Author Topic: Advice for anyone going to France (Read 6558 times)

tomlinscote · « **on:** 12 July 2012, 08:26:22 pm »

Hi all,
just thought you may need to know the previous French government introduced a new law stating that all powered transport save scooters have to carry at least one unused breathalyser (or ethylotest in french) from 1st July. This includes motorbikes, and tractors which is really peeing a lot of French people off!!
Although you will not get fined until November its worthwhile getting one for your bikes to appease the gendarmes, at least we don't need to carry spare lamps and warning triangles yet. BUT they do have future plans to introduce hi vis over suits and ban bikes over 7 yrs old from large city centres!!!!

PS anyone traveling through France via the Cantal region is more than welcome to pop in for a cuppa

solorider · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 July 2012, 08:31:55 pm »

that only counts for the french,for everyone else it is from november

locksmith · « **Reply #2 on:** 13 July 2012, 11:48:32 am »

I rode back through France on the 1st. Made sure I had a twinpack under the seat, just in case!!! never saw a gendarme which was just as well as we were running late

devilsyam · « **Reply #3 on:** 13 July 2012, 11:52:18 am »

dont go

ddtwelve · « **Reply #4 on:** 13 July 2012, 12:05:31 pm »

Bypass!! :loly

tomlinscote · « **Reply #5 on:** 13 July 2012, 05:32:36 pm »

No need to bypass France it has some great roads and lovely places to eat (albeit you need to know when they are open

)
If you don't want to square your tyres take to the local roads they often have great surfaces and sometimes shadow the autoroutes if you fancy a blast
The ferry to spain may work out cheaper once you take fuel costs into it but I'd rather ride for a couple of days than sit on a ferry for 24 hrs, especially as the Etaps or F1 hotels are less than 40 euro a night and there's loads of cheaper B and B or camping options......
Choices choices

locksmith · « **Reply #6 on:** 13 July 2012, 07:14:07 pm »

Can't think of anything worse than riding all day and then stopping at an F1 motel :yuk

Apart from camping, that's worse

yamahasan · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 July 2012, 08:31:29 pm »

Quote from: tomlinscote on 12 July 2012, 08:26:22 pm

Hi all,
just thought you may need to know the previous French government introduced a new law stating that all powered transport save scooters have to carry at least one unused breathalyser (or ethylotest in french) from 1st July. This includes motorbikes, and tractors which is really peeing a lot of French people off!!
Although you will not get fined until November its worthwhile getting one for your bikes to appease the gendarmes, at least we don't need to carry spare lamps and warning triangles yet. BUT they do have future plans to introduce hi vis over suits and ban bikes over 7 yrs old from large city centres!!!!

PS anyone traveling through France via the Cantal region is more than welcome to pop in for a cuppa

Hi Tomlinscote
My girl and I are gonna be traveling around southern France (my significant other is coming also

) starting on July 26 until August 19. Any advices about nice routes, places to eat/stay on your area will be much appreciated.
Is it true that they dont request spare lamps? I thought they did.

Cheers

tomlinscote · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 July 2012, 08:40:58 pm »

mmmm I think that is only for cars but could be wrong, local dudes don't carry them but then they are french and don't reallty care!! Unless you are being a total tawt they cops leave bikers alone!!
where are landing so to speak?? Le Harve or Calais region? Or are you going from Spain??
I an near Maurs in the Cantal region but on the border of the Aveyron and the Lot so loads of options!

tomlinscote · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 July 2012, 08:50:54 pm »

Ah just read your previous post so you are leaving from Spain how far up are you planning on going??
If you want to come anywhere near me (no reason too

) the autoroute from Montpellier to the Millau viaduct (great bit of Brit design

) is fun then the 'A' road to Rodez is good too from there go to Espallion then to Montsalvy then loads of options depends where you want to end up other than back home

P

yamahasan · « **Reply #10 on:** 19 July 2012, 08:56:01 pm »

I live in Madrid, so Im permanently landed

We will be doing the Pyrenees and the three southernmost regions. Actually your area is as far north as we are planning to get. Have some chosen balades around Cahors, Rodez and Millau.

yamahasan · « **Reply #11 on:** 19 July 2012, 09:01:32 pm »

Actually Im a great Architecture fan and the viaduct is something I do want to see. Did you know that the building company and engineers were Spanish? Not chauvinism involved: Im Uruguayan.

yamahasan · « **Reply #12 on:** 19 July 2012, 09:03:55 pm »

I meant no chauvinism

tomlinscote · « **Reply #13 on:** 19 July 2012, 09:25:30 pm »

Its quite some bridge, the original idea was French then the brits improved on it and then the French and apparently Spanish built it. The town of Millau isn't too bad either.
Seroiusly though if you are going to go to Millau use the autoroute A75 mmm having looked at the route would that be on the way back for you??
Anyway you can go from Cahors to Rocamadour (pilgrim site etc) then to Figeac then on to Maurs stay at my local hotel (excellent chef on Fri and Sat evenings, 45 to 55 euro per room inc breakfast) then to Rodez via Montsalvy and Espallion then to the A75 to Millau then over to you!!
If you like touristy pilgrim sites then Conques is lovely with great restaurants
P

fireblake · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 July 2012, 11:46:55 am »

