Off to Perpignon in the box

[Ivor Hawkins]

Rosie and I are planning to toodle off to The south of France, we will even cover our GB sticker with a Ukranian one to keep the gendarmes happy, but what is really worrying me is the fact that I use an iPhone to take me the scenic route through France, to save messing around with maps, but apparently it’s now illegal as it flags up speed cameras and you can receive a massive fine.
Does anyone have experience of this? It sounds like the French have completely lost the plot!

[Chris KC]

This is absolutely correct -

• French law prohibits drivers from devices capable of detecting speed cameras and warning drivers of their location.
  
• Penalties can include fines of up to €1,500 and confiscation of the device and vehicle.
  

If you use a Tomtom satnav they do not provide this info via their service & it is "certified legal" in France (n.b. it does warn of "danger zones") Probably other satnav makers - and possibly even your 'phone provider? it might be worth looking into - take the same approach.

https://help.tomtom.com/hc/en-gb/article...nd-the-law

Sounds like you plan to avoid big cities but low emissions zones are something else to be wary of. France has fixed zones in certain cities but also can impose temporary restrictions more or less on a whim and with no prior notice. This remains something of a grey area in my opinion - you might get away with it, or you might get slapped with a fine. I'm not sure what you are supposed to do when you have a ferry to catch. 

You must also take care if you carry food across the channel as animal and vegetable products are now banned from import - I suggest you look up what is allowed as there are a few things you can carry (e.g. bananas!)

Sadly we are reverting slowly to a mediaeval arrangement where every bridge you cross will have a man with a pike demanding a groat or sending you to the town hall to apply for permission.

[Hugh Barnes]

Having crossed recently, it would appear that no-one really cares about a UK sticker - in fact some of the cars on the ferry had no sticker at all - even a GB one. Similarly, stories of ham sandwiches being impounded are long gone (presumably the French flexing their post-Brexit muscles as we decided to allow them to do). I did get asked 'ow many bottles of wine av you got there?' upon my return, I answered 48, as I am permitted (there were 2 of us) and I was waved on...

And I use a TomTom that seems to have stopped alerting me to cameras. Again, I really dont think the Gendarmes are going to be on the look out for a lone Brit using such a device. If they stop you for something else and you piss them off, then other rules might apply..

Enjoy the trip. Soounds lovely...

[Chris KC]

 If they stop you for something else and you piss them off, then other rules might apply..

Exactly Hugh - my thinking is don't hand them any reason.

[Ivor Hawkins]

Thanks chaps, I’ll see what others have to say, but I don’t want to be fined for something so ridiculous as using my iPhone to plan my route!

[Hugh Barnes]

Of course the other thing you should be aware of (and I am sure you are..) is that another thing that has happened post-Brexit, is most mobile phone companies have dropped European roaming. I changed my contract to O2 as they still support it (but for how long?) Beware an enormous phone bill for internet useage. Check carefully what that means for you...

A decent French map book ,something like this - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144422318326?...R5i2jdmFYg with the route highlighted that you plan to take, would work well. Although this book is 5 years old, it would still be perfectly fine for the journey you plan...

hth...

[Chris KC]

The topic seems quite neatly covered here:

https://www.theaa.com/european-breakdown...tor-france

i.e. according to Google, the feature will switch off when you cross the channel. Hugh is right about the charges though.

I am not a huge fan of Satnav, but on long overseas journeys especially if travelling through or around French towns on minor roads (which can get a bit vague) it does make life a bit easier. I favour paper maps less ardently now that I have to find and put on spectacles to read them! - but always carry one. Last year I installed (on Robert Leigh's advice) a TomTom "Go" Basic (5") in the Ulster, the price tag was about £125. All I had to do was wire up a cheap cigarette lighter socket to the nearest power supply (I ran a wire from my SU petrol pump) and improvise a mount for it on top of the steering column. It runs fine on the standard A7 6V. It is possible to plan your preferred small-roads route at home (on Google Maps, which is way better than the Tomtom software) and upload it to the device, rather than relying on the route(s) it suggests. If you'd like to know more drop me a message and I'll share a "how-to". Note that these comments are specific to the model of Satnav, I have spoken to others who have reported less success.

[Hugh Barnes]

With the possibility of thread drift (for which I apologise for in advance) where Satnavs can be really helpful is in the last 2 miles of a day's journey, when you are trying to find your accommodation. Anyone can naviagte themselves to Lisieux or Chartres, for example, signage to towns en route will be sufficient (one hopes) But trying to find the local Ibis or wherever can be more of a challenge. When in Europe (and in the UK, come to that), I alwyas pre-load my overnight accommodations in the sat nav and turn it on on the outskirts of the town to guide me through the back streets. After a long hot day, that can be a welcome relief. I also use Google 'street view' to 'rehearse' the journey. so I can recognise landmarks and my destination, so its not quite so unfamiliar when I get there...

[Ivor Hawkins]

Thanks Hugh and Chris, I am not a big fan of satnavs, I prefer maps any day, but I have done the same thing as Hugh for years, just used the iPhone for the last few miles as the real advantage is to find your way around the towns and cities.

I have sorted out the fluorescent jacket, the warning triangle, the spare bulbs and now found that I may need a “clean air sticker” to be allowed into the towns and cities.

It looks like I’m going to have to do even more research!

[Chris KC]

Thanks Hugh and Chris, I am not a big fan of satnavs, I prefer maps any day, but I have done the same thing as Hugh for years, just used the iPhone for the last few miles as the real advantage is to find your way around the towns and cities.

I have sorted out the fluorescent jacket, the warning triangle, the spare bulbs and now found that I may need a “clean air sticker” to be allowed into the towns and cities.

It looks like I’m going to have to do even more research!

Hi Ivor,

I think you will find an A7 is ineligible for a "Crit'Air" sticker (as are all cars over a certain age -  https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/ ), which means you either avoid restricted zones, or gamble on not being caught. This was discussed here before and I *think* I'm right in saying that historic vehicles are exempted; however the reciprocal agreement we used to enjoy under the EU is no longer in place, and I don't know of any case where this has been challenged since Brexit. 

On the plus side, I suspect this all sounds worse than it is, and some of the restricted zones apply only to commercial traffic. There doesn't seem to be any definitive list which I can find, but watch out for Paris, Grenoble, Lyon, Lille and other large cities. https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/certificats...critair#e5 . I tried to communicate with the French Government agency concerned a few years back and it was suggested that I should apply to the town hall of any city I intended driving through... The temporary/ seasonal zones are a whole 'nother matter. 
 
I should add that I haven't travelled through France myself in the last few years and there are doubtless people among us who have more recent practical experience (Reckless?) - my comments are purely based on recent reading of the RAC and similar sites - which are not tailored at all towards the needs of touring vintage car drivers.


edit: Ah, here's that old thread. It may be out of date now, of course. Don't let it put you off Ivor, touring in an A7 is the best thing (right up there with a '52 Vincent and a red-headed girl...)
https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/for...p?tid=3946