Travelling to France

[panhard65]

3 weeks today and I'll be in Frogland.

Snap ! We are off for a little ride round on the 13th from Poole to Cherbourg. Then we are driving south down to Narbonne then just touring about for a week before coming back home via the Schlumpf museum in Mulhouse and picking up a new wing for my Peugeot on the way. Preperation so far has been a new pair of tyres and did the mot early as it was due to run out whilst we were away. I also invested in a luggage rack so I can pick the rear wing up.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Snap ! We are off for a little ride round on the 13th from Poole to Cherbourg. Then we are driving south down to Narbonne then just touring about for a week before coming back home via the Schlumpf museum in Mulhouse and picking up a new wing for my Peugeot on the way. Preperation so far has been a new pair of tyres and did the mot early as it was due to run out whilst we were away. I also invested in a luggage rack so I can pick the rear wing up.

DSCN0015.JPG

 

A Porsche Boxster driving along with a Peugeot wing as a rear spoiler? That will be a sight to see!

Also, My number plate fetish is flaring up over those plates.

[panhard65]

The rack should be the other way round. The raised bar is stop the luggage from decapitating you in a head on collision.

 

Ben

As it has twin roll hoops I won't be worrying about that so much as the luggage falling off the back if I open it up on the motorway in Germany.

[Eddie Honda]

I've also changed the oil and filters on the Disco.

Buy a spare car just in case. http://autoshite.com/topic/28848-towcar-under-%C2%A31k-wanted/

[Frogchod]

Just picked up the outlaws from Caen.

No problem apart from Brit registered  cars fucking up Ouesterham not knowing which lane to be in (fair enough for first timers)

and then caravans and motorhomes and cars with trailers dawdling along at 50mph.

(note: no speed restriction for caravans or trailers here) 

Got clear of Caen and finally got up to 130kmh and MIL says "Ooo aren't you going a bit fast" FFS....

Even at 130kph the over keen Brits were passing me like I was stood still.

 

Bloody tourists.

[Guest Lord Sward]

@Panhard65 - you should be flying the flag by tearing across the continent in a shabby '80s Royce.

[scruff]

I have done pretty well in the miracle market, having managed to get various heaps from home, across europe and back again with minimal hassle. There was one notable exception though when I conked out on the autoroute with an old LWB Landy and trailer. The traffic wombles were along quick sharp and despite my protestations that I'd be off again shortly (broken injector pipe and we had spares), they still sent a recovery dude out from the local Renault dealer with a spec lift. He did absolutely nothing but I still had to follow him the half a mile to his base and cough up for it - 184 euro. I keep the chit pinned up next to my desk as a morbid reminder to avoid the autoroute in  crap old Land Rovers.

[Guest Lord Sward]

Oh fuck   Don't be telling me stories like that.

[flat4alfa]

Off to France tomorrow on family hols, in a 14 year old 165k Fiat Multipla diesel.

 

Hope it will be ok, had clutch and belts this year, alternator and battery last year and had a ramp look over last week.

I hope you will wish me luck, especially as both RAC and Green Flag wanted £120 for two weeks euro breakdown cover and even then only allow one call out.  Rang others and they refused to cover - as too old.

 

If it lasts the trip, it will continue to be kept as a fond family member.

If it doesn't, I shall be try my best to return to Blighty in an rush-purchased Autobianchi Primula carrying spares.

 

À la prochaine 

[dieselnutjob]

We're on the ferry heading back. Passport control was interesting. Check by French police then the UK border force. The UK bloke went checked us all against our passport photos, fair enough. He then asked why my stepdaughter had a different surname from her mum, who has my name. We explained and he asked if we had her birth certificate as proof. When we said not he let us stew for a few minutes then told us to bring it next time. I don't mind them doing thorough checks but I never expected that.

 

My daughter wants to bring a friend (14 years old, Spanish) back with us (I'm British, wife is Spanish). The friend is from a family that is good friends with ours, but not relatives.

 

This would appear to indicate that this might be tricky.

 

Also the XJ now has a towbar, which damn near killed me.  I took about 10 hours to install the iron works and a further two for electrics.

 

 

Fitment includes removing the exhaust, grinding the heads off dozens of steel rivets that hold the aluminium body together, and drilling a dozen 11mm holes though the body.

 

I made this tray thing in a couple of hours.

