Driving in Europe

[nuroc]

I'm hoping to take my Scirocco to France and Germany in a couple of weeks.

Does anyone have any tips for safety kit, first aid kits and so on.

Is it worth getting the VW branded accessories, or is that just the same as Halfords etc with an exorbitant dealer mark up?

I'd also like to know if there's a spare bulb kit available?

[welsh_rocco]

Hi, with regards to spare bulbs etc take this opportunity to upgrade your bulbs and sidelights to a nice crisp white and led.
You can then use ur old as emergency spares

[Cuprabob]

Remember you also need a breathalyser for France.

First Aid kit must comply with the relevant DIN standard.

Whether the VW branded stuff is worth it is personal opinion, although if you buy the right first aid kit and triangle they will fit nicely into their locations in the boot.

[voyager]

Although the recent change in French law concerning the carrying of reflective jackets and breathalysers are well known, one change that seems to have slid in under the radar (excuse the pun) relates to satnav speed camera alerts, the removal of speed camera warning signs and installation of more cameras as follows:

'Satnav and speed camera alerts
Since 3 January 2012 French laws have prohibited drivers from carrying any device capable of detecting speed cameras. This includes products or devices able to warn or inform of the location of speed cameras e.g. satnav or gps systems capable of showing speed camera sites as Points of Interest.

The law is primarily aimed at speed camera detectors and sat-navs. It is unlikely that the French police will turn their attention to atlases but there is no guarantee this would be the case.

As well as the ban on warning devices, the French government is installing around 400 new, unsigned, fixed speed cameras as well as taking down signs indicating the location of existing camera sites.

If you have a satnav capable of displaying French camera locations in France then you must at least disable camera alerts. Contact the manufacturer for advice too as a software or database update is likely to be available that will remove camera data for France from the device.

If you have a satnav system built into your car then contact the vehicle manufacturer in the first instance.'

[wigit]

Currently in France and upgraded my tomtom so no cameras but hey do have 'danger zones' which so far have been not a lot of use as I've encountered a few

The VW kit for £18 includes hi vis x2, first aid and warning triangle and a bargain compared to halfrauds, ive ot a bulb kit from VW too

[Chungster]

don't forget to take your V5 vehicle documentation with you....as the french do like to pull the brits over now and again and ask for proof of vehicle ownership!

[wigit]

don't forget to take your V5 vehicle documentation with you....as the french do like to pull the brits over now and again and ask for proof of vehicle ownership!

Or the army thanks to tomtom lol

[ubbs]

Ive just got back yesterday spent ten days there a lot of the camera warnings have been removed and I did see more "gun totting" gendarmes up the slip roads, or maybe I didn't notice them last year read somewhere their trained on how to check your navi if it has speed camera alerts disabled, I took the lot with me so my euros were safe!

[maisbitt]

There seems to be a lot of reasons for not wanting to drive in France highlighted by this thread.

Bring your own breathalyser? Surely they should provide one and then charge you for it only if it proves to be positive (as well as throwing the book at you if you're over the limit).

[voyager]

The breathalysers are approx £2.00 each (Amazon) and are available at most channel crossing points, the fine for not having one in 11 euros and a lot of hassle. The idea is to have 2 in your car, one for your own use and one to present to police should you be stopped by them. NB the drink-drive limit in France is lower then the UK; 50 mg per 100ml of blood which is 30 mg lower than in the UK; consequently it is very easy to be over the limit the morning after. The official announcement states that one unused, certified breathalyser must be produced showing the French certification mark NF. Carrying two single-use breathalysers will ensure that if one is used or damaged, you will still have a spare to produce. The idea behind the legislation is to remove the perpetual excuse of 'I didn't realise I was over the limit officer' when you are stopped and breathalysed.

The breathalyser produced has to be in date - single-use breathalysers normally have a validity of twelve months.

[voyager]

For info, the penalties for DD in France are as follows:

Blood/alcohol level between 0,5 g/l and 0,8 g/l = fine of €135.

