That’s the dog’s job.
Imminent trip - what is mandatory ?
- Thread starter Santa-2512
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That’s the dog’s job.
It doesn’t matter if it was or wasn’t. Nobody took any notice of it at the time and there wasn’t (isn’t) any penalty anyway.
I am always mildly amused by these ‘What is the law’ type threads, when more and more stuff gets wheeled out. That It’s also against the law to exceed the posted speed limits and / or have a non-compliant exhaust gets quietly overlooked or ignored, all in a seemingly endless quest to ensure a bulb kit is taken and that a pillion’s gloves have a CE label.
I just got some cheapo stickers to cover the "euro symbol" on my number plate, not that I think they give a shit about it, but my farkle budget is a bit low these days so they gave me the farkle seeling for fuck all money ;-)
I don't worry about "mandatory" in the legal sense, but essential in the practical sense.
I take colour copies of log books (Naughty me) along with print out of Insurance Certificate, Johnny foreigner often expects the "original" but my insurer has gone all environmentally responsible and emails me the docs.
15 years and @25 foreign trips and never been asked for any of 'em. Only a couple of polite casual interactions with local Plod and I got the impression they did not give a shit if I had any of the mandatory stuff, although if you had just had an accident they may be looking for docs - but not so much spare bulbs is my guess.
I carry a hi viz (when I remember to pack it) as it weighs virtually nothing and takes up virtually no space, and may come in useful if weather is utterly shit and / or you end up stranded / pushing at the side of the road.
Travel insurance is a must, even for a weekend trip, I alwasy carry the EHIC / Latest equivelent, but don't trust it fully, well not enough for the ambulance crew not to take one look at it and fuck off leaving me at the roadside, or receive huge bill because not all my treatment was covered / the ambulance carted me off to a private hospital that does not accept it etc etc etc
Proper recovery cover is another one, make sure you have repatriation and it covers accident recovery, the clue is in the name "breakdown" cover, if you drop your bike and it cannot be ridden what happens next? Knew a guy who ride a bike home with a broken ankle from south of France when he discovered his cover would not re-patriate the bike and he did not want to leave it in a car park for 3 months and hope it was still there when he returned.
I don't worry about "mandatory" in the legal sense, but essential in the practical sense.
I take colour copies of log books (Naughty me) along with print out of Insurance Certificate, Johnny foreigner often expects the "original" but my insurer has gone all environmentally responsible and emails me the docs.
15 years and @25 foreign trips and never been asked for any of 'em. Only a couple of polite casual interactions with local Plod and I got the impression they did not give a shit if I had any of the mandatory stuff, although if you had just had an accident they may be looking for docs - but not so much spare bulbs is my guess.
I carry a hi viz (when I remember to pack it) as it weighs virtually nothing and takes up virtually no space, and may come in useful if weather is utterly shit and / or you end up stranded / pushing at the side of the road.
Travel insurance is a must, even for a weekend trip, I alwasy carry the EHIC / Latest equivelent, but don't trust it fully, well not enough for the ambulance crew not to take one look at it and fuck off leaving me at the roadside, or receive huge bill because not all my treatment was covered / the ambulance carted me off to a private hospital that does not accept it etc etc etc
Proper recovery cover is another one, make sure you have repatriation and it covers accident recovery, the clue is in the name "breakdown" cover, if you drop your bike and it cannot be ridden what happens next? Knew a guy who ride a bike home with a broken ankle from south of France when he discovered his cover would not re-patriate the bike and he did not want to leave it in a car park for 3 months and hope it was still there when he returned.
Has anyone mentioned Crit Air Stickers? Necessary in several French cities ;
The Crit'Air anti-pollution vehicle sticker
Paris has become the first restricted traffic area in France. This means that all vehicles travelling in the capital must now carry a ‘Crit’
www.france.fr
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Has anyone mentioned Crit Air Stickers? Necessary in several French cities ;
The Crit'Air anti-pollution vehicle sticker
Paris has become the first restricted traffic area in France. This means that all vehicles travelling in the capital must now carry a ‘Crit’www.france.fr
Yep
For ALL Shit’Air Stickers, comments, questions and moans
This is the most up-to-date (January 2023) information I can find. https://www.france.fr/en/holiday-prep/crit-air-anti-pollution-vehicle-sticker Apply for the sticker(s) you’d like here: https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/certificat/demande/ext/vehicules
www.ukgser.com
Good thread update.