 

[3VOM]

Off to France tomorrow on family hols, in a 14 year old 165k Fiat Multipla diesel.

 

Hope it will be ok, had clutch and belts this year, alternator and battery last year and had a ramp look over last week.

I hope you will wish me luck, especially as both RAC and Green Flag wanted £120 for two weeks euro breakdown cover and even then only allow one call out.  Rang others and they refused to cover - as too old.

ADAC the German service didn't used to have an age limit and European cover was about 80-90 Euro for the year.

[3VOM]

My daughter wants to bring a friend (14 years old, Spanish) back with us (I'm British, wife is Spanish). The friend is from a family that is good friends with ours, but not relatives.

 

This would appear to indicate that this might be tricky.

 

Letter off parents and local Police or Mayor or similar?

 

Had the similar issue that stripped fred had. Three generations and all with different surnames had the UK guy puzzled.

[dieselnutjob]

ADAC the German service didn't used to have an age limit and European cover was about 80-90 Euro for the year.

Call 0049221472747 and ask for an English speaker. You can pay credit card on the phone.

[Guest]

Off to France tomorrow on family hols, in a 14 year old 165k Fiat Multipla diesel.

 

Hope it will be ok, had clutch and belts this year, alternator and battery last year and had a ramp look over last week.

I hope you will wish me luck, especially as both RAC and Green Flag wanted £120 for two weeks euro breakdown cover and even then only allow one call out.  Rang others and they refused to cover - as too old.

 

If it lasts the trip, it will continue to be kept as a fond family member.

If it doesn't, I shall be try my best to return to Blighty in an rush-purchased Autobianchi Primula carrying spares.

 

À la prochaine 

I use co-op euro short trip cover. About 30 quid and pretty comprehensive, and covers up to 16 years old..

 

http://www.co-opinsurance.co.uk/breakdowncover/short-trip-breakdown-cover

 

7. Vehicle(s)

Vehicle means the private car or motorcycle which is:

• no longer than 5.1 metres;

• no heavier than 3,500 kilograms;

• not higher than 1.95 metres;

• no wider than 2.1 metres;

• under 16 years old since first registration; and

• shown on your policy schedule (Only applicable under the vehicle policy)

[drum]

We came home on Sunday. Left Paris at 10:30 and arrived in Kirrie at 11pm. Ferry was delayed for a wee bit.

 

Turns out Paris is a piece of cake to drive in, don't know what I was worried about.

[Broadsword]

This is our route back starting Saturday. Already covered 1500 miles on the continent since leaving the UK. The V70 has handled it well, even round some very tight and twisty bits. There will be a repair list when we're back. Front discs are done.. One rear shock just died. Read springs are nearly dead. It'll get back without issue though. Great success all round.

[Guest Hooli]

This is our route back starting Saturday. Already covered 1500 miles on the continent since leaving the UK. The V70 has handled it well, even round some very tight and twisty bits. There will be a repair list when we're back. Front discs are done.. One rear shock just died. Read springs are nearly dead. It'll get back without issue though. Great success all round.

 

Looks like you're going over the Millau viaduct?

[Broadsword]

Already done that on our way down to Spain via Clermont-Ferrand. It's on the A75 road and really worth going down that way if you are anywhere close. Travelling from Nice to Calais we won't pass it again on that route in the picture.

[Guest Hooli]

Been over it myself years ago.

 

Been while since I looked at a map of frogshire, I thought it was further east than it is.

[drum]

Went over it last week too.

 

Glad the V70 is doing well Broadsword. What's up with the rear springs?

[flat4alfa]

I use co-op euro short trip cover. About 30 quid and pretty comprehensive, and covers up to 16 years old..

http://www.co-opinsurance.co.uk/breakdowncover/short-trip-breakdown-cover

ADAC the German service didn't used to have an age limit and European cover was about 80-90 Euro for the year.

 

Thanks all, glad I posted.  This place, etc.

 

Took a look at ADAC but got a bit lost in it all as they wanted 120 Euros once I'd added the extra passengers to the membership and I already have RAC for that, so considering CoOp wanted £56 for two weeks cover on a prime slice of leggy italoshite I bought it there and then.  Cheers

 

Seemed sensible since after all I spent £30 behind the bar last night at Harpenden and have nothing to show for that, apart from squits.

