Driving in France

[silles]

Just about to take delivery of a new Cupra 300, looks like the first trips going to be to France

Reading about it, there seems to be some stupid regulations:

• Headlamp beam deflectors ... WTF if u have full LED lights, u cannot stick something on it
• Breathalysers/alcohol test - sure whatever
• A GB sticker (or ‘euro’ registration plates featuring the GB initials)
• Spare bulbs ? I need a spare LED head light set?
• Crit'Air vignettes - what a hack ?

anyone been there recently could shed some light would be great.

 

[sweetfr]

Answers to your questions.

We have been to France lots of times with our FR with which has LED headlights. There is no need to do anything. It has a built in “tourist” function check handbook.

Breathalyser alcohol test. By law you are expected to have a self testing breathalyser in the car. But in reality no one ever has one (hardly any French carry one) because there is no fine if you are caught without a one.

As long as you have number plates with euro GB registration no need for GB stickers. Ask dealer to supply Euro GB plates.

Probably best to carry a couple spare bulbs (stop light bulb and orange indicator bulbs). We always do.

Crit’Air vignette. If you are planning to visit Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, Grenoble you will need one but more cities etc are joining all the time. Check out website Crit-Air.fr for more details. For peace of mind we have just purchased one and only costs £4 or £5 pound including postage. It lasts for life of vehicle.

You also need by law to carry a warning triangle, high vis vest for each occupant of car which must be kep inside the car and put on before getting out of the car in case of breakdown on motorways. Also be aware the speed limits are altering on 1st July for out of town driving (non motorway/dual carriage way) from 90 kph to 80 kph.
We always change multi function display to kph when we arrive in France.

 

[silles]

Answers to your questions.

We have been to France lots of times with our FR with which has LED headlights. There is no need to do anything. It has a built in “tourist” function check handbook.

Breathalyser alcohol test. By law you are expected to have a self testing breathalyser in the car. But in reality no one ever has one (hardly any French carry one) because there is no fine if you are caught without a one.

As long as you have number plates with euro GB registration no need for GB stickers. Ask dealer to supply Euro GB plates.

Probably best to carry a couple spare bulbs (stop light bulb and orange indicator bulbs). We always do.

Crit’Air vignette. If you are planning to visit Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, Grenoble you will need one but more cities etc are joining all the time. Check out website Crit-Air.fr for more details. For peace of mind we have just purchased one and only costs £4 or £5 pound including postage. It lasts for life of vehicle.

You also need by law to carry a warning triangle, high vis vest for each occupant of car which must be kep inside the car and put on before getting out of the car in case of breakdown on motorways. Also be aware the speed limits are altering on 1st July for out of town driving (non motorway/dual carriage way) from 90 kph to 80 kph.
We always change multi function display to kph when we arrive in France.

Thanks for clearing that up

 

[kazand]

Is your car on a lease or do you own it ( i.e have the V5)

 

[silles]

Is your car on a lease or do you own it ( i.e have the V5)

I'll own it. Hopefully I'll pick it up next week, which does not give me much time to sort out stuff

 

[surrealjam]

I know on the previous Leon, the rear LEDs had standard, replaceable bulbs on the indicators but I thought the new ones were non-serviceable LEDs all round? I'm fairly sure carrying replacement bulbs will be pointless

 

[TheMenFromUGLY]

Is your car on a lease or do you own it ( i.e have the V5)

What difference does it make when driving in France (or on mainland EU) if you lease and are therefore not the cars owner?

 

[black_sheep]

What difference does it make when driving in France (or on mainland EU) if you lease and are therefore not the cars owner?

It’s because in mainland Europe you are required to carry the registration documents and insurance documents with you in the car.

 

[black_sheep]

With regards to the plates, I would get non-EU ones as these will have to be replaced in March 2019 when we leave EU. A GB sticker/magnet will be far cheaper longer term.

 

[JimH]

With regards to the plates, I would get non-EU ones as these will have to be replaced in March 2019 when we leave EU. A GB sticker/magnet will be far cheaper longer term.

I think you’ll find that the “facts” upon which this statement is based were written by Flora Olip and published by the Daily Express on April 1st........

 

[black_sheep]

I think you’ll find that the “facts” upon which this statement is based were written by Flora Olip and published by the Daily Express on April 1st........

Entirely your choice, and I do not recall stating it as FACT; it was purely to raise awareness of something that may not have been considered by the OP...

You may notice that all other vehicles that are from outside of the EU have national flags/Country of Origin descriptors displayed on plates with when transiting across Europe.

Whilst it may have been initially reported in some of the tabloid rags purely to encourage rage, it doesn’t mean that the information is incorrect. As someone who has spent half of the last decade living and driving in mainland Europe

 

[black_sheep]

Sorry... mobile phone biff...

...you only need to look at Swiss, Norwegian, Russian plates etc.

 

[kazand]

It’s because in mainland Europe you are required to carry the registration documents and insurance documents with you in the car.

When I last took a lease vehicle abroad the form was VE103A, cost about £10.00 iirc. You also need ( or are meant to get) the owners permission.

 

[JimH]

Entirely your choice, and I do not recall stating it as FACT; it was purely to raise awareness of something that may not have been considered by the OP...

You may notice that all other vehicles that are from outside of the EU have national flags/Country of Origin descriptors displayed on plates with when transiting across Europe.

Whilst it may have been initially reported in some of the tabloid rags purely to encourage rage, it doesn’t mean that the information is incorrect. As someone who has spent half of the last decade living and driving in mainland Europe

I’ll just leave this here for reference https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/786435/BREXIT-BOMBSHELL-EU-demands-UK-number-plate-RECALLED-2019 - read to the end, or the last bit first....

 

[TheMenFromUGLY]

It’s because in mainland Europe you are required to carry the registration documents and insurance documents with you in the car.

I was not aware of this. And was recently blasting around the ROI in my old lease car! Good job I didn't get stopped
Just Googled it and apparently if you do have a lease car you need a VE103 form which you need to apply for at least 2 weeks before you go away and is valid for a year.
Everyday's a school day

https://www.osv.ltd.uk/can-i-take-a-lease-car-outside-the-uk/

 

[JONNYVT]

Just about to take delivery of a new Cupra 300, looks like the first trips going to be to France

Reading about it, there seems to be some stupid regulations:

• Headlamp beam deflectors ... WTF if u have full LED lights, u cannot stick something on it
• Breathalysers/alcohol test - sure whatever
• A GB sticker (or ‘euro’ registration plates featuring the GB initials)
• Spare bulbs ? I need a spare LED head light set?
• Crit'Air vignettes - what a hack ?

anyone been there recently could shed some light would be great.

Don't go to France, it's full of Peugeots and french

 

[ben4012]

If this plate nonsense is true it will only apply if your car is in Europe. It's up to uk law to determine if plates on cars here will need to replacing. I can't imagine they will, just that new cars will not have them and in 15 years very very few will.

 

[niallain]

Didn't see this answered above, but with the replacement bulbs, would I only need to carry spare rear indicator bulbs as everything else is non-replaceable LED?

 

[DEAN0]

Didn't see this answered above, but with the replacement bulbs, would I only need to carry spare rear indicator bulbs as everything else is non-replaceable LED?

Indicators on the 300 are now LED as is the fog light.
The only bulb now is the reversing light