# Info for all heading to France



## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

Hi

Have a read of this HERE
It may save you a packet.

James


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

I can confirm that that article is true about the deployment of gendarmes behind bridges and the like....

I saw several doing precisely that between Calais and Paris and the resulting stopped cars, I have also seen them on the edges of woods between Rennes and Nantes - but you can only spot them as you go past and by then it is too late.

The key message is to obey the speed limits, it is simple to do and will avoid problems, they can stop you if you are only 1kph over the posted limit - so drive within it, and don't forget that the limit on autoroutes changes if the surface is deemed to be damp..... and that decision is not made by a gendarme but by a machine, although I suspect it could also be made by these isolated teams....

They are NOT always near built up areas and could be located and active anywhere even on non-autoroute roads.....

You have been warned, don't speed.

Dave


----------



## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

They are often to be found lurking at the bottom of our drive  
They are not too happy when we ask them if we can please get out  

They have been at it for years, but in the last few months it has been ramped up. Just drive within the speed limits. Simples. 
Don't treat it as a minimum like certain people I know :roll:


----------



## Morphology (Jul 23, 2010)

I saw some last week on the E23/N57 south of Nancy.

It is a particularly annoying stretch of road because, depite being dual carriageway, the speed limit keeps changing from 110km/h to 90km/h

Needless to say, they were in one of the 90km/h sections....

The N10 from Poitiers to Angouleme is the same - keeps changing speed limit for no obvious reason.

Both routes are used a lot by us freeloading toll-avers brits hacking our way south.

Morph


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Been in France since the beginning of May but noticed no increased gendarme activity. But then I don't notice stop signs either!


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

> *Morphology said; *The N10 from Poitiers to Angouleme is the same - keeps changing speed limit (_ from 110km/h to 90km/h_) for no obvious reason. (edited by me for ease of understanding)
> Morph


That is a road I know quite well and I have seen police activity there too (I thought I had been caught when the limit changed but apparently not  )

I believe the reason is that there are roads going across and some access across the central reservation in the 90kph sections - that was my understanding as to why the limit is lowered at those points - and it happens several times within a few km.

Dave


----------



## 79144will (Sep 8, 2010)

I just managed to get the old bird up to 150 kmh at 5500 kg and they go and spoil it, I would be surprised if a lot on here could go above the limit in France,regards Bill


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Thanks for the heads up. I have a bit of a heavy right foot so will take note. I too find the varying limit from 110 to 90kph can take you by surprise so will watch out for that.

Also last year I noticed in a lot of towns as you enter theme there was often a LCD Radar sign flashing up 1,2,3 or even 4 points. WTF is that about? Its definitely something to do with speeding. Yeah ok you should be knocking down to 50kph when entering a town but its not always that easy. Just wondered what they were.


----------



## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

barryd said:


> .........
> 
> Also last year I noticed in a lot of towns as you enter theme there was often a LCD Radar sign flashing up 1,2,3 or even 4 points. WTF is that about? Its definitely something to do with speeding. Yeah ok you should be knocking down to 50kph when entering a town but its not always that easy. Just wondered what they were.


Yes Barry - it is the number of points that would be TAKEN from your licence if you carried on at that speed. In France, they remove points as opposed to adding them.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

> *barryd said* .........Also last year I noticed in a lot of towns as you enter theme there was often a LCD Radar sign flashing up 1,2,3 or even 4 points. WTF is that about? Its definitely something to do with speeding. Yeah ok you should be knocking down to 50kph when entering a town but its not always that easy. Just wondered what they were.


Those are installed and maintained by the commune NOT the police, they are there as an advisory warning.

The 1,2,3 or 4 refers to the number of points a person with a French driving licence will lose (opposite system to UK, in France you lose from 12), if you were caught - and the number indicates how excessive your speed was...

BUT they are often set to read too high - often by 10% or so....

An interesting aside, one commune installed one last year and the engineer for the company that makes and installs them was leaving the job and was playing around (no-one ever does that surely?), it had been installed for about a month before anyone realised that instead of displaying a smilie/frown or 1,2,3,4 it was displaying a VERY rude message if you were OTT the equivalent of "F. Off"......

The Mayor was VERY embarrassed when it was reported as he had driven through it many times and not noticed.... needless to say it was changed rapidly..... :lol:

Dave


----------



## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

I don't think there's anything new in this - they've been doing it for years.

we've seen them on many occasions on the A26 not for from Arras (just after the A1 Paris-Lille autoroute) pulling in Brits who are speeding back to Calais to get their crossing home. usually in winter when skiers are returning home.

the other areas they like to patrol are where a 130kph limit drops to a 90kph as it goes from autoroute to dual carriageway. the stretch into the Chamonix valley is a favourite spot for this as it becomes 90kph at Le Fayet but drivers always hammer it for the last few K into Cham.

the buggers got me there.......


