What are the ESSENTIALS we must have driving in France in our campervan?

FrankFalcon

Hi all

We hope you don’t mind but this post will be one of a few I will post in the forums, with regards to our upcoming trip to France/Milan in our campervan. 

We have had a campervan for 3 years and next week we will make our maiden voyage from North West UK, to Calais. Brittany Ferries from Dover to Calais and drive from Calais down Eastern France to end up in Milan for 3
days, before we had back home through Southern France, on to Santander and Ferry home from Santander to Plymouth. This thread is simply to ask…what ESSENTIALS must we carry with us? What could spare us from trouble
with the authorities? 

[Deleted User]

Copies of documents (v5, mot, insurance), hi-vis jackets for all passengers, spare bulb set, rear cycle warning board if carrying bikes. At least two cards to pay for things and a small amount of cash.
Glasses for driving if needed.

Crit-air sticker might be useful depending on where you're travelling through France.

Runner_Duck

The AA website has a list of stuff you need to carry, it includes the above plus headlight converters, warning triangle and breath analysers.  Worth checking  it out.  Also says the original documents are compulsory, not copies

phatbear

Runner_Duck said:

The AA website has a list of stuff you need to carry, it includes the above plus headlight converters, warning triangle and breath analysers.  Worth checking  it out.  Also says the original documents are compulsory, not copies

you dont need breath analysers in france that was repealed in 2020.

all the info you need is readily availble, and correct on google.

see:

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+do+i+need+to+drive+in+france&sca_esv=2c7588cce8c665d3&ei=4PgMaK-jMJ2nhbIP1PfsSQ&oq=what+do+i+need+to+&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiEndoYXQgZG8gaSBuZWVkIHRvICoCCAAyCxAAGIAEGJECGIoFMgsQABiABBiRAhiKBTILEAAYgAQYkQIYigUyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAESM7IAVCUrQFYrL0BcAV4AZABAZgBZKAB1wiqAQQxNy4xuAEByAEA-AEBmAIWoAK8CcICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICChAAGIAEGEMYigXCAgsQLhiABBixAxiDAcICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgIREC4YgAQYsQMY0QMYgwEYxwHCAgoQLhiABBhDGIoFwgIOEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEYigXCAgsQLhiABBixAxjUAsICDhAuGIAEGLEDGIMBGIoFwgITEC4YgAQYsQMY0QMYQxjHARiKBcICEBAAGIAEGLEDGEMYgwEYigXCAg4QLhiABBixAxjRAxjHAcICBBAAGAPCAgUQLhiABJgDAIgGAZAGCJIHAjIyoAeAhwGyBwIxN7gHkAk&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

phatbear

[Deleted User] said:

spare bulb set,

you dont need a spare bulb set either

phatbear

you do, however need a UK sticker on your number plate, if you dont have one already built into the number plate already

carly

phatbear said:

you do, however need a GB sticker on your number plate, if you dont have one already built into the number plate already

I think this has actually been superceded by a UK sticker , if I remember correctly from my last trip to France.

OP     you will have a great time motorhoming in France..... the attitude to campers and the infrastructure is so much better than over here.  

Zinger549

phatbear said:

you do, however need a GB sticker on your number plate, if you dont have one already built into the number plate already

It's UK now

eskbanker

phatbear said:

all the info you need is readily availble, and correct on google.

Google is obviously just a search engine via which to access a range of sites (some of which will naturally be more authoritative and up to date than others), plus an AI overview (without citations and inherently dynamic) - are you asserting that you believe the latter to have been accurate when you happened to view it?

mebu60

Runner_Duck said:

The AA website has a list of stuff you need to carry, it includes the above plus headlight converters, warning triangle and breath analysers.  Worth checking  it out.  Also says the original documents are compulsory, not copies

Breathalysers no longer required (nor spare bulbs). I take copies of all documents done with front and back on the same sheet, virtually indistinguishable from the originals. The once I was stopped and documents requested, the moment I grabbed the folder with them all in the gendarme lost interest and decided he didn't need to see them after all! 

phatbear

eskbanker said:

phatbear said:

all the info you need is readily availble, and correct on google.

Google is obviously just a search engine via which to access a range of sites (some of which will naturally be more authoritative and up to date than others), plus an AI overview (without citations and inherently dynamic) - are you asserting that you believe the latter to have been accurate when you happened to view it?

i believe searching google for basic information such as this is more likely to be accurate than the advice of some randoms on a forum, which has been evidenced by me highlighting that the information that had been provided was incorrect.

For ref i followed up the info with several sites to ensure the info was correct however im not sure how many sites which satiate your need for due dillgence regarding the information i shared.