Travelling to France/ Europe at short notice

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Nutty

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Other than a passport, some clean underwear, money and a motorbike, what else do I need? I'm thinking of going Thursday/ Friday this week for a few nights.:beerjug:
 
Officially a spare bulb kit and a breathalyser kit. Also you need to carry your licence, registration document and insurance with you, mask off your left dipping headlight and ride with your headlight on at all times.

Not forgetting your GB sticker.

Oh, and spare specs if you wear them.
 
Thanks.:thumb Where do I get a Euro medical card? I have annual travel insurance (will this do?). Not sure about the happy face.:D

If you have full medical cover for Europe you won't need the med card but does no harm to have one. Get them free off the Internet (just google, use the NHS site, not the scammers that will charge you).

Andres
 
If you have full medical cover for Europe you won't need the med card but does no harm to have one. Get them free off the Internet (just google, use the NHS site, not the scammers that will charge you).

Andres

Just had a quick look at the medical card, but it can take up to 10 days to arrive. I applied anyway.:blast I want to do a spur of the moment trip, maybe that's not possible in this day and age.:nenau
 
If you want to do a spur of the moment trip then nothing is stopping you, everything you need to be legal can be obtained in minutes from a garage or Halfords on the way (or even at the port/train station). You've already made it not spur of the moment because you are planning days in advance.:D
 
Its even easier in this day and age.

I could be in France by supper time if I really wanted to. :thumb2

Physically geting there is easy; it's the paperwork side of things I want to make sure is sorted before I go.:rob:blast
 
Just had a quick look at the medical card, but it can take up to 10 days to arrive. I applied anyway.:blast I want to do a spur of the moment trip, maybe that's not possible in this day and age.:nenau
Don't worry too much about the health card. The worst that could happen is that you might have to pay for your treatment, but if you keep the brown receipts ('Feuille de Soins') that you are given by any medical practitioners or pharmacies, you can reclaim the money at a later date.
 
Give THIS a read from last Saturday's DT.:thumb

Nothing new there. Just regurgitated scare-mongering stuff about all the shocking new laws that will spoil your trip to France. Done to death in multiple threads all over this site and mostly boll*x :thumb
 
Physically geting there is easy; it's the paperwork side of things I want to make sure is sorted before I go.:rob:blast
You couldn't set up an electricity account without the "right paerwork" but you don't need much and once you've got them, they will last for years.

Here's my copy and paste list:

DOCUMENTS
  1. Breakdown Insurance Docs & Numbers
  2. Driving Licence / I.D.P.
  3. Form E111 / European Health Ins Card
  4. GB Sticker - unless EU Number Plate
  5. Hotel Reservation Numbers - if applicable
  6. Notebook & Pen / Highliter
  7. Original Bike Insurance
  8. Original Logbook
  9. Original M.O.T - If over 3 yrs old
  10. Owners Handbook
  11. Paper Maps
  12. Passport - Check still valid.
  13. Personal Travel Insurance Paperwork - if applicable
  14. Tax Disc - Check still valid.
  15. Travel Tickets / Ref. No's.
The ones in bold are the important ones. The rest is just useful stuff or stuff you could buy in France anyway.
 
All you actually 'need' is:

Passport
Insurance
V5
Licence
Petrol

The rest is up to you!

Oh, and if you leave just one thing to chance, make sure you DO NOT book any hotels in advance. Around 5ish hit a small town, head to the Centre De Ville and get a room in a small hotel/bar with rooms in the town square.

It's an adventure :-)

Andres
 
Make sure you read the T`s & C`s of your insurance (both Travel & bike) to find out what is, and isn`t covered while your abroard.
Several insurance companies (inc AA, Europe assist & carol nash) won`t repatriate you and your bike to the UK IF it can be fixed "in country" even if that fix could cost you hundreds, if not a few Thousand Euros, leaving you with a very empty wallet
 
What a bunch of kill-joys.:D

You don't need breakdown insurance (they have garages in France)
You don't need insurance documents other than the 'green card' bit
You don't need an MOT certificate (there is no bike MOT in France and no Genderme will ever ask you for it.
You don't need a tax disc (there is no tax disc in France)
You don't need a breathalyser at all
You don't need a hi-viz vest at all
You don't nee a spare bulb kit at all
 
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