Crossing to France

[bri]

Remember the longer you stay the cheaper it is, also you would be best heading as far South as you can in February/ March to get the best weather. Do you have refilable gas bottles?

It's an on board tank,but I've been advised to get the adaptors thanks

 

[bri]

Good idea but if you do book through the club's office, they can, usually, arrange sites along the way.
Small steps are better than a headlong dive at our age!

Got that thanks

 

[Nanniemate]

Just go for it . Keep the pavement on your right when not on motorways (rhd) get a good map to see what is on your journey not just follow sat nav , if you see a place you fancy stopping then do so.
Use common sense if you don't like the look of it , feel if it don't go/stop there.
Don't worry about the horror stories millions of vans travel without an issue.
There's always funster to help on line or in person
Have a rough plan but make sure you don't miss your boat home
Have fun

 

[Widge]

If you are a first-timer abroad really the only thing to be even remotely concerned about is driving on the right. But as long as you pay attention it is really very easy, you just do as everyone else is doing and from most ports you are straight onto a motorway anyway.
Just a tip, have a big piece of card to place on the steering wheel overnight reading "DRIVE ON THE RIGHT" as until you get fully used to it that's the time you are likely to make a mistake. But you'll only do it once.....................!

Over the years, I have driven on both sides with both lhd and rhd, currently live in france with a rhd rav4 and a lhd camper, during the yearsi have made several errors.

The classic is not going wrong when you are abroad, but relaxing especially when you are tired getting off the ferry or plane when you get home.

When overseas being in the left hand lane on a oneway street and turning left into the wrong side of a two way street.

After you have parked up for a while on an unmarked road, then continue your journey on the wrong side.

The worst case of this was when i was young, I was in the US and went off my route a few miles to picnic by a lake, I was in quite a sporty car and the road the 3 or 4 miles back to the main road was a nice windy road up through a forest, I decided to see how the car went, so after having lots of fun tyres screaming on the bends, arrived at the T junction at the top to discover i was on the wrong side of the road, luckily nobody else was about. I would like to add that my driving is a little more sedate these days.

 

[L' Hobo]

Over the years, I have driven on both sides with both lhd and rhd, currently live in france with a rhd rav4 and a lhd camper, during the yearsi have made several errors.

The classic is not going wrong when you are abroad, but relaxing especially when you are tired getting off the ferry or plane when you get home.

When overseas being in the left hand lane on a oneway street and turning left into the wrong side of a two way street.

After you have parked up for a while on an unmarked road, then continue your journey on the wrong side.

The worst case of this was when i was young, I was in the US and went off my route a few miles to picnic by a lake, I was in quite a sporty car and the road the 3 or 4 miles back to the main road was a nice windy road up through a forest, I decided to see how the car went, so after having lots of fun tyres screaming on the bends, arrived at the T junction at the top to discover i was on the wrong side of the road, luckily nobody else was about. I would like to add that my driving is a little more sedate these days.

It's easily done, I had been driving a 'Band Bus' on a 4month European Tour and arrived back in Dover in the very early hours of the morning.

There was no other traffic about, or to follow, as the few trucks that were on the ferry had been delayed in the docks.
It was not until I got to the first roundabout at the top of the ramp, going towards London, that I realised I was on the wrong side of the road.
Had there been an accident and some of the band injured as had happened to band, (Buck Fizz I think), a few years earlier, it would have cost me a fortune and my business, probably?

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[Bessy765]

If you are red and. Have a rear view mirror on the windscreen be careful on a roundabout as it can sometimes obscure your view of traffic from the left. French drivers do not appear to be fussy about which lane they are in.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Bri(OP)

When I first took our MH to the Continent I never gave a thought as to any problems.

I had driven a car there on several occasions so the driving did not worry me but all the motorhome side was new but proved easy.

same here, used to travel to south of France every summer with our children, pre Eurotunnel. They were happy days.

 

[Nanniemate]

It's easily done, I had been driving a 'Band Bus' on a 4month European Tour and arrived back in Dover in the very early hours of the morning.

There was no other traffic about, or to follow, as the few trucks that were on the ferry had been delayed in the docks.
It was not until I got to the first roundabout at the top of the ramp, going towards London, that I realised I was on the wrong side of the road.
Had there been an accident and some of the band injured as had happened to band, (Buck Fizz I think), a few years earlier, it would have cost me a fortune and my business, probably?

I would like to think the business would have come second to your passengers lives/injury there bit for the grace of god I believe is the saying

 

[L' Hobo]

I would like to think the business would have come second to your passengers lives/injury there bit for the grace of god I believe is the saying

It, I hope, goes without saying that,
The group did, of course, come before the business!

