Maiden beginner’s voyage & it’s France, What do I need to know?

[PlymBob]

I know, I should have a trial run locally, but what with weather and one thing and another it never happened, and here we are off to France for the first time on Thursday. Thankfully, not the first time to France, but it is the first voyage in a campervan apart from one night hooked up at Baltic Wharf a few weeks ago.

It’s a German van with German gas fittings. Do I need an adaptor to fit French gas bottles? If so, does anyone know what I need, or where to get it? And where should I buy bottled gas from, ideally 5kg or 6kg if it’ll fit?

I’ll initially be getting Brittany Ferries to Roscoff. I’ve checked and all the Caravan & Motorhome Club sites in Brittany are closed. Can anyone tell me what I need and how to check to find overnight stops such as Aires or campsites please?

Are there any suggestions for where to buy cassette toilet chemicals?

Do I need to have my actual driving license with me? I sent it for (age 70) renewal of C1 back in November and it hasn’t been returned yet. The van is under 3500kg but I thought it would be sensible to take the medical and hang on to C1 in case I need it for the future. After 3 months waiting for DVLA to return it maybe I shouldn’t have done.

What else have I forgotten?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[autorouter]

What else have I forgotten?

If you want to use mains electric hookup, you may need one of these. Most sites use the round blue plug just like UK camp sites, but quite a few use the domestic sockets instead, so you might need this adapter. If you forget, and find you need one, you can buy one at a local camping shop, or a big DIY store like Leroy Merlin

 

[MisterB]

When we first ventured over to France, we bought 'All The Aires' books for France from Vicarious Books (online) they are full of useful information for first timers. We have just bought an updated version (5 years on ..) I like to use them when planning but we also have Park4Night and Search for Sites accessible via tablet/iPad. You don't NEED the books, but I found them very useful on our first couple of trips.

The reality turned out to be that it was easier just to search on line for Aires in any particular location we wanted to visit, to decide NOT to access on line information is perhaps not the best course of action ....

If you're just going to stay on camp sites and use electric hook up, then so long as you have UK/EU adapters, you should use very little gas, so just try to make sure your cylinder is full OR carry a spare UK one, if you're thinking of getting a French cylinder, then you'll be carrying an additional cylinder anyway !!

 

[MichaelT]

You purchase a Camping CarPark Card at your first stop. At that purchase, you load that card with euros from your bank card. The CCP card then lets you in and when you leave, deducts the amount due from the CCP card. The app is useful but not necessary. You will have to keep a pen and paper check of how much is left on the card. What I cannot remember is if the machine tells you how much is left but you can go back to the payment machine and insert it and top it up.
The payment machine is to one side and is separate to the barriers. If you have enough euros on the CCP card you can just tap and go in and tap and go out.
There is a minimum top up which might be more than the CCP you wish to use.

You don't need a balance on your card to enter but once in you do need to go online or to the machine to top it up. You get a choice of a € amount or to cover the cost of current stay. If you don't top it up it won't let you out!

I think from memory when you first buy the card you also pay for the first night in advance which makes sense.

 

[WESTY66]

My mobile number! If any problem you can text me (no calls as babies might be sleeping...or yelling which is just the same, I can't hear nor answer!) and I'll do my best to help you 0033682050584 ... The whole world must know it by now... so I don't really care!View attachment 870489

I Hope you don’t mind but I’ve put your number in my phone, just in case I brave travelling through France at some point next year

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[suavecarve]

Can anyone tell me what I need and how to check to find overnight stops such as Aires or campsites please?

Go into the nearest tourist information and ask for all the Aires booklet for Brittany. If I remember correctly there are 600+ of them.
I think I have put it on here somewhere so will try to find a link for it.
Loads more Aires than s4s etc

Found it quite quickly. Click the link but getting one is better than my photos of it.
Thread 'Brittany all the Aires. Loads of them' https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/brittany-all-the-aires-loads-of-them.269984/

 

[Maxieras]

One point to bear in mind is that France is very "camping car friendly". You can stay overnight in any village car park.

The CCP chain of sites is excellent, whether you are having an overnight stay or just a "dump and fill".

 

[our poppy llll]

A novice would not set off in mid winter without the basics. A novice would not go to France without knowledge of all year sites, access to EHU, what Aires are and how to use Flotblu, they would not be silly enough to travel without a driving licence or their V5C. Or the Crit or the Morts. They would have been told about headlight deflectors, and 110volts, and 2 pin hookups extensions. They would have got toilet chemicals, getting all this when they bought the van, and all the stuff they need including maps and planners etc. today having no internet access for site searching or banking, nor having access to camping apps. It’s just not done. What about shopping what they can take and what they can’t, where are the supermarkets!