I work in the sewage industry and whilst sitting in the viewing area at Millau I looked down into the valley and noticed a little shit works. I said to the Mrs, ooh look down there, that looks interesting? She never gets my fascination with shit works???

yamahasan · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 July 2012, 09:59:21 am »

thank you tomlinscote. Im already counting the hours.

cheers

tomlinscote · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 July 2012, 12:15:21 pm »

No worries, but just looked at your dates again be aware that on the 15th August there is a big religeous festival and many over night places will be totally booked up so you may need to plan your route especially carefully around that week (it falls on a Wednesday) also almost all shops will be shut and some of the restaurants too (bizzarely seeing as people want to eat out that day!) but also note that many villages and towns will have events on which include food so you should not be too far from something edible (!)

Lonewolf · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 July 2012, 03:07:30 pm »

I thought you had to carry spare bulbs, documents ie 2 part driving licence, insurance cert, mot (if applicable), GB sticker if
it isn't on your number plate. Google for info.
Also remember you will need at least 2 breathalysers 'cos if you have to use one then you automatically have a spare.
If you don't have the spare then they will do you if you ride off for not having one.

purplebear7 · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 July 2012, 04:31:16 pm »

Hi Guys,

I live on the Costa Blanca, Spain. I agree with Loanwolf in the previous post .. carry EVERYTHING on every list.

Here in Spain they invent New Laws overnight .. often without much publicity as far as us 'outsiders' go. Europe in general and France in particular are grabbing cash from everything that moves .. as well as everything that don't !

The various Police Forces seem to be on a roll these days .. if they feel like it .. you will be stopped and you will be done .. it's cash on the spot! Far better to be safe than sorry .. wear the kit, carry the gear, and never get stroppy.

Safe as You Go

Polar Bear

cable tie · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 July 2012, 12:20:16 am »

I've done the Millau bridge you cant stop on it however when you get to the visiting centre and take alook its than very special and at night it looks awesome when lit up with the flashing lights to stop aircraft hitting it !!! I stayed in the town the view from my balcony was impressive.

If your going that way you should do it, it's one of them places you can tick of the wish list to see.

Dave.

pitternator · « **Reply #20 on:** 22 July 2012, 07:16:17 am »

Just got back from 12 days touring europe ( france, germany, slovenia, austria and italy).
not stopped once...but plenty of police prescence.Lots of talk about speed traps, saw tbh as many this year as any other.

we dont go crazy speed wise, but also dont stick rigidly to limits. As in the UK, I pick my roads to " make progress".....given the way many europeans do stick to limits...fast bikes stand out a lot. You have to think where and when to give the bike some head.

once again we found most french drivers will move over for you , thanks !

devilsyam · « **Reply #21 on:** 22 July 2012, 08:32:29 am »

