Roudabouts in France.....

[EuroTrotters]

I am planning a trip to Lodz in Poland in June via Holland and Germany - done it before 'easy' drive, no tolls, few junctions, few roundabouts.
I am looking at then driving from Lodz to Toulon in France without using tolls
- the first 740 miles through Poland and Germany - few junctions, not a single roundabout.
From the French border (non toll) to Toulon, 460 miles - over 80 roundabouts! - average one every 6 miles!
I'll give it a go but with all of those and the constantly changing speed limits I can see me heading for the toll road - boring but less tiring and possibly no speeding tickets.....

You’ve summed it up really.....pay the tolls. Or maybe 50/50 so you don’t fall asleep through boredom!

Got to agree with you, I’m fed up of the number of roundabouts in France now.

They still are it is just that now there are hundreds of them

It's a means to an end but hardly scenic, done it quite a few times to get to StRdP.

Interie BIS

 

[autorouter]

Some years ago, driving a large van around the Arc de Triumph in Paris.
Got cut up
My mate, in the passenger seat, leans out of the window and gesticulates with both arms

The French drivers, seeing 'the driver' lean out with both arms, create a parting like the Red Sea

That 'roundabout' is 'priorite a droite' - give way to traffic from the right. Traffic ON the roundabout must give way to traffic ENTERING the roundabout. That's the rules. You're a foreigner. Learn them and apply them.

 

[tribalbrit]

I'd rather drive among the French than the Britts any day. I find them more courteous and less in a hurry .
I'd rather have the roundabouts than the never ending traffic lights we have over here.

 

[busby]

I'd rather drive among the French than the Britts any day. I find them more courteous and less in a hurry .
I'd rather have the roundabouts than the never ending traffic lights we have over here.

Not in Paris or around Bordeaux,,,Maniacs,,,BUSBY,,

 

[JJ]

Try Milton Keynes, no tolls and roundabouts every 100 yards or so and no scenery to speak of

Oi... what about those beautiful cows?

They even stand still so you can take photos of them...

JJ

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[gus-lopez]

I love the roundabouts in France, they usually have a theme on them depending on what the local town produces and when I’m dawdling along I go round them twice to let the traffic pass from behind me….

So do I but usually so the wife can photograph them. Jazz band, model horses dotted about ,cows, Giant cows up in northern spain. Love them.

Not in Paris or around Bordeaux,,,Maniacs,,,BUSBY,,

Bordeaux ring road in rush hour. Can't beat it. At least they have legally stopped the bikes "filtering"

 

[SmithsInFrance]

Watch out as well for the new unmarked cars that drive around clocking speeding drivers. They are being rolled out all over the country, contracted out to private companies. A single occupant in the car, just drives around and the technology does the rest, driver does not even know how many he/she has caught.
The contract is paid on the basis of driving 8 hours per day, not on the number of fines issued.

 

[Trevor Wbm]

I enjoy driving in France, and take some pleasure from beating the French drivers at their own game.

As long as you could get a postcard between the vehicles, no harm done.

 

[ghiaguy]

Watch out as well for the new unmarked cars that drive around clocking speeding drivers. They are being rolled out all over the country, contracted out to private companies. A single occupant in the car, just drives around and the technology does the rest, driver does not even know how many he/she has caught.
The contract is paid on the basis of driving 8 hours per day, not on the number of fines issued.

Exactly the same as the uk then

 

[Claire Ambler]

Are you really sure, I mean what’s the problem with roundabouts, exactly the same as the U.K. but the other way round. Some rural areas still have “priorité a droite “ ut there aren’t that many of them.

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[autorouter]

Are you really sure, I mean what’s the problem with roundabouts, exactly the same as the U.K. but the other way round. Some rural areas still have “priorité a droite “ ut there aren’t that many of them.

Priorite a droite is everywhere, from the Arc de Triomphe to the most remote rural areas throughout the whole of Europe, including Russia. Many motorhomers make a point of not using motorways or any other toll roads and use national roads. These are largely free of Priorite a Droite, but quite often it applies in the centre of villages, and certainly towns.

 

[AndyVW]

Never have a read a thread that made Brittany ferries cost to spain seem so much cheaper than driving through France. !!

 

[sylvester1954]

Got to agree with you, I’m fed up of the number of roundabouts in France now.