The poster can not seriously think we are going to say go and have fun, when everything he’s said sounds like he’s going to end up in serious trouble or worse.. the thing about this site is it’s designed to help and have fun on the way. But the experienced motorhomers have got one thing in common, they care about each other, their advise is invaluable, and they want you to have a lot of fun. No Funster would just let you drive off without giving you sound advise, so cancel your ticket for Thursday move it two to 3 weeks ahead and get everything you need. Once you have everything and you are packed with knowledge, go and have a ball then tell us what a great time you’ve had.

 

[HKF]

A novice would not set off in mid winter without the basics. A novice would not go to France without knowledge of all year sites, access to EHU, what Aires are and how to use Flotblu, they would not be silly enough to travel without a driving licence or their V5C. Or the Crit or the Morts. They would have been told about headlight deflectors, and 110volts, and 2 pin hookups extensions. They would have got toilet chemicals, getting all this when they bought the van, and all the stuff they need including maps and planners etc. today having no internet access for site searching or banking, nor having access to camping apps. It’s just not done. What about shopping what they can take and what they can’t, where are the supermarkets!

The poster can not seriously think we are going to say go and have fun, when everything he’s said sounds like he’s going to end up in serious trouble or worse.. the thing about this site is it’s designed to help and have fun on the way. But the experienced motorhomers have got one thing in common, they care about each other, their advise is invaluable, and they want you to have a lot of fun. No Funster would just let you drive off without giving you sound advise, so cancel your ticket for Thursday move it two to 3 weeks ahead and get everything you need. Once you have everything and you are packed with knowledge, go and have a ball then tell us what a great time you’ve had.

Wow, that sounds very dictatorial. How about rephrasing to 'Have you thought about this' or 'What about that', instead of 'Cancel your ticket now and do as I say'? We all want to give good advice but if the OP feels happy doing what they're doing, who are we to demand they do things our way? Some people want to pre-plan everything (like me and, from what it sounds like, you) but, equally, others would rather just wing it. No matter how foolish that may sound to us, I think it's really rather rude to put someone down so much, especially someone very new to MHF.

Just my opinion.

 

[Nanniemate]

I think you need the basics , ID. Driving licence. Insurance . And a good map.

Breakdown cover is advisable

Milk teabags

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[DandJ]

Someone has already posted it but....I'd delay the ferry booking until later in the year and do a local trip or two first....just a couple of nights each time perhaps. That way you suss out what you really need, have no language barriers and then when you do do your month trip abroad, it'll be a breeze.

 

[our poppy llll]

Wow, that sounds very dictatorial. How about rephrasing to 'Have you thought about this' or 'What about that', instead of 'Cancel your ticket now and do as I say'? We all want to give good advice but if the OP feels happy doing what they're doing, who are we to demand they do things our way? Some people want to pre-plan everything (like me and, from what it sounds like, you) but, equally, others would rather just wing it. No matter how foolish that may sound to us, I think it's really rather rude to put someone down so much, especially someone very new to MHF.

Just my opinion.

Your point would not sound so bad if you had referred to the “whole sentence” and not picked ‘a little bit’ out of it to prove your point. No one was being “dictatorial”, it was giving sound advise, however even though you make your point by being selective, I can’t believe anyone would say, “yo mate stuff having your licence - a legal requirement - and just go! I’m sure everyone would say, delay, get your licence, then go! Which is why the OP came on this site, to ask for advise!.

 

[autorouter]

and 110volts,

Wrong Continent. It's America that is 120V. Europe is 230V AC, just like UK.

 

[PlymBob]

The 13kgs French Propane bottles have an exit point that accepts a UK Butane female pigtail.
I'm assuming you have a Baulkhead Reg.
The bottle rental is very small ie 1€.

Thank you Emmit, so if I'm reading this right I could just get another UK adaptor for my 2nd bottle assuming smaller 5or 6kg bottles would be the same as your 13kg? I don't know what a Baulkhead Reg is??

 

[PlymBob]

Your point would not sound so bad if you had referred to the “whole sentence” and not picked ‘a little bit’ out of it to prove your point. No one was being “dictatorial”, it was giving sound advise, however even though you make your point by being selective, I can’t believe anyone would say, “yo mate stuff having your licence - a legal requirement - and just go! I’m sure everyone would say, delay, get your licence, then go! Which is why the OP came on this site, to ask for advise!.

No offence taken, and yes, I was inviting suggestions and advice of any kind. It will all, good or bad, help me at this point. I shall phone DVLA on Monday and will have to make a decision from there.
How do you think the French Gendarmarie would react to "I forgot to bring my license"?

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[autorouter]

Do I need to have my actual driving license with me? I sent it for (age 70) renewal of C1 back in November and it hasn’t been returned yet. The van is under 3500kg but I thought it would be sensible to take the medical and hang on to C1 in case I need it for the future. After 3 months waiting for DVLA to return it maybe I shouldn’t have done.