[Broadsword]

Went over it last week too.

 

Glad the V70 is doing well Broadsword. What's up with the rear springs?

Rust. I guess they are the originals though so it's not much of a surprise. Bits have snapped off the ends. I think there have been some areas where the mud has built up pretty bad over the years and some parts are more vulnerable than others. I need to get behind the wheelarch liners to get some of the trapped mud out and do some rustproofing.

[tul66]

Not long back from France in the old Thema. Nearly boiled over at Dartford on the way back mind when the radiator stat picked that particular time to fail open! Shorted out with a paper clip & back on the road in 15 minutes. 1800+ miles in a week at around 38mpg. Not too bad for a 27 year old, 189000m Italian.

 

 

[tul66]

No idea why the picture's sideways mind!

[Spottedlaurel]

My annual Travelling in France has been achieved. All went well and in terms of driving standards and behaviour I saw more stupidity and aggression on the journey from Ashford back to Norfolk than I did in 1500-odd miles in France.

 

Sovam 1300 GS by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I made sure I quickly let the locals past whenever possible, as I was usually dawdling and needed to be in a position to stop for a roadside spot or take a careful look at every rural garage (which happened a lot, testing my family’s patience).

 

Renault Trafic T800 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

We managed to stay off the péage sections of autoroute as much as possible (only spent about 16 euros on tolls). When we did use the autoroute the 130km/h stream of traffic flowed well, with virtually everyone doing similar speed and much better lane discipline. Got held up in slow traffic just once where two autoroutes merged, I should have sussed that beforehand and headed off on the D-roads.

 

It is somewhat embarrassing to compare the standards of road maintenance between there and at home, but the only thing I’d say is that they could do with using cats eyes and markings that actually have some depth. I struggled to see what the road was doing on a bit of driving I had to do on a dark, rainy night.

 

We got the overnight Newhaven-Dieppe ferry on the way out, getting some useful kip in before a bright and early start to our D-road drive down to Blois and an overnight stop in a 12^th century prison tower. A few old cars were on the same crossing, looks like they were on an organised run.

 

1949 Austin 16 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Used the tunnel to get back, a bit delayed but in fairness they were coping pretty well on what must be an exceptionally busy time for them. Sadly much of the time we saved was wiped-out by getting caught in a closure on the M20 and then delays at the Dartford Crossing (how can queues form where four lanes of traffic pass into four lanes in the tunnels?).

 

French Village Garage by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Most importantly, there is still a load of interesting stuff to be seen. Every year I fear that this isn’t going to be the case, but a memory card with over 800 photos to whittle down to about 500 which need to be edited and uploaded suggests otherwise…..

 

Smalltown France by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Full reportage to follow in my usual Spottings thread, eventually.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Letter off parents and local Police or Mayor or similar?

 

Had the similar issue that stripped fred had. Three generations and all with different surnames had the UK guy puzzled.

Why the hell would someone need a letter from a local mayor when travelling from Spain to UK? Complete nonsense, at least until March 2019 of course.

[artdjones]

Yes in France,if the limit is 130kph most people do at least 120, on the 90 kph roads most people are doing almost the limit.

[panhard65]

I am a few nights in to my little road trip 950 miles so far down to the spanish border then back up to Narbonne for the main main reason for our trip https://www.lesgrandsbuffets.com/en/restaurant/buffets It really was worth the drive as well. We move on Tomorrow towards the Cote de Azur then on to Northern Italy. Fingers crossed the Porsche is going to be ok as it has a wheel bearing that is humming quite badly now. It seem ok as long as I keep it at sensible speeds. We have seen bugger all in the way of traffic and the average speed is still 58mph even with a few hours round the mountains. There is so much tat about but a lack of camera means there won't be many pictures after.

[HMC]

At the German and most eastern end of my road trip. Touch wood car going well. Anyone know the likelihood of a static speed camera zap resulting in a fine ending up on your uk doorstep? Also what's the deal with the (redundant?) need for in car breathalysers- im confused.

 

Whilst here I've been scouring ebay.de for a better pair of front wings and a set of the original alloys.

Touch wood my Hydraulic rear suspension repairs are good and the only failure has been the bonnet star being ripped off by a passenger....

[dollywobbler]

Breathalysers are required by law, but my understanding is that they cannot actually implement said law, so I never bother.