I love the care and imagination that the French put into their roundabouts usually a gateway to the town. Quite often we've stopped to take photos of them. They reflect the civic pride that the French have in their natural environment.
Puts out roundabouts and junctions to shame usually being quite dull and colourless.

 

[SmithsInFrance]

Priorite a droite is everywhere, from the Arc de Triomphe to the most remote rural areas throughout the whole of Europe, including Russia. Many motorhomers make a point of not using motorways or any other toll roads and use national roads. These are largely free of Priorite a Droite, but quite often it applies in the centre of villages, and certainly towns.

Yes it is now a trend in small villages etc to have priority à droite not just for roundabouts but for side roads too as a traffic calming measure.

In our little commune it is potentially a recipe for disaster as huge tractors come racing out of a side road while drivers in the main road don’t even realise there is a side road feeding in because of the angle of the road and the buildings.

Didn’t realise you had those unmarked cars driving around in the U.K. too

 

[tribalbrit]

We don't. Only un marked police cars.

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[deleted79651]

Never have a read a thread that made Brittany ferries cost to spain seem so much cheaper than driving through France. !!

We towed a Gobur Folding Caravan to Spain in Winter 2018 and had a peak diesel usage of 41.99mpg, with an average of almost 40mpg. We had the time to drive through France, took the opportunity to call in at our French hovel, and the diesel frugality meant that Brittany Ferries remained a 'How much?' musing.

The next year we bought an ancient Swift Tourer, and the diesel mpg made Brittany Ferries a reasonable alternative [but we still needed to visit the hovel ...]. We've only driven Brunhilde for some 200 or so miles, mainly on shortish local trips, but I suspect that the diesel cost will make a Brittany Ferries booking quite appealing, even allowing for the need to pay someone to harvest what used to be the hovel's back lawn!

Steve & Elaine

 

[SpeedyDux]

Some years ago, driving a large van around the Arc de Triumph in Paris.
Got cut up
My mate, in the passenger seat, leans out of the window and gesticulates with both arms

The French drivers, seeing 'the driver' lean out with both arms, create a parting like the Red Sea

I once drove about 5 laps of the Arc de Triomphe until the froggies would allow me to exit. Nightmare.

 

[SpeedyDux]

I'd rather drive among the French than the Britts any day. I find them more courteous and less in a hurry .
I'd rather have the roundabouts than the never ending traffic lights we have over here.

There's plenty of French drivers who seem to regard the GiBis as a challenge to their Gallic pride, to be overtaken at all costs. The smaller or older their car the more reckless they seem to be.

Although like you I prefer their roundabouts to our traffic lights.

 

[WoldsSunlight]

Ah yes, France... the Country that removed signposts etc. during the war to confound the Germans, and never bothered putting them back...allegedly...

 

[SpeedyDux]

Ah yes, France... the Country that removed signposts etc. during the war to confound the Germans, and never bothered putting them back...allegedly...

I get the impression that the French still provide incorrect map information for our SatNav.

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[EMS]

There was a very large roundabout south west of Toulouse that had
"That 'roundabout' is 'priorite a droite' - give way to traffic from the right. Traffic ON the roundabout must give way to traffic ENTERING the roundabout. " and it caused the whole roundabout to a huge traffic jam during the rush hours.

This was the last major roundabout to change the priority to the vehicles on the roundabout in France.

I have found the best way to use roundabouts in France is always to stay at the outside of the roundabout no matter which exit one takes, thus one can easily exit the roundabout with no problems.

This eliminates the problem of changing lanes on the roundabout.

The French invented the roundabout for vehicles in Paris but then forgot about them in the rest of France!!!

 

[deleted79651]

There was a very large roundabout south west of Toulouse that had
"That 'roundabout' is 'priorite a droite' - give way to traffic from the right. Traffic ON the roundabout must give way to traffic ENTERING the roundabout. " and it caused the whole roundabout to a huge traffic jam during the rush hours.

This was the last major roundabout to change the priority to the vehicles on the roundabout in France.

I have found the best way to use roundabouts in France is always to stay at the outside of the roundabout no matter which exit one takes, thus one can easily exit the roundabout with no problems.

This eliminates the problem of changing lanes on the roundabout.

The French invented the roundabout for vehicles in Paris but then forgot about them in the rest of France!!!

The french also invented the toilet seat; but the Brits stole the idea and improved it cutting a hole in the centre ...

