So if you are bringing your existing vehicle and re-registering it in France, be prepared [...]]]> Here’s a tip for driving in France. If you can afford it, sell your old car before you come here, buy a French car. It will save you  hassle. Unfortunately French cars are not cheap and second-hand prices are positively silly.

So if you are bringing your existing vehicle and re-registering it in France, be prepared for some fun. That’s fun if you like shuffling endless paperwork and going backwards and forwards several times…

There are several websites that claim to give you advice. Do a search and you’ll find plenty – English and French. I see no point in repeating that information – especially as it will probably have changed by the time you read this. What they try to give you is facts, not what’s likely to actually happen in real life .

Trouble is, the majority of these sites don’t seem to be kept up to date and you’ll read some info about registering your foreign car in France which is, despite people’s best intentions, garbage. I’m not saying they’re all wrong, but how do you know?

The answer? You need to go to your local council offices (préfecture or sous-préfecture) and ask. If you can’t speak French yet you can either be brave and give it a go, or find someone who speaks French (and English, of course) to take with you. This way you’ll be told the correct paperwork to get rather than trusting some website, turning up at the Prefecture to get your new car registration (immatriculation) and finding you are missing form 1234b, part C, in triplicate, signed by your mother and a member of the Greek Orthodox Church who has lived in Corsica for two years and is left handed.

OK, I exaggerate a bit, but not a lot…

Some people come to France with their car and run it for months and months without re-registering. Dodgy. Legally I believe you have three months (although some sites say any six months in any 12 month period – however that’s supposed to work). It took us nearly five to sort all the paperwork so we had a good excuse, but pushing your luck could land you with a fine – and motoring fines in France can be heavy.

Don’t forget there are fees to pay. There will probably be costs of between £50 and £150 to get the relevant paperwork from your car manufacturer. Added to that at the time we re-registered our car were French inspection fees (around 60 Euros) and then a fee for getting the new number plates (plaques d’immatriculation – usually just plaques) which depended on the horsepower of the vehicle. In our case another couple of hundred Euros.

So if your old vehicle is only worth around £500 or £600 I would seriously consider getting rid of it before coming to France because over here – with people driving on the right – it has absolutely no second-hand value at all.

To be fair, it’s a bit of a hassle but not actually difficult to re-register your foreign car in France. If you’re coming here to live you’ll have to learn to be patient with French bureaucracy anyway!

You will certainly need the French version of an MOT – which you can get before your new plates. The place to go is called a Control Techniques and it’s something you only need get done once every two years.

Finally you’ll get your new paperwork – Carte Grise. Then you can trundle off into the sunset… unless you are us. A month after finally getting it sorted out the damn car blew its engine – that’ll be an extra 1500 Euros then. Aaaarrrgggghh!

Just watch out for the Frenchman coming the other way!

We’ve done French speed limits but quite often underneath [...]]]> Last time we looked at driving in France from the point of view of the rules and regulations. This time we’ll look at a few French driving tips that might just make your life a little easier.

Just watch out for the Frenchman coming the other way!

We’ve done French speed limits but quite often underneath a speed limit sign you’ll see “RAPPEL“. This just means remember, as in “remember you are still in a 70 limit” if that’s the case. Usually French speed limits are 50 kph for towns, 90 kph in the countryside and 130 kph on the autoroutes but any speed is possible. 70 kph for example is quite common on the edge of towns. 90 kph is the limit on dual carriageways, not to be confused with autoroutes which are often only two lanes.

Actually, before we move on from speed limits, a note about radar detectors. They are illegal, you’ll get a huge fine, and they can’t actually “see” the French digital speed cameras anyway! Sat-navs (GPS) which have static speed cameras programmed in are perfectly legal so that’s the way to go if you have heavy feet from time to time.

In general you can get around France quite quickly. Traffic is low, particularly on autoroutes because they are toll roads and the French will avoid paying if possible. Who can blame them, a trip from north to south is 1,000 kilometres and if you do it all on autoroutes could cost you a hundred Euros or more. Anyway, if your not in a hurry getting into the French countryside is wonderful and usually still has remarkably little traffic.

Another French driving phrase you might come across is “Acoutement non stabilise” which means the verges are soft and you shouldn’t drive on them. Not usually a problem, except if you get down a quiet country lane and there’s a French driver coming in the opposite direction. Don’t expect them to find a convenient gateway – they ain’t stopping! The French simply drive half way up the verge on their side and expect you to do the same on your side. Frequently they won’t even slow down! It can be entertaining, to say the least, but fortunately most French verges are wide and well maintained. In five years I’ve never seen an accident in these circumstances and I live way out in the country.