Technically you can drive in the UK while your application is being processed, if it's a straightforward renewal. But you're not supposed to travel outside the UK, you need an actual licence for that.

Also you could think about how to use your phone while outside the UK. It's a whole new can of worms, and there's various solutions. Your present provider might allow 'roaming', usually for an extra fee. If it's dual-sim (most UK phones aren't) you could buy a sim at any convenient phone shop in France. Or put the sim in an old phone if you have one. You could buy a 'mifi' device - a device that connects to a phone mast like a phone, but gives you local wifi. Then you could connect your laptop and/or phones to its wifi.

I have a satnav app on my phone, and use it all the time - driving and also walking around an unknown town.

 

[Emmit]

Thank you Emmit, so if I'm reading this right I could just get another UK adaptor for my 2nd bottle assuming smaller 5or 6kg bottles would be the same as your 13kg? I don't know what a Baulkhead Reg is??

Sorry to confuse you.

Prior to 2002 Caravans and Motorhomes didn't have a Regulator 'Bolted onto' the vehicle. There was a different pressure Reg. dependent whether the user was using Butane gas or Propane gas and it was fitted between the bottle and the supply pipe, usually attached to the bottle itself.
In 2002 caravans and Motorhomes (incl. PVC's) were fitted with a Regulator that was fitted by the manufacturers.
I called it a 'Baulkhead' Reg. because that was where it was fitted, inside the front locker of a caravan, next to the gas bottle on the 'Baulkhead. In a motorhome, it's in the Gas locker. It regulates the gas and it doesn't matter what gas is used, Butane or Propane.

If your avatar is of your vehicle ie PVC I would imagine it's post 2002 and therefore will have a built in Reg. I do not know what size gas bottle you can fit in your gas locker. If you cannot get a 13kgs bottle in there and go for a smaller bottle, I cannot tell you what the exit point of that bottle will be because it's umpteen years since I went down that route.
Come back on here and tell us what you intend to do when in France re gas. Then, another Funster no doubt will be able to help with that regard.

 

[cyberyacht]

You have left it very much to the last minute. As previously suggested, defer your trip until you have got yourself sorted, probably at least a month and it will give you time to assimilate the excellent advice from previous posters.
If you want to get a taste of what a trip round Brittany is like, check out my YouTube channel. The link is in my signature below. It records our first motorhome trip we made abroad back in 2018. We had done caravan trips previously though.

 

[Folkranger]

For the cassette I always use bio wash liquid. The Lidl Formil is good but make sure it's the bio one.

I keep reading this. What are the advantages of bio wash liquid please?

 

[PlymBob]

A novice would not set off in mid winter without the basics. A novice would not go to France without knowledge of all year sites, access to EHU, what Aires are and how to use Flotblu, they would not be silly enough to travel without a driving licence or their V5C. Or the Crit or the Morts. They would have been told about headlight deflectors, and 110volts, and 2 pin hookups extensions. They would have got toilet chemicals, getting all this when they bought the van, and all the stuff they need including maps and planners etc. today having no internet access for site searching or banking, nor having access to camping apps. It’s just not done. What about shopping what they can take and what they can’t, where are the supermarkets!

The poster can not seriously think we are going to say go and have fun, when everything he’s said sounds like he’s going to end up in serious trouble or worse.. the thing about this site is it’s designed to help and have fun on the way. But the experienced motorhomers have got one thing in common, they care about each other, their advise is invaluable, and they want you to have a lot of fun. No Funster would just let you drive off without giving you sound advise, so cancel your ticket for Thursday move it two to 3 weeks ahead and get everything you need. Once you have everything and you are packed with knowledge, go and have a ball then tell us what a great time you’ve had.

Ah, I saw the response to this out of sequence.

That is a tad offensive, though still looks well meaning in a way. The novice, by definition, doesn’t know what the basics are, so may well go off without what an experienced person would consider to be “knowledge” etc.

It might also be that there are other circumstances to consider, such as visiting a very sick friend who lives in France, and may not have long to live.

As it happens, I have covered most of the basics, but not all, hence the post and the questions. Nearly all the responses have been helpful one way or the other, even those that are somewhat blunt such as this one. The driving license now seems the most critical.

But I do need to sort out gas bottles, though I do have a full UK 11kg as backup it may not last the entire time.

And I need to understand using the cassette toilet and getting chemicals in unfamiliar places. Almost certainly once I’ve done it a few times I will wonder why I was worried about it. That’s what makes me a novice…

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[PlymBob]

Someone has already posted it but....I'd delay the ferry booking until later in the year and do a local trip or two first....just a couple of nights each time perhaps. That way you suss out what you really need, have no language barriers and then when you do do your month trip abroad, it'll be a breeze.

