England to France on English passports

[PatW]

We're going to UK in April 2016 and it'll probably be our last visit. I'm into family history & would like to go to the Somme to visit the Thiepval Memorial (gt g'father is mentioned on it). We'll arrange a hire car for when we land in Heathrow. It's literally years since I went to France so I don't know the system.

1.I'm assuming we can use our UK passports & not need a visa.

2.We make sure the hire car is allowed to go to France.

3.We'll need to book ahead for a car spot on the Eurotunnel (OH no sailor so won't be going by ferry).

And that's all I can think of! But there's probably more we need to be aware of, so can anyone point us in the right direction, please? Thanks.

Pat

[Guest]

We went to France in 2012 me on Oz passport partner with UK neither of us had a visa no problem. Not sure if anything has changed since then but fairly sure you'll be fine with UK passports. As an aside note are you both Australian citizens? If not you'll both need a resident return visa to get back into Australia. If yes then an Australian passport will be needed to re enter Australia if you know all that please disregard all that. Cheers

[PatW]

Thanks Chicken66

We're dual nationality so have passports for both Australia and UK, which is why we thought it would be easier to go from UK to France on the UK passports (the EU thing - if it still exists come April 2016!). (Do hate that we were born in UK and if we travelled only on the Oz passports we'd have to queue at the Aliens counter.)

[srh82]

No visa required for a British passport to France.

[Guest]

Thanks Chicken66

We're dual nationality so have passports for both Australia and UK, which is why we thought it would be easier to go from UK to France on the UK passports (the EU thing - if it still exists come April 2016!). (Do hate that we were born in UK and if we travelled only on the Oz passports we'd have to queue at the Aliens counter.)

We usually look at the line for both and go in the shortest and plead ignorance since one has a UK and one has Aussie never had a problem yet. Lol Enjoy your trip. Provided nothing changes between now and your trip with the EU thing you'll be fine.

[Parley]

Thats the whole point of the EU. Well a major part.

 

Free travel for EU citizens throughout the EU. So of course no visa is required.

[benthomas010]

If your going on the euro tunnel the barely even look at your passports on the way out of the UK.

[Keith and Linda]

We just went over in June, You need to advise your car hire company of the dates as they need to give you an extra piece of paper for insurance and it cost 15 quid per day (europcar).

We went on the train we pre purchased and booked times on line form Australia some 3 months before we went, as we did not know the car rego at time of booking I contacted them and just told to put "to be advised" on the booking form. In the end we just rocked up at Folkestone, punched my booking ref in the touch screen machine and that was it, easiest check-inI have ever done (same on Calais side too), worth noting, that if you are early the machine will give you options of earlier trains if there is availability.

Also note that there are different requirements for driving on the continent - red triangle, GB sticker (if not on number plate) hi vis vest, 1st aid kit, breath test - there is an AA shop at the terminal building selling things individually or a complete pack, which we got, for 25quid. not sure what would happen if you did not have them, but for peace of mind and preventing a spoilt holiday was worth it and we have it for future use too.

Passports are needed but only a cursory glance is made, and you would not know you had crossed any border between France/Belgium.

We visited Flanders and attended the daily last post at Menin gate, Ypres, all well worth seeing.

Enjoy your trip

Keith.

[Petkula73]

As per above comment, there is free movement within the EU for all British passport holders.

 

Personally, I'd advise against taking a UK hire car to France. You'll bump up the costs and you're stuck with the steering wheel on the wrong side and, like all other UK motorists, you'll be a target for the Gendarmerie. The French police are notorious for taking a very dim view of British motorists. On the spot fines are handed out left , right and centre for the most trivial of things (no high viz jackets for all occupants, no spare bulbs, beam deflectors not set correctly and so on).

 

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are fully aware of French traffic rules before you enter France. Some very different and frankly stupid rules that can get you easily caught out. For example, the rules on entering roundabouts are not the same. In France, the priority is given to the person joining the roundabout, so don't be surprised to see someone suddenly brake and stop half way round. Same goes with being rear-ended. If someone hits you from behind, it's your fault in France, not the other way round like everywhere else. The speed limit on the motorway also changes depending on the weather. 130kph in the dry, down to 110kph in the wet. However, what's wet and dry are open for interpretation by the unsympathetic French police.