----------



## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

> "Carl_n_Flo"
> Yes Barry - it is the number of points that would be TAKEN from your licence if you carried on at that speed. In France, they remove points as opposed to adding them.


What a brilliant idea.............. 

As soon as I've got 9 pts over here I'll nip across and get them all knocked off again. :wink:

Should be able to keep it going for years - isn't the EU wonderful.


----------



## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

In our drive down to Carpentras and back we were surprised by the LACK of Police/Gendarmes in all places.

We travelled on the N and D routes entirely, but quite a few are dual carriageway and I did notice the 110/90/80 changes, especially early on the Sunday as we left and skirted round Nancy.

Have to say we thoroughly enjoyed France, great holiday!

Peter


----------



## bigcats30 (Aug 13, 2012)

Nothing new or different.

They do the same in Belgium and Germany.

You roll your dice and you take your chances...you just stand out more with UK plates


----------



## suedew (May 10, 2005)

79144will said:


> I just managed to get the old bird up to 150 kmh at 5500 kg and they go and spoil it, I would be surprised if a lot on here could go above the limit in France,regards Bill


My Alarm, changed by mechanics i assume when it went in for service, alerted me to the fact I was WELL above the speed limit 

Will now been reset to appropriate level for France.

As someone who is very anti speeding I dont know how i didn't notice, have also had cruise control fitted so that should help too.

The police in Spain are also very keen, saw 11 within a short distance after leaving Navarette campsite last year, Drivers were very good at flashing warnings though.

Sue


----------



## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

Not about speeding, but we saw a group of gendarmes north of Le Mans stopping drivers at 8.30am on New Years day this year. Made me think.


----------



## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

Hi,
We didn't come across any mobile speed patrols during this year's 2 month trip to Spain and France except just south of Cahors heading North we were waved into a layby along with all the white vans for an opportunity to have a free weight check   

Once they realised we were a camping-car we were waved through.

I did notice that there are a lot more speed indicator signs at the entrances to villages both in Spain and France but several of those traffic lights in Spain that turn red as you approach were turned off - I think those are very effective. There were some pretty vicious speed bumps as well.

I'm still not clear what the speed limit for a motorhome under 3500kg is in Spain on ordinary roads  

Some web pages state it's 70 kph which is rather low, elsewhere I've read it depends on the width of the hard shoulder less than 1.5metres is a lower limit. Sometimes the width varied every few metres.

Steve


----------



## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

I really don't see what the problem is. There are speed limits that must be obeyed. Obey them and you cannot have any fears.
Gerry


----------



## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

Morphology said:


> I saw some last week on the E23/N57 south of Nancy.
> 
> It is a particularly annoying stretch of road because, depite being dual carriageway, the speed limit keeps changing from 110km/h to 90km/h
> 
> ...


The variations in speed limit on the N10 occur either on sections where there are junctions (carrefour) or where past experience shows there to be particular danger for some other reason. It is esential to stay aware of the changes as the police frequently position a (hidden) camera just past the limit sign. 
This is one of the buisiest sections of road in France with exceptionally heavy use by trucks to and from Spain and Portugal - as anyone who has used it knows it is not unusual to find a convoy of 15 or 20 artics nose to tail - that is beause they are prohibited from overtaking along a large part of the road and tend to get caught at the speed of the slowest. It might change as a special tax is due to be introduced shortly directed at all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes - I do not yet know if that includes motorhomes but be aware!

Alan


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

> *alhod said; * It might change as a special tax is due to be introduced shortly directed at all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes - I do not yet know if that includes motorhomes but be aware!
> 
> Alan


AFAIK it *ONLY* refers to *GOODS CARRYING VEHICLES* so MH are *not* included - this has been explained elsewhere on MHF and on other websites giving out such information.

Dave


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yorkshire plod would have a great time fining lots of two wheeled speeders when the Tour de France starts.

Ray.


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

> *raynipper wrote: *Yorkshire plod would have a great time fining lots of two wheeled speeders when the Tour de France starts.
> 
> Ray.


Shall bear that in mind if we go off following the tour on the Scooter on Saturday.

Anyway I had a great idea to beat the crowds and see all the Yorkshire sections up close.

Im going to dig out the hi viz jackets out of the van, give Michelle a black and white stripey jumper, beret and a shoulder mounted camera (fake) and just sneak in and join the Caravan speeding in and out of the bikes and shouting loudly in French to "GET OUT OF THE WAY".

Good thinking eh?

I reckon it will have the same effect as going around free Aires with a clipboard and reciept book and demanding €5.


----------