Other useful French driving words are anything that includes “meubles” – which is furniture, or in this case things like bollards in the road. In town you’ll get “arret interdit“, no stopping. Don’t risk it, they’ll quite happily tow you away. If you’re anywhere near the mountain tunnels you’ll get “allumez vos phares“, turn on your headlights. Bizarrely there are a couple you’ll recognise instantly: Parking and STOP! Well I don’t need to explain those.

When it comes to filling up your tank, gas (petrol) is “essence” and is graded either 98 (premium), 95 (normal) or “sans plomb” which is unleaded. “Gazole” (pronounced gazwal) is diesel. Don’t ask for petrol by the way, the French will think you mean “petrole“, which is paraffin. Service stations at the big supermarkets are usually cheapest and those on the autoroutes the most expensive. However, the autoroute ones will always be open which isn’t always the case in towns. There are many more card machines than there were a few years ago but if you’re driving through rural France I wouldn’t rely on finding one. Better to fill up in the big towns than believe you’ll find somewhere along the road – you might not!

The last important French driving phrase is “priorité à droit” which means priority to the right. Not too many years ago all French roads had this rule. Someone coming from the right, even from a farm track onto an autoroute, had right of way. This is largely dying out now but worth knowing, especially in the countryside and particularly with older French drivers who remember the law as it was. If you see big yellow diamond as a road signs it is you that has right of way, if not you might have or you might not. If in doubt, giving way is the safest. If everyone stops, as is often the case, chances are that no-one is sure – not even the French!

Lastly a note about driving in France in general. Paris is a beautiful city but I wouldn’t take a car there if you paid me. The peripherique (ring road) can be an absolute nightmare. Inside the city it’s almost permanent gridlock. Park in a train station on the outskirts and take the tube (Metro), it’s fast and relatively cheap. Yes it’s busy in the rush-hour but it’s a big city. The rest of the time it’s by far the best way of getting around.

Almost everywhere else you’ll experience far less traffic than, for example, the UK. The scenery is hugely varied and it’s a pleasure to drive through. You will love it.

I’ll do another post soon on general [...]]]> Driving in France can be a delight. Away from big cities like Paris and Marseilles there is surprisingly little traffic and all kinds of stunning French scenery. If you’ve never driven in France before there are just one or two rules you should know that will make life easier.

I’ll do another post soon on general French driving info but let’s start with the actual rules.

If you come into France via the English ferries you’ll probably come across all kinds of things that the stores claim motorists need for driving in France. Spare bulbs, fire extinguishers, dog guards, who knows what. A lot of it is untrue. What you need is a warning triangle – many cars have these built into the boot lid (trunk), but do check – and a reflective yellow safety jacket. A lightweight sleeveless one is perfectly adequate. If your car is right-hand drive you will need to adjust the headlamps or use those sticky plastic “beam-benders”. The last thing you need for driving in France is a sticker stating your country of origin. If your car is a recent model from the European Union this will probably be incorporated in the license plate, if not, the ferry companies usually give you a sticky one for free. It doesn’t matter what your actual nationality is, if you’re entering France from the UK, you’ll gt a UK sticker.

I haven’t mentioned documents because if you’re licensed to drive in your own country you are licensed to drive in France. Comprehensive insurance is not mandatory but probably a good idea and most insurance companies will probably be able to upgrade you for a limited period. If you do not have a photo license you must carry your passport at all times. You should also have your insurance and ownership documents with you in the car.

Any other French driving rules and regulations?

Well seat belts are mandatory all the time, unless you have a really old car and they weren’t fitted as standard. Children younger than ten are not allowed to travel in the front seat. Speed limits are usually clearly signed but if in doubt it’s 50 kph in any built up area, 90 kph in the country and 130 kph on autoroutes – although in bad weather you must slow down so the limit on open roads becomes 80 kph and autoroutes 110kph. There are plenty of speed cameras in France, usually with big, obvious black and white sings just before, but there are also spot checks so be careful. If you get caught by the roadside by one of those you can expect an instant fine – and they’re not cheap.

Beware also of having a glass of something with lunch and then driving. There are always stories about drunk French peasants trundling down some old back lane in their rusty old 2CV but the fact is French drink driving rules are very strict. If you fail a roadside test you will be taken to jail, right then. A certain way to wreck your French holiday so why take the risk?

That just about covers it for “rules”. Next time I’ll have a look at driving in France from the point of view of a few useful French phrases and some of the things that French driving might throw at you. All good fun!