Perhaps update your EHIC if it is out of date to the newer GHIC, might be of value to get treatment within a French hospital should anything unfortunate occur (even for a minor accident like a slip, trip or fall).
www.nhs.uk
Some medical insurance policies may suggest using a GHIC as a first point of call prior for overseas medical treatment prior to making any medical/travel insurance policy claim.
Perhaps update your EHIC if it is out of date to the newer GHIC, might be of value to get treatment within a French hospital should anything unfortunate occur (even for a minor accident like a slip, trip or fall).
Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC)
Find out if you're eligible to apply for a new UK EHIC or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).
www.nhs.uk
Some medical insurance policies may suggest using a GHIC as a first point of call prior for overseas medical treatment prior to making any medical/travel insurance policy claim.
Some require you to have and use it so if you don’t, your insurance may not be valid.Good thread update.
Perhaps update your EHIC if it is out of date to the newer GHIC, might be of value to get treatment within a French hospital should anything unfortunate occur (even for a minor accident like a slip, trip or fall).
Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC)
Find out if you're eligible to apply for a new UK EHIC or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).
Some medical insurance policies may suggest using a GHIC as a first point of call prior for overseas medical treatment prior to making any medical/travel insurance policy claim.
I see there a British guy who had existing medical conditions who decided to go to Turkey anyway, now in hospital with a bill over £40k he can’t pay. And his family are outraged that the British government won’t pay! His own fault for declining the expensive insurance
Gloves have to be EC marked in France.....
As it is Waterloo day
The french have lots of rules and laws for what you must and mustn't have but they have no laws to actually do anything about it if you dont have them - or if they do they cant be arsed
The helmet sticker thing has been law for about 20 years or so now and i think they have prosecuted one frenchman for it and that was probably on the Al Capone spectrum of we will get him for something....
The Swiss on the other hand are "robust" , Ze Germans can be if you piss them off enough with your ear bleed inducing exhaust as can the Austrians
The Spanish occasionally get a bit hot under the collar if you take the piss with Speed whereas the Italians actually encourage it if you are on a Ducati or other Italian bike
Things i must have abroad are
A bike
Clothes ( minimal)
Money lots of or several cards
V5 just on the off chance that foreign johnny copper is awake and being vigilant ( never happened yet )
Driving License
Travel insurance
Disc lock just to satisfy my insurance
I may take a map
the helmet sticker thing is not law for visitors to France btw
I sit here at my kitchen table with Angles Morts stickers everywhere. Three to go on our motorhome and another three on the trailer I'll be towing.
Every fecking truck in Europe is festooned with Angles Morts stickers just because some French branleur thinks that if a pedestrian doesn't see a 40 tonne truck hurtling towards them, they will spot a sticker!
Have you checked the tread on your tyres to ensure there's enough left to get you there and back legally?
Oh, and oil. I always take spare oil just in case. Whilst not mandatory it does give one chance to feel smug about the hidden oil bottle receptacle on the 1200 TC.
Oh, and oil. I always take spare oil just in case. Whilst not mandatory it does give one chance to feel smug about the hidden oil bottle receptacle on the 1200 TC.
Tyres are always a touch and go thing for me - new set 2 days before the trip and still the concern they may not make itHave you checked the tread on your tyres to ensure there's enough left to get you there and back legally?
Oh, and oil. I always take spare oil just in case. Whilst not mandatory it does give one chance to feel smug about the hidden oil bottle receptacle on the 1200 TC.
As for the oil it reminds me of going anywhere with John Bailey ( ex of this parish) who had a spare petrol can bolted on his GS ( amongst many other things) for every mile after my light came on the price went up a quid
A condom filled with Swarfega.
I worry less as time goes by, but seem to carry more, mainly cos I can, solo trips and 2 panniers to fill....
...In goes the mini compressor, toolkit, puncture kit, anough gloves to have a pait for every 3-4c change in temp (with or without rain) spare visor, Hi Viz (weigh nothing, take no space - not for sake of plod, but if I end up broken down and walking down a mountain at dusk looking for mobile signal) lifetimes supply of ear plugs.