That was the intention. Circumstances took over...

 

[denisejoe]

I keep reading this. What are the advantages of bio wash liquid please?

It's cheaper; it smells better and can be bought in any supermarket both here and abroad. You just need to make sure it's a bio washing liquid - look for the word enzyme on the contents list on the bottle.

 

[Nanniemate]

No offence taken, and yes, I was inviting suggestions and advice of any kind. It will all, good or bad, help me at this point. I shall phone DVLA on Monday and will have to make a decision from there.
How do you think the French Gendarmarie would react to "I forgot to bring my license"?

Jail. huge fines. Vehicle impounded thats just to start


All documents must be originals. Once they start looking at you the world is their oyster for additional fines/bribes/costs and delays

 

[dalspa]

No offence taken, and yes, I was inviting suggestions and advice of any kind. It will all, good or bad, help me at this point. I shall phone DVLA on Monday and will have to make a decision from there.
How do you think the French Gendarmarie would react to "I forgot to bring my license"?

Have you checked the status of your license, you can do this online on www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence and fill in your driving licence and national insurance numbers. Do it now, it could be that it has already been renewed and lost in post.
We have never had to show our licences in France but wouldn’t travel without as, Sod’s law will happen.

 

[Folkranger]

It's cheaper; it smells better and can be bought in any supermarket both here and abroad. You just need to make sure it's a bio washing liquid - look for the word enzyme on the contents list on the bottle.

Does it work as well and while smelling nice does it stop other smells?

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[Peter and Julie]

Jail. huge fines. Vehicle impounded thats just to start


All documents must be originals. Once they start looking at you the world is their oyster for additional fines/bribes/costs and delays

Jail ? It's France not Russia!

 

[Emmit]

I keep reading this. What are the advantages of bio wash liquid please?

Look at it this way.
You put a 'proprietary' brand 'Blue' into your cassette and two-three days later
you get rid of the contents, BEFORE! the solid contents have been turned to
liquid by said 'proprietary' brand. It's still working as you throw it away.
Plus points, it masks the smell.

The cost of that bottle can be ?????

Bio Liquid laundry liquid also masks the smell, Given time it will do exactly
the same as the 'Blue' stuff. The Emmits have also be known to use laundry
liquid 'Softener'

The Cost, about £2. You make the choice.

Edit,

Bu&&er, Beaten by Denise and Joe.

 

[denisejoe]

Does it work as well and while smelling nice does it stop other smells?

yes

 

[Dutch 68]

A novice would not set off in mid winter without the basics. A novice would not go to France without knowledge of all year sites, access to EHU, what Aires are and how to use Flotblu, they would not be silly enough to travel without a driving licence or their V5C. Or the Crit or the Morts. They would have been told about headlight deflectors, and 110volts, and 2 pin hookups extensions. They would have got toilet chemicals, getting all this when they bought the van, and all the stuff they need including maps and planners etc. today having no internet access for site searching or banking, nor having access to camping apps. It’s just not done. What about shopping what they can take and what they can’t, where are the supermarkets!

The poster can not seriously think we are going to say go and have fun, when everything he’s said sounds like he’s going to end up in serious trouble or worse.. the thing about this site is it’s designed to help and have fun on the way. But the experienced motorhomers have got one thing in common, they care about each other, their advise is invaluable, and they want you to have a lot of fun. No Funster would just let you drive off without giving you sound advise, so cancel your ticket for Thursday move it two to 3 weeks ahead and get everything you need. Once you have everything and you are packed with knowledge, go and have a ball then tell us what a great time you’ve had.

Not everyone likes to be organised and plan stuff, some people get a lot of pleasure out of winging it, just like we did when we went travelling in the era before tinternet, live and let live

 

[oldiesontour]

To offer a basic checklist..
1. A driving license.
2. Insurance.
3.Health cover.
4.Breakdown kit (as required by visited countries law)
5.Communication device,that will work in visited countries.
6.Access to payment method (cash,card,bank transfer)
7. Spare wheel.
Unless I forgot anything (all to common nowadays)
The rest you can probably learn as you go ,it may cost extra time money & worry,but should be doable.
Forgot Maps or sat nav.
(and maybe a prayer mat )

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[MichaelT]

To offer a basic checklist..
1. A driving license.
2. Insurance.
3.Health cover.
4.Breakdown kit (as required by visited countries law)
5.Communication device,that will work in visited countries.
6.Access to payment method (cash,card,bank transfer)
7. Spare wheel.
Unless I forgot anything (all to common nowadays)
The rest you can probably learn as you go ,it may cost extra time money & worry,but should be doable.
Forgot Maps or sat nav.
(and maybe a prayer mat )

I think No 5 is really important as is Internet access nowadays just in case of issues or even just to scan the QR code in a restaurant for the menu...