worried about driving in france

DMC75_2

I was thinking caen overnight ferry , will have to go fairly close to paris as we are going to eurodisney on way back . is ports le havre with brittany ferries ?

josiebabie

No I think it is LD lines. Can't remember as ex books it. cabins cost a bit more but have 4 beds (two sets of bunks) their own toilet and rubbishy shower type thing. They even come and wake you up with a violent knock on the door!!! LOL

DMC75_2

that sounds good (lol) will enquire with eurocamp about the prices tomm and will ask about caen

creased-leach

Last week a friend of mine drove me, my daughter & my neighbour 5 hours across France. It was his first time driving on the continent, and he was fine. My neighbour- who has cancelled a trip before due to her fear of driving in France- was reassured so much she's considering giving it a go too.

It really is far nicer than UK driving.

DMC75_2

wht port did you go from?

mikey72

lucylucky wrote: »

Don't go anyway near Paris then if that is an issue, very easy to find an alternative route.

Read up on driving abroad, take your time and don't be hassled if people sound their horn at you.

I go through calais.
You leave calais on the A26, then towards Paris on the A1, then follow signs for Disney. A sat nav makes life a lot easier though.
4 hours with a break. In the motorhome, and you can't see a thing next to you in it.
I don't think I've ever run into heavy traffic, and no one has ever sounded a horn.

blanik

DMC75 wrote: »

Hi,

Taking the family to serigan plage in south france and have ferries booked from dover to calais .

I am worried about the drive and am looking at changing the ferries to somewhere like caen to make the drive easier ? have looked at bilbao as well to make it easier.

can anyone help or help me with some driving tips even ?

As others have said Motorways are relatively easy, you might notice that the slip roads joining are a bit shorter than you are used to.

Where you are more likely to make a mistake, and take more care, is at complicated junctions on normal roads or when leaving a petrol station or supermarket car park and ending up on the wrong side.

The other difficult situation is overtaking on a single carrageway when you are sitting in a Right Hand Drive car it can be hard to see past the car in front, it can help if the front seat passenger is also a driver to advise you.

Also remember to look left first when you are crossing the road as a pedestrian!!

Bob_the_Saver

PeteMc wrote: »

Yes it is really busy around Paris but the rules there are just like any big city i.e. there are none.

The roads need some foresight (watch and understand the signs) but lane swopping is the norm and you don't get the "I won't let you in" British mentality too often.

Don't worry about priorite a droite, you are unlikely to see it on many roundabouts or roads and if you do there is usually plenty of warning. If you are on the Peripherique though you should let oncoming traffic on (but you'd do that here wouldn't you?).

If you do drive from Calais take the A16 not the A1 towards Paris (less trucks, less cars, more scenic, more expensive).

Fixed speed traps are always signed in advance, if it says in 2km there will be one. Gendarmes hide behind bridges, bushes etc. with speed guns but they aren't that common.

The roads need some foresight (watch and understand the signs) but lane swopping is the norm and
you don't get the "I won't let you in" British mentality too often.

Sorry, is this France, as in near to England just North of Spain. I can tell you (here now & half the year) this is a load of Merde.

OP. stick to the speed limits, watch the signs and remember to use one finger instead of two when gesturing. (They are not taught about Agincourt). Carry the required bits
(reflective jacket INSIDE the car etc) and enjoy your trip.

Priorite a droite is RAMPANT in areas of the south especially, just give way to eveyone.

PS. I nearly forgot, they prefer it if you drive on the wrong side of the road.

alun4

We live in South Wales, so a long way from the crossings. Portsmouth to Le Havre was our favourite but the prices went up so much. Now we use The Tunnel.
Look at the cost of the different times (as much in advance as you can)

We choose to drive 4 hours to tunnel during the day. Cross at about 4.00 pm then drive for 3 hours the other side. Next day there is a six hour plus journey to The Alps or a slightly longer one to a gite further South.

I am thinking of going next week for a two weeks and find the journey over to Dover much, much more stressful than the almost empty French motorways.
The most extreme (and hopefully helpful) example I give to reassure is when we crossed with Norfolk Lines from Dover to Dunkirk. Missed the 8.00pm ferry,(because there were compression jams on the M4, M25 and M20) caught the 10,00pm. Time +1hr and (say) 2 hours crossing. After leaving, the port I travelled for 15 minutes with headlights on full beam - that means no cars coming towards us and nothing in front. All with cruise control at 130km. Just think how often you could travel on a UK motorway with such space for even 30 seconds - even at that time in the morning!
Use your mirrors. Read the rules about carrying reflective jackets etc. Try to avoid Saturdays on the busy holiday weekends and a look at Via Michelin for your route before going coupled with Tomtom on board and you will realise that "q" ing into Cornwall, Birmingham or Wales does not compare!!

It is a long way but the scenary is good once you have left North France.
Enjoy!

DCFC79

A few things to remember is that you drive on other side of the road, roundabouts are the opposite way, and look at the km/h on the speedo