# French Parking!



## Fairportgoer (Jun 24, 2008)

Good Evening all,

When we got our motorhome we were told that it is a good idea to get a tow bar for two reasons.....

1) For towing :roll: 
2) To prevent this happening 8O










I saw this in La Rochelle yesterday.

Enjoy :wink:

Dean


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Trouble is, you need a tow bar at the front as well as at the back!


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

pippin said:


> Trouble is, you need a tow bar at the front as well as at the back!


Got one...................  
Ray.


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## hymerowner (Sep 10, 2006)

It's how you park in France. Haven't you realised!


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Actually what you want is a retractable towbar with a blunt end so you can push the offender out of the way without damaging your own car.

G


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## peachy (Feb 9, 2007)

Hi 
we are heading down to the La Rochelle area of France on Tuesday ( can't wait )via Diver to Calais. We haven't been to that part of France before and wondered how busy it is at this time of the year as we are having our holiday a bit later than we normally do.


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## hymerowner (Sep 10, 2006)

Will be nose to tail parking!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seen it on this thread!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## mark_2cv (Sep 13, 2006)

That frame on the car behind the camper seems like a good idea... I guess that must be legal then? :wink: 

Mark


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## hymerowner (Sep 10, 2006)

mark_2cv - do u have one? 

Have plums & custard dolly in the garage - been off road for toooo lomg!


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## TheBoombas (Aug 23, 2006)

Don't jest. it IS how they do it! We could not belive what we saw whilst in France. In a car park in La Rochelle last year we watched many of French drivers Men & Women park their cars by pushing the car behind back and the one in front forward until they got in the small space and we saw the same thing happening in other car parks. They even do it to get out of a space. People watch but just act as if it's the normal thing to do?

Brian & Lorraine


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## hymerowner (Sep 10, 2006)

Totally the norm - is part of driving test


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## mark_2cv (Sep 13, 2006)

hymerowner said:


> mark_2cv - do u have one?
> 
> Have plums & custard dolly in the garage - been off road for toooo lomg!


I've whittled it down to two now!
Has yours still got a chassis under it? :lol:


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## hymerowner (Sep 10, 2006)

Well not totally sure on that one! Had plans to convert it to a Lomax but have never got round to it!


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## greenasthegrass (Oct 27, 2007)

are you on a mission hymie honey? aw have I just ruined it!

Greenie :lol: :lol:


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

The french invented plastic bumpers for ease of parkig

Dave P


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

French drivers don't apply the hand brake when they park. It is expected that someone will want to park in the too small space in front/behind them. Not sure what they do if on a hill.

Alarming for us, but true. How else could they get so many cars parked - particularly in Paris  

Sue


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## Chausson (Oct 17, 2006)

Hi

This is how you have to park in Paris, it's common knowledge that you park without applying you handbrake so that the push effect can take place. This is what I was told I hope it's correct.   

Ron


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## Fairportgoer (Jun 24, 2008)

peachy said:


> Hi
> we are heading down to the La Rochelle area of France on Tuesday ( can't wait )via Diver to Calais. We haven't been to that part of France before and wondered how busy it is  at this time of the year as we are having our holiday a bit later than we normally do.


We stayed on the Aire in the large car park called 'Esplanade des parcs'
it was heaving and one motorhome had a car park right next to him blocking him in 8O

I believe that it is the only free car park which would explain why it is busy.

If you aim to get there after six o'clock most people would have gone by then and you are more likely to get parked.

We had a walk into the main area of La Rochelle and that was also very busy. But very pretty, we will be coming back at a later date to explore further.

Enjoy

Dean


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## hymerowner (Sep 10, 2006)

Chausson - your avator is soooo coool!! How did you do it?


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## 107558 (Oct 10, 2007)

Living in Paris I can confirm the following:

You don't set your handbrake unless on an incline. _*It is the norm *_to move cars fowards or backwards when parking. 8O

Cars are expected to get scratched and or dented. If your car isn't scratched or dented someone will go out of their way to scratch or dent it for you especially if it is clean, or new.  :evil:

The parking at meters is free in August as all the Trafffic Wardens are away on holiday 

So if coming into Paris make sure you don't have a nice clean looking "pride and joy".


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

*Parking*

Don't jest. it IS how they do it! We could not belive what we saw whilst in France. In a car park in La Rochelle last year we watched many of French drivers Men & Women park their cars by pushing the car behind back and the one in front forward until they got in the small space and we saw the same thing happening in other car parks. They even do it to get out of a space. People watch but just act as if it's the normal thing to do?

Brian & Lorraine


> Brian / Lorraine, this is nothing new, I was lucky as an 18 year old in 1976, I was watching with disbelief on the Champs de Elyses, when a very large car bumped front and rear until there was space to get out of the space, they park with there hand brakes off (on flat) so there is very little damage done.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

I used the same technique in Spain,with a 4x4 and bullbars, it didn't matter whether their handbrakes were off or on.Could get some interesting results if the car parked in front had left it on full lock left or right. :lol: 

tony


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## Melly (Jul 5, 2007)

Won't this technique set off the car alarms everywhere or do they turn these off as well.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Handbrakes*

New Electric handbrakes may see an end to that then. How many will know let alone remember to leave them off.

Trev


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