First-time driver in France

ElleDubloo

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are planning to attend a wedding in Saint-Malo, North of France. We can't fly as I'll be 37 weeks pregnant at the time Our provisional plan is to drive from London to Portsmouth, take the overnight ferry to Caen (with the car), then drive the rest of the way to Saint-Malo. Neither of us have visited France before (apart from on school trips many years ago!) I speak very basic French.

My questions are:
1. Does this sound like a good plan? Is there a better one?
2. What's a good way to navigate? i.e. print out directions from Google Maps, buy a France map for the GPS machine, or buy a French sim card in order to use the GPS on my iPhone?
3. If the last option, how do we get a French sim card and what's the best package to buy?
4. Anything else that we haven't thought of that you think we should?

Thanks a lot!

AndyT678

You can get a ferry directly to St Malo and not bother with the car.

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferries-france/portsmouth-st-malo

http://www.condorferries.co.uk/destinations/stmalo-port.aspx

If you do drive make sure you have all the necessary bits for the car - spare bulbs, high vis jackets etc.. French plod like pulling Brits coming out of ferry ports and checking.

GPS is great. I wouldn't go without it.

Mojisola

ElleDubloo wrote: »

My husband and I are planning to attend a wedding in Saint-Malo, North of France. We can't fly as I'll be 37 weeks pregnant at the time

4. Anything else that we haven't thought of that you think we should?

Investigate the maternity hospitals in the area?

Carry a stock of TravelJohns.

ampersand

It's a lovely plan.

Stop worrying and simply thoroughly enjoy every bit of it.

Tomtom Start 25 is all you need for Western Europe if you don't enjoy maps. but I love/use both.

You can buy a French SIM card at any grande surface and most bar-tabacs[wrongly called 'tobacco shops' in the link I've added-they're much more than this] but why bother? Why complicate a simple Channel hop? You have your car, yourselves, the invitation.

This is a good basic page. Go not quite half-way down for hypermarkets:
http://www.day-tripper.net/channel-port-stmalo-shopping.html.

I fuel up whenever I'm back in France as it's cheaper. I load up with certain things to bring back too, but without knowing your tastes or how far you are from your UK Channel port, my fresh produce buys might be impractical for you.

Just make sure you have your reflector jackets and warning triangle on board, and that your headlight beams are adjusted.
http://www.rac.co.uk/travel/driving-abroad/countries/france

The breathalyser kit requirement has been put on hold.

Here are the markets:
http://www.saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk/about-st-malo/shopping/outdoor-markets

- and brocantes vide-greniers are here. Put in your dates:
http://vide-greniers.org/agendaRegion.php?region=6&date=30

This is an overview for events generally, if you have some extra days - I hope so!
http://www.saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk/stay/entertainment/events-calendar

Have a marvellous time - and lucky baby! whose 1st Time Abroad has this as part of his/her family folklore.
.....and should he or she decide to join the party early, French maternity care is OUTSTANDING.
#
You might like to start looking at Ouest-France, the daily paper, online.
http://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/ille-et-vilaine/saint-malo-35400

AndyT678

P.S. While you're in the area and if you do go via Caen I recommend a detour to Bayeux. The tapestry is more interesting than it sounds! Dinan is a nice town to visit too.

You may also be tempted by Mont St Michel. It's very impressive from a distance but close up the reality is about a million people crammed into steep, narrow streets. It's not a pleasant experience at the best of times. Maybe one to avoid in your condition.

ElleDubloo

That's really helpful advice - thank you everyone! Especially didn't realise there's a direct ferry to Saint Malo - that saves us a lot of trouble Didn't realise that Saint Malo is such an interesting and beautiful place to visit either. Really can't wait to go now

DigForVictory

If you can borrow the car kit, great.
If you can borrow a satnav, better still.
I wouldn't want to drive on a mobile phone app - the decidated gizmo is actually clearer & still leaves you juice to call if you get stuck.

Try to get as many photos of you & bump & French Locations as you can stand (as well as all the relatives at the wedding!) - when small person arrives, you may forget that you every left Blighty & photgraphic evidence helps.

Does the bride know that the presence of magnificently pregnant guest is considered to bring fertility to the marriage bed? Or any other females there? You may be (gently) mugged for extra photos with giggling lassies amongst those who share this belief/superstition. (My family does, & as photos of me in long white & cousin in brilliantly curving Breton stripes "prove", It Works.)

Have a wonderful time! Take a thoughtful portion of baby budget - Catholic countries have more childrens clothes (& fun maternity wear) than Blighty.

BNT

ampersand wrote: »

The breathalyser kit requirement has been put on hold.

Technically, the law still requires you to have a breathalyser in the car. However, the fine/penalty has been put on indefinite hold. In other words, not having a breathalyser is illegal, but won't cost you anything.

If, like me, you went out and bought one when the law first came into effect a year or so ago, you'll find it has now expired. That's not going to cost you a fine, but don't rely on it to give an accurate reading.

And don't forget the blood alcohol limit is lower in France than the UK.

runningben16

We stayed near Saint Malo last summer. I can only echo what everyone says, it's a lovely town with plenty to do. And if you want to get out and explore, both Dinard (seaside) and Dinan (inland) are lovely and very close. Driving is a pleasure, the French simply don't have heavy traffic like we do. The ferry docks very close to the town centre, so you've got to be a bit switched on - immediately you come off the boat you're faced with town traffic, roundabouts etc, but it's nothing scary.

hollydays

Price wise check put st malo , Le Havre and Cherbourg . Buy your petrol at supermarkets as you would at home( carrefour , super u, Cora , le clerc, intermarche). French petrol stations may be closed Sundays unless they are 24 hour

macman

Satnav is hardly essential on that jouirney. Straight out of the port towards Caen (about 10km), north round the ring road and then it's autoroute and finally high quality expressway all the way to St Malo, all clearly signed. A very easy run, even for inexperienced travellers in France.