France Ferry & Campsite info (use Search function) mod warning post 1

First Up

ShamoBuc wrote: »

I've been to France 6 or 7 times, never been stopped nor have I ever heard of someone being stopped.

Always a first time. If you do get stopped (or are in an accident) without the required stuff you can run up €500 in fines no problem.

ShamoBuc

First Up wrote: »

Always a first time. If you do get stopped (or are in an accident) without the required stuff you can run up €500 in fines no problem.

Never said I don't have what I need

First Up

ShamoBuc wrote: »

First Up wrote: »

Always a first time. If you do get stopped (or are in an accident) without the required stuff you can run up €500 in fines no problem.

Never said I don't have what I need

You'll be grand so.

54and56

feedthegoat wrote: »

Out of interest how many posters have been
stopped by the French police and asked for bulbs, hi visibility jacket etc?

Never stopped in France but due to a self inflicted cockup one of the first years we traveled to France we ended up getting a ferry to Portsmouth and had to drive to Holyhead to get the ferry home to Dublin.

During the spin up to Holyhead I was pulled over by the police for not having a tailboard hanging on the tow bar bike rack.

The policeman politely but firmly explained how my brake lights were mostly obscured by the bikes which could result in another driver not realising I was braking and causing an accident.

He was dead right and I felt like a complete tool for being so thoughtless. Thankfully we were only 40km from Holyhead so he let me go.

I bought the €30 tailboard in Halfords before the following years holiday and have been using it since.

feedthegoat

Does one also need a fire extinguisher ? Thought I had got everything yday in preparation for next weeks journey but perhaps not.

First Up

feedthegoat wrote: »

Does one also need a fire extinguisher ? Thought I had got everything yday in preparation for next weeks journey but perhaps not.

I've worked for years on the basis that you must have one but I see variations in the list of items from various sources (including AA).

My list is; High Viz jackets (one each), warning triangle, spare bulbs, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and headlamp deflectors. I have a breathalyzer kit too but that seems to be ignored.

These are all sensible things to have in your car anyway. The only ones that everyone agrees are compulsory are the jackets, triangle and headlamp adjuster.

I am also in the process of getting an Air Quality sticker in case I want to enter any city where these are required.

average_runner

Nekarsulm wrote: »

It was always fun trying to spot the dancers the next morning, as they looked very different in the uniform dishing out the fried breakfast!
Last time the two musicians were The Kaye Twins, also known as Powerhouse Brass.

They were our wedding band, so it was a surprise to see them again 15 years later ......

They were our wedding band also

average_runner

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Never said I don't have what I need

Only got stopped for speeding, but never asked for anything else.

If you are likely to speed, make sure you have cash on you, as you have to pay in cash or they bring you to a bank machine and delay you longer!!!

Peckham

Sitting on Oscar Wilde waiting to depart.

Major roadworks in Camolin (but clear run after usual traffic in Enniscorthy). We were early, but expect tailback would be quite sizable when things are busier.

Plan your journey accordingly!

darragh o meara

Nekarsulm wrote: »

It was always fun trying to spot the dancers the next morning, as they looked very different in the uniform dishing out the fried breakfast!
Last time the two musicians were The Kaye Twins, also known as Powerhouse Brass.

They were our wedding band, so it was a surprise to see them again 15 years later ......

Chap on his own last night, very good too.

Deeman83

Peckham wrote: »

Sitting on Oscar Wilde waiting to depart.

Major roadworks in Camolin (but clear run after usual traffic in Enniscorthy). We were early, but expect tailback would be quite sizable when things are busier.

Plan your journey accordingly!

Thanks

Going to Rosslare from Newry next Saturday, might try the alternative route R174 at gorey to avoid roadworks at Camolin and usual bottleneck at Enniscorthy.

Enjoy your hols!

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Drumpot

Movies on boat from Roscoff to Rosslare :

Early man
Rampage
Black panther (subtitles)

Sherlock Gnomes
Isle of dogs
Infinity war

mikerd4

650 miles in so far and only saw the gendarmes once at a toll. Massive checkpoint with about 50 of them. They were only pulling cars in using the right hand side booths ie the cash ones. Anyone with tag was free to pass...

First Up

mikerd4 wrote: »

650 miles in so far and only saw the gendarmes once at a toll. Massive checkpoint with about 50 of them. They were only pulling cars in using the right hand side booths ie the cash ones. Anyone with tag was free to pass...

Pulling them in for what?

mikerd4

Also if the lad in the silver 171 ford people carrier loaded with bikes is on here that i saw south of nantes trying to hassle a jag f  type r. You are an idiot and you need a proper number plate board....

mikerd4

No idea but every car going through the ths 4 booths was being pulled. It was causing large tailbacks but there were a lot.of gendarmes there.  Lucjily i have a peage tag so wasnt pulled in

darragh o meara

mikerd4 wrote: »

Also if the lad in the silver 171 ford people carrier loaded with bikes is on here that i saw south of nantes trying to hassle a jag f  type r. You are an idiot and you need a proper number plate board....

