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Original poster

Someone reassure me about driving in France please

88 replies

zippyswife · 02/08/2022 08:08

We are going on a family holiday to France, dh now can’t go due to commitments with his parents. We go to France most years but he has always driven (it’s been about 10 years since I’ve driven in France). I do most of the driving here and am comfortable driving places I don’t know/long distances/motorways but feel so daunted by the prospect of driving in France. I’m scared I’ll go the wrong way on a roundabout or drive on the wrong side etc! Not sure if I should cancel the holiday but I’d lose the money and dcs would be gutted. Just wanted some advice/reassurance I guess. It’s an 8 hour drive in France to campsite and we’re staying overnight half way down. On the return journey I’d be doing it in a day.

OP posts:

Shade17 · 03/08/2022 17:07

It’s generally easier and a lot more pleasant than driving in the UK. Only had one incident with les flics but they were nice enough in the end. These days I tend to set cruise for a genuine 85/87mph and you can average 70+mph quite easily due to the largely free flowing traffic (avoiding Paris). Allegedly, it’s possible to average 120+mph on long stints through the night though probably unwise these days.

sleepy78 · 03/08/2022 17:52

Make sure you understand the rules about giving way to the right- drivers coming out of smaller roads on your right will not slow down! They just spring out! This will be very important when driving in Paris...

Chocoqueen · 03/08/2022 19:16

SwedishEdith · 03/08/2022 16:58

Were in France now and don't think we have a crit sticker 🙁 Just checked the RAC site and it looks like we're not going to be visiting any places they've listed but slightly worried now. Presumably you can't get one in France?

If you're not visiting any of the places then don't worry about it - we didn't get one for our trip.

OP - you also need to put headlight reflectors on so they don't dazzle other drivers.

notimagain · 03/08/2022 20:05

Allegedly, it’s possible to average 120+mph on long stints through the night though probably unwise these days.

Errrr, yep, I agree it might be best not to..

That's over 60 kph above the normally 130 kph Autoroute/Peage limit, so if you are unlucky enough to be stopped you are potentially into instant car impoundment territory, amongst other things...

www.thesupercarblog.com/ferrari-f12-tdf-busted-doing-134-mph-in-france-gets-impounded/

duckme · 03/08/2022 20:25

You may find it a good idea to invest in one of those toll passes that go on your windscreen. You will be on the wrong side of the car to pay the tolls and those passes let you through the telepeage barriers and take the money from your account automatically

franke · 03/08/2022 20:46

iirc, where the tolls have machines to insert cash, card etc, many of them operate on both sides, so rh drive can use them without a faff too. I think 🤔

LubaLuca · 03/08/2022 20:54

I have to concentrate like I did when I was a new driver, but I enjoy driving abroad. I like to have someone calm and helpful in the front with me, nobody who loses focus and suddenly shouts 'Where the fuck are you going?!' when they look up from their phone as you're navigating a massive roundabout 😬

JumpTheGun · 03/08/2022 21:49

Glad I read this, had no idea about the crit air thing and we will be (for our sins) driving our car into Paris.

OP I remember being terrified the first time I drove abroad but it was really fine!

OrangeBananaFish · 03/08/2022 21:56

France is the easy part of the drive I find. Once I get on the train the whole process gets a lot easier. The UK is much much worse I find. We drive down to the south of France. I love driving in France.

sashagabadon · 03/08/2022 21:58

Driving back in France is generally delightful. It’s the return to England that’s the hard bit!

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 03/08/2022 22:07

It's actually really nice once you get the hang of roundabouts. Overtake on the left and give way to traffic on the left on roundabouts. Most of it is pretty countryside and villages. I did it pre sat nav and still managed to cross half the country on my own with my son. Its so much easier with sat nap. I'm not confident well not then but I did it and it was a huge self esteem boost. I've also driven to Ger.any. that was much easier but not as quaint.

DomesticShortHair · 03/08/2022 23:38

newtb · 03/08/2022 10:41

I live in the Limousin and you couldn't pay me to drive home via Paris. It's also shorter.

I go via Rouen, thé Évreux, Dreux and Chartres before joining the A20, which is free after Vierzon.

There are now many pollution-controlled zones and it would be an Idea to get a 'crit air' sticker. There's a govt website and you put in the reg no and get a sticker in the post.

Have a lovely holiday.

That’s exactly the way I get to the A20 too.

It might be just me, but I’ve noticed a few of the motorway off slip roads can be deceptive- sometimes it’s difficult to see where they go due to trees etc, and the turns can be deceptively tight- especially if you’re coming off from doing 130kmh, you can feel you’re going slower than you actually are. So I always take extra care unless I can clearly see how the road goes.

Shade17 · 04/08/2022 19:04