No bulbs, no shit air stickers (not gonna go anywhere with shit air anyway) no helmet sticker, gloves probably CE marked as aren't they all now (and have been for 2 decades) colour copy of V5 and print out of insurance.
Been stopped once cos I looked lost (he wasn't wrong) I was doing mu;tiple laps of a roundabout as my sat nav told me to go wrong way down one way street, had a few friendly waves from Frogs doing speed traps, and just last week came out of a junction behind 3 Plod bikes in Montherme and followed them for about 15 mins, one at rear pointed at a big stick ont he road to me, and they gave a friendly wave where we parted company....
....Following morning in Luxembourg having just backed out bikes out of the Hotel in Esch-sur-sure some local Plodstapo pulled up, asked if we were english, then started mouthing off about "you can't park there", I politely informed him we were staying at the Hotel and were loading up - should of been bloody obvious 2 of us, plus another biker, all on the Hotels "no parking" area in front of the garage, with the garage open and our kit all over the floor - obviously use the same IQ test as UK plod.
That's the worst it has been in my 15+ years / 20+ trips 30,000+ miles of Euro Touring, plus 4 speeding tickets if you count the one the wife picked up for me on my spare bike.
...In goes the mini compressor, toolkit, puncture kit, anough gloves to have a pait for every 3-4c change in temp (with or without rain) spare visor, Hi Viz (weigh nothing, take no space - not for sake of plod, but if I end up broken down and walking down a mountain at dusk looking for mobile signal) lifetimes supply of ear plugs.
No bulbs, no shit air stickers (not gonna go anywhere with shit air anyway) no helmet sticker, gloves probably CE marked as aren't they all now (and have been for 2 decades) colour copy of V5 and print out of insurance.
Been stopped once cos I looked lost (he wasn't wrong) I was doing mu;tiple laps of a roundabout as my sat nav told me to go wrong way down one way street, had a few friendly waves from Frogs doing speed traps, and just last week came out of a junction behind 3 Plod bikes in Montherme and followed them for about 15 mins, one at rear pointed at a big stick ont he road to me, and they gave a friendly wave where we parted company....
....Following morning in Luxembourg having just backed out bikes out of the Hotel in Esch-sur-sure some local Plodstapo pulled up, asked if we were english, then started mouthing off about "you can't park there", I politely informed him we were staying at the Hotel and were loading up - should of been bloody obvious 2 of us, plus another biker, all on the Hotels "no parking" area in front of the garage, with the garage open and our kit all over the floor - obviously use the same IQ test as UK plod.
That's the worst it has been in my 15+ years / 20+ trips 30,000+ miles of Euro Touring, plus 4 speeding tickets if you count the one the wife picked up for me on my spare bike.
My Harley broke down once on the auto route - when you phone the man for help from the autoroute phone they sent their local Peugeot man with his flatbed truck who whisked me off the autoroute to a small garage, in a small town…….. but one thing he wanted like a hungry tiger was my V5 and my breakdown cover…… or…… my credit card….. he called my breakdown insurer (RAC) and had a longish negotiation in French before passing the phone to me…. Whereupon the agent explained they had paid him for recovery and to drive me to a Harley Davidson dealer 100 miles away….
The RAC called ahead to check dealer was open and told me to call back if I needed a hotel sorting…..
The Harley dealer fixed the bike ( dodgy worn ignition wire) and refused to take payment…..
Dread to think what the cost would have been…… I never go without breakdown cover or my V5 - the rest I skip… ( UK sticker, helmet reflective sticker things, breath thingy, ) I do though carry a high viz for breakdowns and CE gloves…
And some pants…. Pants are important…
Oh, and a Tesco bags for my feet…
The RAC called ahead to check dealer was open and told me to call back if I needed a hotel sorting…..
The Harley dealer fixed the bike ( dodgy worn ignition wire) and refused to take payment…..
Dread to think what the cost would have been…… I never go without breakdown cover or my V5 - the rest I skip… ( UK sticker, helmet reflective sticker things, breath thingy, ) I do though carry a high viz for breakdowns and CE gloves…
And some pants…. Pants are important…
Oh, and a Tesco bags for my feet…
You don’t and never did need one even if one does drink. The carrying of them became law but the fine was €0.00.
It was then discovered that the politician calling for the law was a director or owner of the only company endorsed to make them!!