We’re you driving the F Type R I saw in Roscoff yesterday? Was curious about the reg, where is it registered? I would have thought UK but it didn’t look like a normal UK plate..

Oh and not me in the Ford btw

mikerd4

It was black and french. The guy driving was getting pretty annoyed looking at his driving. 
One big tip for those not driven on French dual carriageways and motorways, Be ready for cars to pull out at the last second into the overtaking lane. 
Also no one sits in the left lane unless overtaking.

Deeman83

any updates on the current weather in France, Brittany and Vendee?

Or the sea crossings? All nice and calm 😬�

talla

Beware of drop in speed limits in France from tomorrow, from the motors forum https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057886916 - drop from 90 to 80.

darragh o meara

Deeman83 wrote: »

any updates on the current weather in France, Brittany and Vendee?

Or the sea crossings? All nice and calm 😬�

I’m just back and the past 2 weeks were great and the coming weeks look good too with some thunder storms expected on Monday in the Vendée. Ferry crossings were very smooth. Hope this is of use.

BailMeOut

Folks do not forget to switch off data roaming on all your mobile devices before setting sail as noticed on another forum where passengers think that their normal EU rates apply while out at sea. I thought this was common knowledge but I guess not! So switch off data roaming and save yourself an unwanted bill when you get home!

darragh o meara

BailMeOut wrote: »

Folks do not forget to switch off data roaming on all your mobile devices before setting sail as noticed on another forum where passengers think that their normal EU rates apply while out at sea.  I thought this was common knowledge but I guess not!  So switch off data roaming and save yourself an unwanted bill when you get home!

That only matters when you are on the ferry, there was a European directive recently that abolished roaming charges so now you can use your data/ included calls abroad the same as you would at home without an extra charge. The Maritime network doesnt fall under this so if you use data while on the ferry its 1Euro/MB. We always put the phone in Airplane mode when on the ferry and turn off Airplane mode when on the other side.

MorganIRL

My wife whacked up a bill of €40 just on the sailing over by not turning it off 2 wks ago. But being able to use ur data is great.

BailMeOut wrote: »

Folks do not forget to switch off data roaming on all your mobile devices before setting sail as noticed on another forum where passengers think that their normal EU rates apply while out at sea. I thought this was common knowledge but I guess not! So switch off data roaming and save yourself an unwanted bill when you get home!

BailMeOut

Tour de France starts this weekend in Vendee and would think a lot of people here will be arriving into the middle of it so plan your driving and routes accordingly.

Saturday 7th July : Noirmoutier-en-l'Île to Fontenay-le-Comte
Sunday 8th July : Mouilleron-Saint-Germain / La Roche-sur-Yon

I know we will driving in the middle of all of it on Sunday morning so not sure what to do yet or if it does cause traffic chaos?

Baybay

BailMeOut wrote: »

Tour de France starts this weekend in Vendee...I know we will driving in the middle of all of it on Sunday morning so not sure what to do yet or if it does cause traffic chaos?

It can be quite disruptive.
Most affected roads will probably have had signs up over the past few weeks advising of closures & may include times too.
I've been on the route of the TdF twice. Roads are closed at least a couple of hours before the cyclists are due through. This is because of the cavalcade that passes through beforehand throwing out product samples, hats, race mementoes etc. The vans can be well decorated & it is fun, particularly for the children to try to catch some of these items. Team cars, spares etc also form part of this parade. Like the cyclists, they tend to pass through pretty quickly & most roads open up soon after the whole thing has passed by but I'd say you're looking at about closures of maybe 4 hours. Didn't time it exactly.
So, yes do look at the route that's it's following & the one you're proposing, the timings for both & plan accordingly.

webpal

Scroll half way down this page, it has links to the road closures on a stage by stage basis

54and56

MorganIRL wrote: »

My wife whacked up a bill of €40 just on the sailing over by not turning it off 2 wks ago. But being able to use ur data is great.

Me too and it's really annoying. I thought I was connected to their WiFi so checked a few things online and then got a message from Vodafone saying I'd clocked up €40 and would be capped at €60. There's a network setting on my (Android) phone which automatically switches from WiFi to Mobile data depending on which is stronger. I guess that kicked in and I got whacked with the charge.

From now on it's Airplane Mode as soon as we set sail and keep it that way until we are close enough to the destination port to get a signal from a network that isn't the ships Maritime network.

Stone Deaf 4evr

First Day back at work after the holidays