 

The one that always drove me mad was people in the middle lane of the motorway sitting with their indicators on. This doesn't mean you are changing lanes, it means you are overtaking the cars on the inside lane. However, when you're in the outside line it looks for all intents and purposes that they want to pull out in front of you.

 

In general, the French are atrocious drivers with little idea about keeping their distance, or thinking more than 10 metres ahead of their car.

[PatW]

We visited Flanders and attended the daily last post at Menin gate, Ypres, all well worth seeing.

Enjoy your trip

Keith.

 

Hello Keith

Thank you so much for that information - just the kind of thing we need. I feel the need to know all the minutiae to make sure we've covered all bases, particularly as it's going to France where there are French! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Do you know the French language & use it? If not, did you have a problem with getting around & not knowing French? When I last went in the '60s if you didn't know French they wouldn't talk to you.

And how many hours did it take to drive from Calais to Ypres, please? I was assuming we'd need to have at least one overnight stop. What's your thinking on that, please?

Pat

Edited July 6, 2015 by PatW

[boganbear]

Priority at French roundabouts is the same as in England. They changed it years ago but road rules are to be ignored. That why there are signs saying 'vous n'avez pas la priorite'

[PatW]

Hello Petkula73

Oh gosh, you didn't have a happy experience! Thank you for all that info. Have you hired a car in France and found it 'easier' perhaps? Last thing I want to do is have a car accident over there because it would cost so much on excess (whether justified or not).

Pat

[Keith and Linda]

We visited Flanders and attended the daily last post at Menin gate, Ypres, all well worth seeing.

Enjoy your trip

Keith.

 

Hello Keith

Thank you so much for that information - just the kind of thing we need. I feel the need to know all the minutiae to make sure we've covered all bases, particularly as it's going to France where there are French! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Do you know the French language & use it? If not, did you have a problem with getting around & not knowing French? When I last went in the '60s if you didn't know French they wouldn't talk to you.

And how many hours did it take to drive from Calais to Ypres, please? I was assuming we'd need to have at least one overnight stop. What's your thinking on that, please?

Pat

 

You would drive Calais to Ypres in less than an hour, we actually drove up to Bruge and based ourselves there for three nights, very easy driving I just used some google maps I printed off, if you have sat nav then no problem either. Bruge - Ypres a leisurely 1 hour. We also did a leisurely drive down the coast road from Bruge to Calais on the way back Via Dunkirk (best meal of the trip there) coast road not worth the effort really. The whole area is flat as, motorways upto 130Kph speed limits. I do not speak French or Flemish but no problem with the language.

[Keith and Linda]

We usually look at the line for both and go in the shortest and plead ignorance since one has a UK and one has Aussie never had a problem yet. Lol Enjoy your trip. Provided nothing changes between now and your trip with the EU thing you'll be fine.

 

What line/s?

[Petkula73]

Hello Petkula73

Oh gosh, you didn't have a happy experience! Thank you for all that info. Have you hired a car in France and found it 'easier' perhaps? Last thing I want to do is have a car accident over there because it would cost so much on excess (whether justified or not).

Pat

 

The excess will be nowhere near what it is in Australia. However, I suspect that if you take a UK car to France the excess and costs in general will increase as you're a higher statistical risk having the steering wheel on the other side.

 

Either way, it's always sensible to take out your own excess insurance cover. Don't make the mistake that a lot of people do by getting pressured in to taking out extra insurance for this from the hire car company. They use various tricks to panic you in to adding on $30 a day excess insurance. This is easy money for them. Lot's of people get pressured in to it, and two weeks car hire can suddenly get bumped up by several hundred dollars. There are lots of personal excess insurance policies you can buy beforehand that provide you with an equal amount of cover and will cost you a fraction of what Hertz, Avis etc charge. Do a quick Google for "car excess insurance". Also, be wary of the hire companies upselling you other things you don't need for example satnav, high viz jackets, "return empty" fuel offers and so on. None of this represents value and they're just trying to fleece you. A satnav for example can be bought outright for peanuts nowadays, and you can always sell it on eBay afterwards. Or better still, borrow one from someone.

 

I've driven quite a lot in France (we used to take camping holidays and annual trips down to Le Mans) and you just need to keep your wits about you. Also hired various cars around Europe over the years and life is definitely easier with a LHD car.

