Riding in France????

[wiltshire builders]

I'm taking a trip down to Paul Riccard next month and I've been getting conflicting advice regarding the new laws.
From what I've read, Hi-Viz is needed but breathalysers aren't enforced.
Anyone been this year and able to shed a bit of light on this?

[Gavuk]

I'm off on sunday, I'll be taking hi-viz,helmet stickers and breathalyzers, because i have them,I ve read the french don't fine for lack of breathalysers or helmet stickers,but why take a chance for a few quid?...Not so happy carrying original documents for the bike,must remember to take spare glasses as carrying spares is a legal requirement...Other unusual laws, not allowed sat nav warnings for speed camera's or to wear in ear "headphones"....external speakers like bluetooth are ok....The roads are great, the people friendly and accomadating to motorcycle's, never had a problem using my halifax debit card in any garage or toll booth..,,have a great time :)

[Vulcanboy]

We came back from Rome via France on the bike, and no problems. Worth taking two credit cards just in case one doesn't work , for any reason. Helmet reflectors only enforced on French bikers.

[wheelers]

we go over every 6 weeks.
carry breathalyser, satnav with speed camera warning and dedicated radar trap spotters are out, square patches on 4 sides of helmet (never seen it enforced), will need a reflective jacket incase of breakdown, also no headsets/ear pieces for music or phone. also legal documents bike V5, insurance, topped up insurance.

have a read through the AA web page, they wouldn't publish anything incorrect.
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/driving-abroad-whats-new-2012.html

things to remember, many parts are 30-40 years behind us, check out the French national holidays, everywhere closed,: supermarket filling stations are pay at kiosk and close for dinner at the smaller ones as do most shops, after closing time its pay at the pump fuel pump. Mondays are usually closed in many places, national holidays may not be Mondays but any dayin the week.
BEWARE speed cameras. http://english.controleradar.org/french-speed-camera.php in our area they are easily missed, a box longer and thinner than ours but may or may not have black and yellow stripe tape, allways grey usually hidden near a bush or Armco. on some high speed roads they are on posts 3metres up in the air and double the size of a full face helmet and look like one.

[Davezthomas]

Also remember speed limits for small towns / villages may not be posted; The name of the village on the sign at the start of the village is the start of the speed restriction, the end of the speed restriction is the name of the village with a diagonal line across.

[wiltshire builders]

Thanks. Some good advice.

[Mitch9128]

Don't come back through Calais.

[shiftyblake]

Tom Tom sat navs are clever, they don't give speed camera warnings which is illegal but they give you a danger warning triangle instead. Strangely at same place as speed camera sites! Have been flashed many times in France when absent minded and so have fellow riders and they don't send them through for bikes. You don't need helmet stickers regardless of what has been said on this site. Warning triangle high viz and breathalysers are a must. But in a group we just carry one set between us for space.

[shiftyblake]

Oh yes and those yellow diamond shapes with black stripes through them look them up on the Internet. There are plenty of places in the country still where a car pulling out of a junction has priority!

[wheelers]

you are driving along a road, through town, village or countryside...merrily plodding along at 30-50mph and come to a t junction on your right (the French side of the road). there is a car approaching the junction. he is joining you road, AND HAS RIGHT OF WAY OVER YOU.
this is a damn stupid rule....
you are on the main road and if the car is joining your road or crossing it and there is NO white line in front of him, HE DOES NOT HAVE TO STOP. YOU DO and give him right of way.
if there IS a white line he has to cross to join then YOU have the right of way.

[Mitch9128]

you are driving along a road, through town, village or countryside...merrily plodding along at 30-50mph and come to a t junction on your right (the French side of the road). there is a car approaching the junction. he is joining you road, AND HAS RIGHT OF WAY OVER YOU.
this is a damn stupid rule....
you are on the main road and if the car is joining your road or crossing it and there is NO white line in front of him, HE DOES NOT HAVE TO STOP. YOU DO and give him right of way.
if there IS a white line he has to cross to join then YOU have the right of way.

Same in Germany

[johnathan_hudson]

you are driving along a road, through town, village or countryside...merrily plodding along at 30-50mph and come to a t junction on your right (the French side of the road). there is a car approaching the junction. he is joining you road, AND HAS RIGHT OF WAY OVER YOU.
this is a damn stupid rule....
you are on the main road and if the car is joining your road or crossing it and there is NO white line in front of him, HE DOES NOT HAVE TO STOP. YOU DO and give him right of way.
if there IS a white line he has to cross to join then YOU have the right of way.

I know this is still the case in France, Germany and Belgium, but I've only ever seen this in action once... however I have seen plenty of occasions, particularly going through towns that it's priority to the right, but on these occasions, I've always been presented with a solid white line across my lane and a Stop sign. To be honest it kind of makes sense as they are often blind turns on to what looks like the main drag, so this is in some ways safer.

[wheelers]

one of our examples we see daily is an S bend that goes left then right, at the top of the left is a junction right into a lane. cars on the main road have to give way to this lane on the right, as we have when we come down it to the main road.
coming out of the lane the road from the other half of the S is blind, so we have to inch out to make sure its clear. will have to try to take a picture one day.

[BugsyB]

Nearly crunched my car near Boulogne with one of the give way to the right junctions. Only HM The Wife's beady eye on my left saw the emerging car first. Then I saw the line in the main road ahead of me. I'll try not to do that again. When the law changed in France about banning radar detectors and sat navs which identify speed camera sites, they included the right to seize the vehicle as well as the device. Not sure they uphold this, but it could make for a pricey and difficult trip.

[Vulcanboy]

PRIORITE A DROITE does still exist in France, so beware!

As regards Calais, what is it like for bike, now. Surely the immigrants aren't interested in hopping on board your bike , and you can 'filter' past the road blocks? PS do not joke with the border control staff. One biker friend of mine , when asked what he had in his saddle bags replied ..... illegal immigrants .... and so they search his bags for them ....

[wheelers]

cant say about Calais lately as we use the shuttle. as for our way we don't see them. there are a lot of bikers using the shuttle now, when you get off in Coquelle you are straight on the motorway when leaving the unloading ramps. we go across top and down via St Omer or sea side route Boulogne and Le Touquet. the advantage with the shuttle is you go through customs in Folkestone and that's it non stop when you leave.
likewise coming back you go through customs and passport control, then into duty free, go to the holding area , off the shuttle in Folkestone and straight on the motorway. all official bits done in France. not like the old days of being searched in Dover docks.

[johnathan_hudson]

PRIORITE A DROITE does still exist in France, so beware!

As regards Calais, what is it like for bike, now. Surely the immigrants aren't interested in hopping on board your bike , and you can 'filter' past the road blocks? PS do not joke with the border control staff. One biker friend of mine , when asked what he had in his saddle bags replied ..... illegal immigrants .... and so they search his bags for them ....

yep, they are amazingly humourless....