Drive from UK to Northern Spain (Salou)

zagfles

If you get caught by a French speed camera you should get done for driving without due care and attention! Usually a massive sign about 1km before the camera, a reminder of the speed limit about half a km before the camera, then the camera. Anyone getting done by one of them shouldn't be on the road

Cornucopia

Big brown and white signs, probably 10 feet (sorry, 3 metres) tall.

However, the AA article suggests that the signs may be being removed.

pd001

mgdavid wrote: »

the relevant bit seems to be:
"If you have a satnav capable of displaying French camera locations in France then you must at least disable camera alerts before driving in France. We recommend that you contact the manufacturer of the satnav for advice as it is likely that a software or database update is available that will actually remove camera data for France from the device."

Totally impractical of course, but the French do have a propensity to behave like King Canute.
Just think how may British vehicles have satnavs built into the dash nowadays, and how many thousands of vehicles go to France every single day. I'll wager less than 1% actually do anything to comply with the above, an I'll wager less than 1% of French policeman know how to check it in any case.
The Op will no doubt make their own decision.

Got all of that, thanks
I tend to use google maps and it doesn't have speed cameras built in.
I am with the network Three and both France and Spain are feel at home destinations, so no worry about mobile data usage charges either

pd001

zagfles wrote: »

If you get caught by a French speed camera you should get done for driving without due care and attention! Usually a massive sign about 1km before the camera, a reminder of the speed limit about half a km before the camera, then the camera. Anyone getting done by one of them shouldn't be on the road

I ll try and be careful with regard to speed cameras

pd001

Cornucopia wrote: »

I haven't driven in France for a couple of years, but before that I was going at least once, sometimes twice a year.

The reality is that French roads (with a few exceptions such as around Paris) are much quieter, much calmer, much friendlier and much more cooperatively driven than British roads.

Unless things have changed significantly in the past 2 years, Policing was also more sensible with fewer speed cameras overall and more specific signage. There were occasional Police speed traps on entry to towns & villages, but IMHO only a fool would speed in a foreign country, anyway.

Although I have encountered Police roadblocks in France on a couple of occasions (in 20 years), I was waved through upon them seeing a UK numberplate.

Ive taken all of that onboard, thank you

DCFC79

OP you asked about pay at pumps on page 1, yes they do have them and are easy to use, we came across a problem a while back that the pump wouldn't accept 3 debit/credit cards yet they had been used the day before and the card issuers were informed we were going to be abroad. We didn't fill up the evening before and left it until the following morning to fill up which meant looking for a pay at pump option, had to ask the guy who was filling up if he would pay for our fuel and we give him cash.

Would have to check before you go but the french supermarkets (out of town) didn't use to open late like over here.

Of course over the years it could have changed.

Speaking from experience where there's a supermarket or a hypermarche just off the motorway there's a hotel nearby.

pd001

DCFC79 wrote: »

OP you asked about pay at pumps on page 1, yes they do have them and are easy to use, we came across a problem a while back that the pump wouldn't accept 3 debit/credit cards yet they had been used the day before and the card issuers were informed we were going to be abroad. We didn't fill up the evening before and left it until the following morning to fill up which meant looking for a pay at pump option, had to ask the guy who was filling up if he would pay for our fuel and we give him cash.

Would have to check before you go but the french supermarkets (out of town) didn't use to open late like over here.

Of course over the years it could have changed.

Speaking from experience where there's a supermarket or a hypermarche just off the motorway there's a hotel nearby.

Thanks for your input, it is much appreciated.

It has been mentioned somewhere in this thread that when in France a supermarket would/should be easy to find at major junctions, in order to fill up with diesel.
However, I don't think that I can be bothered to jump on and off a motorway just to hunt around for fuel. I might be just wasting my time
I will rely on the motorway service stations instead, unless a supermarket is heavily signed leading off a motorway.

With regard to France, are motorway service stations open 24 hours a day? How far, roughly, are they apart.

As you know, over here in the Uk you can usually find motorway services every 20 to 30 miles (roughly). Would France be the same?

Now to Spain, same questions as above.
Are the motorway service stations open 24 hours a day and roughly how far are they apart?

I thank you in anticipation

Moto2

Depending on your car, there shouldn't be much jumping on and off the Autoroute involved.
I can fill up at the Carrefour in Calais and then have enough fuel to make it all the way to Spain pretty much
I don't know the distances between service stations but they're fairly frequent and shouldn't cause you an issue.

mgdavid

Yes Autoroute services are open 24/7

pd001

Moto2 wrote: »

Depending on your car, there shouldn't be much jumping on and off the Autoroute involved.
I can fill up at the Carrefour in Calais and then have enough fuel to make it all the way to Spain pretty much
I don't know the distances between service stations but they're fairly frequent and shouldn't cause you an issue.

Thanks for that.
Big tank? (Not the challenger variety)
I've got a diesel Kia ceed. (average tank)