[Petkula73]

Priority at French roundabouts is the same as in England. They changed it years ago but road rules are to be ignored. That why there are signs saying 'vous n'avez pas la priorite'

 

Yes, generally ignored.... French motorcyclists are even worse. Seen some crazy stuff over the years such as a guy on the motorway near Biarritz overtake round a bend us in the wet, round the outside in the outside lane, with around 1 metre between him and a concrete barrier, at approx 160kph. Zut alors!

[newjez]

Hello Petkula73

Oh gosh, you didn't have a happy experience! Thank you for all that info. Have you hired a car in France and found it 'easier' perhaps? Last thing I want to do is have a car accident over there because it would cost so much on excess (whether justified or not).

Pat

 

 

I do find it feels more natural driving the right car in the right country. I would hire one in France. Get an automatic if you can too, less to think about.

[Keith and Linda]

I do find it feels more natural driving the right car in the right country. I would hire one in France. Get an automatic if you can too, less to think about.

 

Last month was the first time I had driven in France/Belgium, we used the hired car from England with no extra excess, no problem driving on wrong side of road or wrong side of car with gears, the only scary bits were driving through towns/villages with hardly any life form eerily creepy.

But we were only there for three nights and did not drive on one of the days, if going for a longer driving holiday then I would probably go the way suggested by newjez.

[Keith and Linda]

Hello Petkula73

Oh gosh, you didn't have a happy experience! Thank you for all that info. Have you hired a car in France and found it 'easier' perhaps? Last thing I want to do is have a car accident over there because it would cost so much on excess (whether justified or not).

Pat

 

If hiring a car in France then you would have, from reading your original post, to rethink your journey of how to get across the channel.

[newjez]

Last month was the first time I had driven in France/Belgium, we used the hired car from England with no extra excess, no problem driving on wrong side of road or wrong side of car with gears, the only scary bits were driving through towns/villages with hardly any life form eerily creepy.

But we were only there for three nights and did not drive on one of the days, if going for a longer driving holiday then I would probably go the way suggested by newjez.

 

 

Roundabouts are odd. Just doesn't feel right.

[Petkula73]

Nah, they're great. Keeps the traffic moving without the need for lights. If you're British they're second nature but I can see why foreigners get intimidated (think Chevy Chase in National Lampoons European Vacation!). Anyway, for bizarre traffic rules nothing compares with the Melbourne hook turn or the now thankfully changed NZ priority to turning traffic rule.

[flag of convenience]

Thanks Chicken66

We're dual nationality so have passports for both Australia and UK, which is why we thought it would be easier to go from UK to France on the UK passports (the EU thing - if it still exists come April 2016!). (Do hate that we were born in UK and if we travelled only on the Oz passports we'd have to queue at the Aliens counter.)

 

Although I found it very quick to pass through French immigration on an Australian passport (UK one had expired) No stamp and barely a second look. (Unlike the days when we had to spend hours at the French embassy in London yonks back)

France is a great road trip. My advice would be to get of some of the motor ways and explore the regional routes. Longer but far more attractive. (escape the tolls as well)

The Somme is rather unique in itself. You'll have a great and memorable time, I'm sure.

[Petkula73]

My advice would be to get of some of the motor ways and explore the regional routes. Longer but far more attractive. (escape the tolls as well)

.

 

Good point about the tolls. We learned pretty quickly to always have plenty of cash in the car as it's not unusual that places in France don't accept foreign credit cards. Had my UK bank cards rejected plenty of times at automated toll machines but thankfully could always scrape together enough coins and notes to pay! Always fun if you're driving a UK car on your own in France and have to jump out and run round to the toll booth (which is on the other side).

[flag of convenience]

Good point about the tolls. We learned pretty quickly to always have plenty of cash in the car as it's not unusual that places in France don't accept foreign credit cards. Had my UK bank cards rejected plenty of times at automated toll machines but thankfully could always scrape together enough coins and notes to pay! Always fun if you're driving a UK car on your own in France and have to jump out and run round to the toll booth (which is on the other side).

 

That's a point with the toll booths. I'm sure the French build them like that to antagonise the Roast Beefs in making them having to get out of their cars and then to top it off pay in local currency.

[PatW]

What's an LHD car, please?