Blood/alcohol level is in excess of 0,8g/l = 2 years in jail, €4,500 fine, the confiscation of the vehicle.

If you cause an accident while driving over the limit, the fine could be increased to €30,000.

[nuroc]

I've got most of what I need for my trip. I bought the VW safety kit, as mentioned by Wigit, for £18 which is about half the price of the individual items in Halfords. I also bought a VW spare bulb kit, it was advertised as £24.75 on a poster in the stealers but came up on the computer at £18

I don't use sat-nav, so I'm really not worried about the rules in France

I also got the breathalysers, as required in France, but they are just to keep me legal. Even here in the UK I don't have any alcohol at all if I've got the car, and if I've had a good drink the night before I don't drive the next day. It's just not worth it. (There was a spate of people being done for drink driving the morning after, near where I live a while back.)

I just need some sort of disc(?) so I can take my car into low emission zones in German cities.

[wigit]

If you take the hi vis vests out the VW kit (as they need to be in passenger compartment) the bulb kit and breathalysers will fit nicely

You can do the German zone online (scan v5) takes about a week or can get one when there

[skyblues11]

Carry a spare pair of glasses if you are like me, 4 eyed.

I am not 100% sure if it is law related, but i do it anyway, be it in the UK or elsewhere. I even carry a few pairs of disposable contacts.

Another idea is to avoid France all together. Could driving thru Belgium and / or the Netherlands be an option?

[b0rk]

Technically both the hivis and the breathalyser need to be accessible to the driver under the legislation apparently.

[AgaZaKa]

Another idea is to avoid France all together. Could driving thru Belgium and / or the Netherlands be an option?

If you drive from UK it might be a little bit tricky. Calais and Dunkirk are both in France but it's only 1h driving through France, assuming you go east. Unless someone takes ferry to Holland. I just came back from Germany and didn't see any police in any countries I drove through.

I drive a few times a year to Germany, just for pleasure of driving, and I was never stoppped by police in any countries.

[yellowplum]

No ones mentioned Germany lol - anyway yes to everything everyone has said - be accessible for the high vis not in the boot or they will fine you.

One thing I would emphasise no end we are pretty fortunate here that if you get fined you can take a week or two to pay. However if you are fined in most of Europe you will have to stump up the cash at the side of the road otherwise you will have your vehicle taken.

Germany is fun to drive, I am not sure if you have ever driven in Germany previously - you will be more conscious then in the rest of Europe, they don't hesitate like most do in the UK. It's an experience in itself - be aware that German police travel around in old cars that you would not take a second glance at and as someone has stated previously you will have to have proof of ownership of the vehicle and identification for yourself and your passengers.

Most of these countries have national ID cards, unfortunately we don't thus you need to carry either your passport of photographic driving license. Do remember in Germany you will need to have a pass for your vehicle to enter most central areas of a major city (Emission Zones). If you don't you can get an instant fine

Also not sure when you are going but it is now a legal requirement to have winter tyres in Germany.

More information on Germany from here - http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/to ... ermany.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

More info on France from the AA too, just google you will find more of the information.

[AgaZaKa]

I didn't know these Low Emissions Zones are in almost all big cities. I knew there's one in Hannover because when I discovered it, it was too late to get a sticker/permit and I was arriving at 4am and leaving at 8am so couldn't get the sticker anywhere anyway. Never got ticket.

I've been to Berlin a few times without it, I didn't even know about zones there. I just checked German websites but there's nothing about cars from Euro5 group. Do you need sticker as well?

[b0rk]

All vehicles require an emissions sticker to enter large cities Germany, no sticker = automatic fine. As a Euro 5 petrol or diesel you will get a green "4" sticker allowing entry to all zones.
http://www.tuev-nord.de/de/verkehr/ENGL ... e_8648.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AgaZaKa]

I will see if the fine is automatic. I drove around Potsdam and Berlin last year and this year and didn't get any fine. Now I know what these green stickers on windscreens were.