Patrol to your right and loverly views - if you follow it you end up in Bolougne or you can bear off west just before that to head on down south.

Bon voyage/vacance/la plume de ma t'ante... etc.

Hey bazread,

I’ve been living in France for the past six months on Holiday “love it, but I’ll be back in October” and been coming over the past ten years so here’s some tips. A few words of French sometimes go a long way. If you have a smart phone there are apps you can use but don’t rely on them.

Monday’s just about all shops are shut unless you’re in a big city all bike shops and tyre places are also closed “don’t get a puncture” Wednesday’s PM most shops are shut and all shops are shut on Sunday’s PM, petrol stations at Supermarkets have 24hour pumps your debit card should work. Note most French have diesels and it’s so cheap they spill litres of it on the floor at the pump!!!

Driving and riding, watch it around 4 to 6pm most are either pi55ed or rushing to get home, over-taking on the wrong side up hill on a blind bend is a done thing!!! Just watch it.

France is the biggest country in Europe by land mass and has very few people so lots of empty roads. 50kph is the town and village speed limit unless posted 70kph and 90kph are for out of town. Do slow down for villages the cops hang around on Sundays and early evening’s in the week however the rest of the time it’s a bit of a free for all, I’ve been overtaken in a 90kph zone in the car doing 120kph the first time you think WTF the second time you just think meh let them get on with it. Don’t get pushed into going fast they do like to sit very close!

You’ll need a bulb kit and a medical kit just a few plasters “pansement” in a box you DO NOT need a breathalyser or Hi Viz but it’s worth having Hi Viz or bright waterproofs as when it rains boy does it!!! Roads are very VERY slippery when wet. If it’s going to rain all day I do hop onto the motorways, the speeds change when it rains.

I tend to stay off the motorways some are Peage, A Roads are route de national “N” they are nice and fast B roads are “D” department roads so tend to change their numbers as you change departments more fun but don’t expect to do 300 miles on them in a day.
Most French drivers are bike aware but like in the UK don’t bank on it, just about all bikers will give you a wave most of the time it’s two fingers like the V for victory this is like thumbs up. It’s very cool, if they or car divers flash their lights it’s a warning, “cop’s or a tractor doing 5kph etc”

When you get down to Millau do the bridge but the road under it is loads better, it’s very scenic round there very hilly. I’ve done the road from Aurillac to Rodez the D901 then Rodez to Millau the D217 which is then the D29 then D911.

God I could do a book on what I’ve learnt over the past 10 years of riding and the six months here so I’ll sign off with some words of advice. Breath, relax and enjoy yourself keep one eye on the view and one on the nutters in the tin boxes.

Sorry should have said about this of MAD road sign

The old rule that you must give way to any traffic coming out of a side-turning on the right hand side still applies in built up areas if there is no road sign at a crossing. This can be a dangerous trap for the unwary tourist, and if you collide with traffic arriving on the right hand side, where there was no road sign, it is your fault! This 'priority to the right' is also marked with a red triangle sign with a black cross on a white background so if you see these signs you know that the next junction coming up on your right has priority, so take care.

France is however slowly moving away from the Priorité à Droite rule and on the open road and town bypasses you will often now see a yellow diamond sign signifying that you have the priority. Conversely as you enter a town or village you will see a yellow diamond with a black line through it - signalling the re-commencement of Priorité à Droite so take extra care again! If in doubt, take care at all road junctions when in France.

Thanks Doublethink, very informative and useful.

[slob]

Originally Posted by doublethink

Sorry should have said about this of MAD road sign

The old rule that you must give way to any traffic coming out of a side-turning on the right hand side still applies in built up areas if there is no road sign at a crossing. This can be a dangerous trap for the unwary tourist, and if you collide with traffic arriving on the right hand side, where there was no road sign, it is your fault! This 'priority to the right' is also marked with a red triangle sign with a black cross on a white background so if you see these signs you know that the next junction coming up on your right has priority, so take care.

France is however slowly moving away from the Priorité à Droite rule and on the open road and town bypasses you will often now see a yellow diamond sign signifying that you have the priority. Conversely as you enter a town or village you will see a yellow diamond with a black line through it - signalling the re-commencement of Priorité à Droite so take extra care again! If in doubt, take care at all road junctions when in France.

That's very useful to know, I was wondering about the signs and thinking I should really read the French Highway Code. It's only due to 35 years of mistrusting car drivers that I've avoided disaster so far (but probably pissed off a few locals)

[LVC]

Some interesting reading and some "pas vraiment vrais" (not quite trues), lol

Mot's not needed - there's no French equivalent.

France regulations for clothing (hi-res stickers on the lid) and bike (db killers, indicators, etc.) are not enforceable on a non-French registered bike nor rider.

France is not moving away from the "priorité à droite" rule ... in fact it's starting to reinstate them as traffic calming measures in a vast number of places - it's much cheaper than speed humps, etc.

The "X" road sign is widely used to denote junctions where "priorité à droite" is the case, it does not necessarily mean it's a cross-roads there could be only the road from the right or left. It denotes another road joining the one you're on with priority given to the road on your right. The standard UK style road sign with a main road means that the one your on has priority (like this one):



Most villages are indeed 50kph limits but more and more are now 30kph.

France also has fantastic slow moving speed calming devices ... they're called "Voiture Sans Permis" - they have 5/600cc engines and are limited to 50kph, no license is needed and they tend to be driven by : old people, alcoholics or people with no clue of how you're supposed to drive on a public road - be careful as they force cars/lorries/tractors to overtake them and often put these other vehicles on your side of the road coming towards you when you least expect it.

Take great care on roundabouts as most French have no idea of using the lanes on the approach, during and exiting - most think that the "priorité à droite" rule applies here. From the insurance point of view if you drive into someone who's just arrived from your right the fact that they are "on" the roundabout and that you drove into them is often classified as your fault - be aware .... use your head for the those "lifesaver" looks all the time and forget the UK rules, they don't apply.

Tourist areas are expensive - that's why they're known as tourist areas (like the Loire valley - where I've lived for 12 years). However if you stay off the "tourist roads" you will discover what France is really about

and if you really get stuck ask via PM and I'll give you my mobile number

and last bit - don't get sucked into racing a French local - you will lose as we all know our roads and are used to riding them at speeds most UK road users would be scared of

[Black Bob]

Originally Posted by LVC

and last bit - don't get sucked into racing a French local - you will lose as we all know our roads and are used to riding them at speeds most UK road users would be scared of

In my experience, that's only true if it's a Volvo estate...