Steve

 

[gus-lopez]

Watch out as well for the new unmarked cars that drive around clocking speeding drivers. They are being rolled out all over the country, contracted out to private companies. A single occupant in the car, just drives around and the technology does the rest, driver does not even know how many he/she has caught.
The contract is paid on the basis of driving 8 hours per day, not on the number of fines issued.

does it also show the speed ,location etc; of the private vehicle dishing out the fines? If it doesn't how do they know that you haven't been entrapped & issued a fine by a private vehicle committing the same offence? As the private vehicles are just that, private .They have no legal rights to exceed the limits or commit any other type of offence.

that the French put into their roundabouts usually a gateway to the town.

Not a problem ,I like them it is the other 50 roundabouts or even square ones that are strewn through the town until you get to the nice roundabout at the entrance to the town the other side.

 

[Dorwyn]

I have found the best way to use roundabouts in France is always to stay at the outside of the roundabout no matter which exit one takes, thus one can easily exit the roundabout with no problems.

The French invented the roundabout for vehicles in Paris but then forgot about them in the rest of France!!!

So do I now (use the outer lane). Makes you wonder what the 2nd lane is there for. If you take it you're hung out to dry if it's busy. As regards forgetting about roundabouts, they've remembered them with a vengeance. Even the smallest town has them.

But what p*sses me off it the guys in the little cars that zip around in the outer lane with their indicators flashing all the way around. It's worse than the ones who never indicate, at least you can watch them carefully.

I don't come across many priorité a droite signs on my normal routes, perhaps it's a local thing or a sudden change in the last few months.

 

[Lenny HB]

I have found the best way to use roundabouts in France is always to stay at the outside of the roundabout no matter which exit one takes, thus one can easily exit the roundabout with no problems.

Legal requirement if over 3500kg, has its own problems with French hurtling around the inner lane and cutting across in front of you at an exit only millimeters from your bonnet.

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[Ian Bosman]

Got to agree with you, I’m fed up of the number of roundabouts in France now.

At least you know where you are with their roundabouts unlike the roads coming in from the right which still have priority. You have to watch for the white diamond as you approach a village or town which indicate you have priority on the main road. Also you get a more scenic ride but need to allow the time not to rush, isn’t that what motorhomimg is all about?

 

[Just smiffy]

What roundabout…?

 

[Ian Bosman]

That 'roundabout' is 'priorite a droite' - give way to traffic from the right. Traffic ON the roundabout must give way to traffic ENTERING the roundabout. That's the rules. You're a foreigner. Learn them and apply them.

Most French roundabouts the priority is as in the UK, those on the roundabout have right of way. There are exceptions as there are in th is country. They have been in use in France for years, certainly at least 30 years to my knowledge and a distinct improvement over some of the horrendously complex junctions you used to come across. There is one junction on one road I can recall where two main roads cross at an angle which used to have lanes going all over the place until they put in the roundabout. I also am amazed that someone has counted 80, what on earth was the driver concentrating on, the count or paying attention to the route?

 

[Barclaybasher]

Most French roundabouts the priority is as in the UK, those on the roundabout have right of way. There are exceptions as there are in th is country. They have been in use in France for years, certainly at least 30 years to my knowledge and a distinct improvement over some of the horrendously complex junctions you used to come across. There is one junction on one road I can recall where two main roads cross at an angle which used to have lanes going all over the place until they put in the roundabout. I also am amazed that someone has counted 80, what on earth was the driver concentrating on, the count or paying attention to the route?

I counted them on the AAroutefinder ...............Besancon - Toulon non toll route

 

[Scattycat]

I am planning a trip to Lodz in Poland in June via Holland and Germany - done it before 'easy' drive, no tolls, few junctions, few roundabouts.
I am looking at then driving from Lodz to Toulon in France without using tolls
- the first 740 miles through Poland and Germany - few junctions, not a single roundabout.
From the French border (non toll) to Toulon, 460 miles - over 80 roundabouts! - average one every 6 miles!
I'll give it a go but with all of those and the constantly changing speed limits I can see me heading for the toll road - boring but less tiring and possibly no speeding tickets.....

Blimey! All these negative comments re roundabouts in france, don't you use roundabouts when at home in the UK? or do you only use motorways? I don't find them any worse than the ones in the UK.
By not using french N roads and D roads you miss so much of the culture etc of the country.
If before you leave why not practice negotiating roundabouts taking a few trips around Milton Keynes, aka 'the city of roundabouts' or the 'magic roundabouts' in Hemel Hempstead and Swindon

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