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Original poster

Driving in France - are headlight converters the only things we need?

43 replies

3sEnough · 30/06/2007 15:31

Hi - France driving virgin here and my dh keeps whittering on about headlamp converters. I've found them online with or without GB sticker. Do I need the converters, sticker and anything else or am I OK in my car as is? TIA

OP posts:

newlifenewname · 30/06/2007 16:48

Stickers if your car does not feature auto adjustment

GB sticker if old reg plate

Triangle

Vest if driving commerical vehicle or crossing border to Spain

Then Green card so you are insured abroad, and carry licence and Insurance docs at ALL TIMES!

That's it.

newlifenewname · 30/06/2007 16:48

oops, forgot spare bulbs also essential

MaggieW · 30/06/2007 20:32

Have been following this thread with interest as, we too, are French driving virgins - well at least in our own car. Can someone explain re the headlight converters. We have a fairly recent Volvo - do they have an inbuilt adjuster and what should they be adjusted too ie what I'm basically asking is what's the point of headlight converters?

policywonk · 30/06/2007 20:34

So you don't dazzle oncoming drivers with your headlights - the angles are slightly different cos you're on the other side of the road (right, not left)

Enid · 30/06/2007 21:00

I can change the direction of the headlights in my Multipla

ChippyMinton · 30/06/2007 21:10

We never seem to drive at night in France so have got a set of converters in the car but have never stuck them on

Re motor insurance: Check with your insurer. Most policies include the basic 3rd party 'green card' requirement, but do not always provide the same level of fully comprehensive cover as you may have in the UK. Eg with Norwich Union i pay an extra £20 a year to obtain fully comp abroad.

And get breakdown cover too, of course, for peace of mind.

Original poster

3sEnough · 01/07/2007 07:23

Maggie W - you probably need to ring your dealer. My audi has xenons (no converters therefore!) so I've rung my dealer and because it's 5 yrs old I need to take it in to get 'done'. I will be checking with my local garage first though as audi will no doubt charge me 3 times the price and take a day to do it!! I will be getting some spare bulbs and that's me finished.

OP posts:

AuntyQuated · 01/07/2007 07:38

i thought you had to have hiugh vis jackets too as last yaer when we wnet they were in every shop/supermarket with talk of it becoming law so we bought them
we had an audi a6 and jsut bought those sticky things at the port to go over the headlights as it was such a PIA to change them over

Original poster

3sEnough · 01/07/2007 07:40

Aunty (love the name!) that's interesting - I shall investigate. Did your stickers work? I would love to not bother but the thought of blinding oncoming traffic in the rain is a bit worrying!

OP posts:

AuntyQuated · 01/07/2007 07:43

yes, stickers worked perfectly; cahnged direction of galre. readily avaialbale at ports but probably more expensive than you can buy at halfords etc

Original poster

3sEnough · 01/07/2007 07:50

Aunty - does your A6 have Xenon headlamps?

OP posts:

AuntyQuated · 01/07/2007 17:30

sorry - i went off for brekkie.

no i don't think it had Xenon headlamps as i don't know what they are and would if it had them iyswim.

metmoo · 29/07/2008 13:27

in aldi they sell triangle jacket and extinguisher for a tenna

Chocolateteapot · 29/07/2008 13:34

I am muddled about this Green Card thing. DH has called the insurance company and they have said that we are covered abroad for 90 days or something, that we didn't need to take a green card and that we just needed to take the insurance policy - does that sound right ?

Walkthedinosaur · 29/07/2008 13:47

The new law that came in in France at the beginning of the month requires two high visibility jackets to be in the car, and not tucked away in the boot either, the gendarmes have to be able to see them if they walk around the car, so parcel shelf or back seat is probably the best place. Triangle needed and first aid kit too. Not sure but I also think a bulb kit as well - I made sure I've got one just in case. But it's a cert on the jackets and triangles. I was driving through my village on Wednesday and the gendarmes were all over the cars like a rash looking for those jackets. Fortunately I'm a law abiding citizen and had mine on display . You can get them in Ikea for a couple of euros each, it was probably the cheapest place I saw them.

SqueakyPop · 29/07/2008 13:50

Read the fine print on your policy, chocolate.

We have fully comprehensive insurance but still needed to get a green card. It cost about £20. We are with Direct Line.

Chocolateteapot · 29/07/2008 14:27

Just dug it out, it says that includes compulsory Third Party Liability required to use the vehicle in the European Union. Cover also includes 60 days comprehensive cover within the EU. Cover is for up to 60 days per trip.

So given that they did tell DH we don't need a Green Card and that is what it says in the policy summary, am I OK not to get a green card and to just take the policy document with us ?

Sorry to have hi-jacked your thread 3sEnough, I hope you don't mind too much.

slalomsuki · 29/07/2008 14:40

I have just bought hi vis jackets for all 5 of us when travelling in France sicne we got a leaflet about them in May when we went last and were advised to have one for each of us.

We also have bulb kit, headlight convertors, fire extingusher and warning triangle just in case since a lot of French motorways don't have a very wide hard shoulder

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