I was speaking about the consequences, not my mindset!

In the very early hour (03.00hrs,) when you are very tired after driving hundreds of miles to keep to an unrealistic schedule and without other vehicles to remind one, it's easy to forget after 4 months of driving all over Europe, from Sweden to Italy and every country in between, what side of the road one is supposed to be driving on!

it's easy to criticise when one has never experienced this situation, I truly hope, you never do.

 

[Widge]

The other thing to look out for is give way to the right in towns and villages, most are clearly marked with stop signs, but there are a couple of villages in our area where there are no markings, but a sign as you enter the village saying that it is all give way to the right in the whole village.
Eg

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[Nanniemate]

It, I hope, goes without saying that,
The group did, of course, come before the business!

I was speaking about the consequences, not my mindset!

In the very early hour (03.00hrs,) when you are very tired after driving hundreds of miles to keep to an unrealistic schedule and without other vehicles to remind one, it's easy to forget after 4 months of driving all over Europe, from Sweden to Italy and every country in between, what side of the road one is supposed to be driving on!

it's easy to criticise when one has never experienced this situation, I truly hope, you never do.

Paragraph 3 says it all. Hundreds of miles and unrealistic schedules and very tired that's when mistakes happen
As I said
There but for the grace of God

 

[L' Hobo]

Paragraph 3 says it all. Hundreds of miles and unrealistic schedules and very tired that's when mistakes happen
As I said
There but for the grace of God

All I can say in mitigation is, the Groups Management did set the schedule and as a fairly new business, (while keeping to the letter of the law,), one tries to oblige?

 

[varaizian]

The other thing to look out for is give way to the right in towns and villages, most are clearly marked with stop signs, but there are a couple of villages in our area where there are no markings, but a sign as you enter the village saying that it is all give way to the right in the whole village.
Eg
View attachment 693239

I absolutely agree with this. Lots of people think that "Priority a Droit" went out years ago but that is not true. Quite often it applies at junctions where a minor road crosses an obviously more important one and not just inside villages. I wrote-off my car 13 years ago at a junction with absolutely no markings whatsoever. The road to the right was hidden by a line of trees and a crop of maize. You just have to know it is there. French drivers are taught to keep traffic moving and don't tend to give way. You will notice this at roundabouts where they shoot out into gaps that are a bit small. The builder's truck that I hit came out completely blind; assuming that anyone from my direction would stop and look. The police breathalysed me (fortunately completely clear!), told me it was all my fault and left it at that.

 

[varaizian]

Incidentally don't hold your breath waiting to be thanked for giving way. Any such gesture is usually treated with either suspicion or the other driver thinking you know them and are saying "hello". If it is their right-of-way they simply drive through and expect you to do the same in their position. It is a bit odd for Brits but, after 34 years, I am starting to get used to it!

 

[Suenliam]

I find I am OK on the road but it is in the likes of supermarket car parks that I have to really concentrate on the correct side to drive. No road markings and no one to follow
Sue

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[Nanniemate]

I find I am OK on the road but it is in the likes of supermarket car parks that I have to really concentrate on the correct side to drive. No road markings and no one to follow
Sue

I was at a junction of a dual carriageway on the A40 near Perivale watched the front car when the lights changed turn right too soon onto the oncoming carriageway the car behind him followed

 

[cyberyacht]

I remember driving along the centre of a potholed road trying to avoid the worst of them. Upon encountering an oncoming car, I instinctively swung left at the same time as he did. Fortunately at the slow pace we were travelling no harm was done.

 

[cruiser]

Just pluck up the courage. We are in our late 70,s We go for about 8 weeks each year. But we go late august To the end of Oct. We have a great time. Always go on our own. And we go on the ferry to north Spain. And drive down to Portugal. Hope you go.

 

[ElliesBoss]

Apologies if already mentioned or if OP already knows but there are various apps that cover the whole of Europe with regard to overnight stops. Search for Sites, Camper Contact and Park for Night. Similarly for finding LPG.

I too am trying to persuade my OH to do the war graves early next year. Think it will be so much more atmospheric on a cold winters day.

 

[Ingwe]

Apologies if already mentioned or if OP already knows but there are various apps that cover the whole of Europe with regard to overnight stops. Search for Sites, Camper Contact and Park for Night. Similarly for finding LPG.

I too am trying to persuade my OH to do the war graves early next year. Think it will be so much more atmospheric on a cold winters day.

It’s both interesting and moving. We found a number of the larger memorials allowed parking overnight. It can be grey and drizzly in the winter but it makes it clearer the sacrifices those WW1 soldiers made.

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[cyberyacht]

I found it harrowing enough in the summer months.