reasons to hate the froggies

1. Because they're losers
Rugby matches played by England against France since 1906: 89. We've won 47; they've won 35. Draws: 7. 2. Because they're aggressive
Wars fought against France since 1066: 35. We've won 23; they've won 11. Mutual defeats: 1 (American War of Independence). 3. Because of Napoleon
200 French streets, monuments and institutions commemorate the era of Napoleon, the inventor of totalitarian dictatorship. 4. And because of the Napoleon Complex
While Napoleon was actually 5ft 6.5in tall, his aggression may have stemmed from "strikingly small, infantile and undersized genitals", as revealed in his autopsy. The organ in question measured 1.25in. 5. Because they make love more than anyone else
On average, that's 137 times a year; we only manage 119 times.
6. Because everyone believes they're great lovers
But when asked about Napoleon's love-making, French good-time girl Marguerite Josephine Weimer remarked that the Duke of Wellington was "beaucoup le plus fort". Today, just 23 per cent of French people are happy with their sex lives compared to 25 per cent of Brits.
7. Because they love yappy dogs
More than nine per cent of French dog owners have a poodle.
8. But they won't clean up after them
French dog owners refuse to pick up the 5,840 tonnes of dog-doo dropped on their streets each year.
9. Because they're allergic to customer service
In London eateries, it takes an average 3.4 minutes to get a glass of water once a waiter has been alerted; in Paris it takes 17.9 minutes.
10. Because they're rude
The "Paris Syndrome" is a medically recognised type of depression which afflicts foreign visitors, caused by the sustained rudeness of French people to outsiders.
11. Because they can't wait
Many French men still prefer the convenience of a trottoir to the public WC.
12. Because they lack humour
Before the Revolution, the French spoke of l'esprit (wit), or la farce (joke) but the word "humour" had no equivalent. Not until 1932 did the French Academy allow l'humour into the language.
13. Because we've been allowed to believe that French women don't get fat
Current diet books claim that French women are thin because they eat only fresh produce, and slowly. However, French obesity rates are exploding and one in four French women is on some kind of mood-altering medication. Of course they're not hungry – they're stoned.
14. Because they do things the wrong way
The French take more suppositories than the rest of Europe combined. In 2006, they shoved 235 tonnes of pharmaceuticals up themselves. That's equivalent to 1,850 Gérard Depardieus (approx.).
15. That goes for their wildlife, too
In 1998 alone, 25 million geese and ducks were force-fed in battery farms to make foie gras: the €20 hors d'oeuvre.
16. Because they love Jerry
In 1963, Jerry Lewis's The Nutty Professor was voted "Best Film" in France. Le Roi du Crazy, as Lewis is known over there, holds the Legion of Honour, traditionally awarded only to victorious French generals: pretty rare.
17. And they hate Gerry
In 2005, national treasure Gérard Depardieu announced he was leaving France because: "Only the British understand me… They have a great sense of humour. It is the French who are cretins".
18. Because they think their cooking is the best in the world
They boasted 26 three-starred restaurants in the 2005 Michelin Guide. However, the guide is a French institution. Could that be why the UK had only three? Coincidence, non?
19. Because of their incessant wining
Does France still make the best wine? Not if you go by the infamous Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, when an English wine merchant organised a "blind" tasting before a jury of French experts. To their horror, they rated Californian wines as winners in both the red and white wine categories. The French press first denied any tasting had happened, then claimed the results were fixed.
20. You can't trust their wine labels either
In one 2002 case, a Burgundian vintner got jailed for rebottling 4,000 hectolitres of Algerian plonk as a much more expensive Bordeaux.
21. Because they took the cow pat… and turned it into a hat
Well, that's what the beret is, isn't it?
22. Because their legendary "Va Va Voom" is a lie
They only spend an average 19.2 minutes on foreplay. The British take 22.5 minutes.
23. Because 50 per cent of them don't even associate sex with pleasure
And 23 per cent say they would be "relieved" not to have sex for several months.
24. Because they patented the kiss
In fact, there is no actual word for "French Kiss" in French. It is simply embrasser avec la langue (literally, to kiss with the tongue). Colloquially it is referred to as rouler une pelle (to roll the spade). Only in Quebec is it "frencher".
25. Because they're big bullies
The French shoot, poison, trap, crush, stuff and then eat almost anything smaller than themselves. Box-nets are laid down across the Aquitaine countryside to trap skylarks, while Languedoc hunters blast turtledoves out of the sky.
26. Because the French health service is the best in the world
However, during a 2003 heat wave, the French health services, rated as a "world best" by the WHO, failed to prevent the deaths of 16,300 elderly people.
27. Because their country doesn't work
Employers have to pay social security taxes equal to 48 per cent of each employee's salary, so they take on fewer people, and France's unemployment rate has hovered around 10 per cent for a decade.
28. Because they get up our noses
Forty per cent of French men, and 25 per cent of women, do not change their underwear daily – and only 47 per cent bathe every day (compared to 70 per cent of the British).
29. Because they invented Sadism
France is not only the birthplace of the Marquis de Sade but also of Renault's flirty series of Ben and Sophie "Eiffel Tower v Blackpool Tower" TV ads. Talk about torture…
30. Because it's taken them a thousand years to admit we're better than them
"The standard of life of the British is higher than that of the French," said M. le President Nicolas Sarkozy, in his 2006 autobiography.

enough reasons for me to bypass frog land nice roads or not

chaparral02 · « **Reply #22 on:** 22 July 2012, 11:08:24 am »

Quote

Bike ban in French cities
any bike made before 1 July 2004,

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news--general-news/bike-ban-in-french-cities/17766.html

Ok guys it time to take all your gen1's to the scrap yard

fireblake · « **Reply #23 on:** 22 July 2012, 12:56:37 pm »

Nice one Luke.

Although i still love it there.

tomlinscote · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 July 2012, 05:46:48 pm »

Not going to go down the route of going over someone else's post and counter arguing it etc esp as I agree with many of Luke's points BUT it is mainly the Parisians that are rude, they are even ruder to other French people in fact anyone not from Paris!! Don't let those arogant gits put you off, the rest of them are not that bad, really, I know!!
Also got to agree with Pitt too, if you don't openly take the piss on their roads the coppers usually leave bikers well alone and the car and truck drivers really do go out of their way to let you through even to the extent of driving on the verge!! I was stuck behind 2 lorries overtaking each other at 1 mph difference as usual, as soon as they saw me in their mirrors they parted like the Red Sea in a Cecil B Demill (?) movie and let me through the middle, felt a bit like Bond!!
Oh and Luke forgot their absolutely shite 'popular' music, their radio stations really are to be avoided at all costs! Maybe we should script write for Al Murray......................!