Bring the car to France on holidays

niamh4626

Hello,
Myself and my partner are going to France on our holidays in September and travelling with our car from Rosslare by boat.
Do I need to get additional insurance or anything or do I need to inform my insurance company?
Also, I saw on a few English sites that I need to get an IRE sticker and high vis etc - I guess Halfords supply such items? I did have a look on their website and they appear to only have UK packs.
And advice greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Niamh

Liam McPoyle

niamh4626 wrote: »

Hello,
Myself and my partner are going to France on our holidays in September and travelling with our car from Rosslare by boat.
Do I need to get additional insurance or anything or do I need to inform my insurance company?
Also, I saw on a few English sites that I need to get an IRE sticker and high vis etc - I guess Halfords supply such items? I did have a look on their website and they appear to only have UK packs.
And advice greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Niamh

Shouldnt be any issue for your insurer tbh, for the sake of good order you should just ring them and let them know but other than that there shouldnt be any need to do anything else.

Henry Ford III

Saul T Nutzz wrote: »

Shouldnt be any issue for your insurer tbh, for the sake of good order you should just ring them and let them know but other than that there shouldnt be any need to do anything else.

Not insurance related but you need to carry/fit a few bits and bobs to satisfy local laws:-

http://www.theaa.ie/blog/driving-in-france-this-summer/

Del2005

The IRE part of your number plate covers you driving in the EU, you only need the separate sticker if going outside the EU.

Del2005

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Not insurance related but you need to carry/fit a few bits and bobs to satisfy local laws:-

http://www.theaa.ie/blog/driving-in-france-this-summer/

The breathalyser requirement has been dropped.

coylemj

OP, download and read the policy document from your insurance company's website but it's almost certain that you will be covered for a driving holiday in France up to a maximum number of days (30 or more) per trip so you'll be fine.

What you definitely need by law in France is a hi-viz vest and it must be stored in the saloon i.e not in the boot so that if you have a breakdown, the person who gets out of the car will already be wearing the vest. I wouldn't worry too much about anything else - if you research this to death you'd need a trailer for the spare bulbs, first aid kit, breathalyzers etc. etc. which some websites claim that you need, most of it is BS. I have never even been asked to show my passport driving off the ferry in France, let alone have to show the cops a set of spare bulbs on the roadside.

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

I have never even been asked to show my passport driving off the ferry in France, let alone have to show the cops a set of spare bulbs on the roadside.

I have and it wasn't yesterday i travelled. I suggest that today it's a different story again.

pea be

One thing to seriously consider is breakdown/recovery insurance, if you do not already have it already. It could cost a lot if you are left stranded on a motorway in France, if you needed to get the car recovered to Ireland.

coylemj

Deleted User wrote: »

I have and it wasn't yesterday i travelled. I suggest that today it's a different story again.

It's a fair point that the current security situation means that you are more likely to be asked to show your passport on disembarkation but by the same token, it means the cops will have different priorities and will be less likely to pull over tourists in an Irish car to see if they have spare bulbs and a first aid kit.

Henry Ford III

coylemj wrote: »

It's a fair point that the current security situation means that you are more likely to be asked to show your passport on disembarkation but by the same token, it means the cops will have different priorities and will be less likely to pull over tourists in an Irish car to see if they have spare bulbs and a first aid kit.

A small bit of compliance has to be better than taking a chance in the circumstances n'est pas?

Staplor

Eh is everyone forgetting the headlight alignment stickers?

coylemj

Henry Ford III wrote: »

A small bit of compliance has to be better than taking a chance in the circumstances n'est pas?

Agreed. Though you need to make sure you don't get ripped off as happened people on the ferries a few years back, they got panicked into buying those completely useless breathalyzer kits and paid way over the odds when at the time you could buy a pair of them in Halfords for a fiver - as if you ever needed them in the first place.

So decide what you really need, buy it before you board the boat to France and ignore the smug tosser in the bar on the ferry who tells you that you'll be sent to Devil's Island if you don't have a St. Christopher medal hanging off the interior mirror!

Del2005

Staplor wrote: »

Eh is everyone forgetting the headlight alignment stickers?

Some cars have a lever to switch the beams others have flat beams. If you aren't driving at night they aren't needed.

CiniO

coylemj wrote: »

OP, download and read the policy document from your insurance company's website but it's almost certain that you will be covered for a driving holiday in France up to a maximum number of days (30 or more) per trip so you'll be fine.

What you definitely need by law in France is a hi-viz vest and it must be stored in the saloon i.e not in the boot so that if you have a breakdown, the person who gets out of the car will already be wearing the vest. I wouldn't worry too much about anything else - if you research this to death you'd need a trailer for the spare bulbs, first aid kit, breathalyzers etc. etc. which some websites claim that you need, most of it is BS. I have never even been asked to show my passport driving off the ferry in France, let alone have to show the cops a set of spare bulbs on the roadside.

I wouldn't be going without warning triangle. In case of breakdown, especially on motorway, you should have it displayed behind the car straight away (in distance depending on road type).

Anything else is just worth to have in case you need that.

F.e. they can't fine you for not having hi-vis vests, but in case of breakdown you must wear one when going out of the vehicle and it's an offence not to use one, so you might find it hard to do it if you don't have one.
Same with spare bulbs, etc..

CiniO

pea be wrote: »

One thing to seriously consider is breakdown/recovery insurance, if you do not already have it already. It could cost a lot if you are left stranded on a motorway in France, if you needed to get the car recovered to Ireland.

To be honest, I'd think it would cost less to have vehicle towed to nearest garage from French motorway, than paying AA inflated EU breakdown cover rates...

Why would you ever need to have car recovered to Ireland?
I hardly can think of any scenario requiring that.

CiniO

Del2005 wrote: »

Some cars have a lever to switch the beams others have flat beams. If you aren't driving at night they aren't needed.

No car type approved in EU have flat beams...
It's be only really imports from US, Japan, etc...

Del2005

CiniO wrote: »

No car type approved in EU have flat beams...
It's be only really imports from US, Japan, etc...

My car and bike have flat beams and are official Irish vehicles.

CiniO

Del2005 wrote: »

My car and bike have flat beams and are official Irish vehicles.

Sold new in Ireland?

Unless they are some really old stuff (80's or earlier) IMO that's impossible that they were sold new like that.

Del2005

CiniO wrote: »

Sold new in Ireland?

Unless they are some really old stuff (80's or earlier) IMO that's impossible that they were sold new like that.

Both new in Ireland this century.

coylemj

CiniO wrote: »

F.e. they can't fine you for not having hi-vis vests, but in case of breakdown you must wear one when going out of the vehicle and it's an offence not to use one, so you might find it hard to do it if you don't have one.

Hair splitting of the highest order Cinio.