Breakdown on French Motorway (1 Viewer)

[wardj2010]

Morning from a grey East Devon - despite several trips to EU do not fully understand how recovery works on French motorway - has anyone had the unfortunate experience of needing to get recovered or know how it works - my understanding is that you have to use French recovery to get off motorway?
Thanks

 

[mikebeaches]

That is also my understanding. You then need to send the receipt for the cost to your breakdown company for reimbursement I believe.

Touch wood, we have not needed it... so far!

 

[Lenny HB]

Yep that's correct.

That is also my understanding. You then need to send the receipt for the cost to your breakdown company for reimbursement I believe.

Touch wood, we have not needed it... so far!

Yep that's correct.

Or do what we did when we broke down with car & caravan, limped to the services found the gate to access road was unlocked so went out there and called normally breakdown.

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[Whitebirdyman]

There is an app that you can download for your phone "SOS Autoroute" that let's you call for help and will pinpoint your position for them.

 

[rydec]

Broke down exiting the toll both of a peage phoned rac france thro our breakdown over with Comfort who still had to use a peage recovery contractor.
Taken to a fiat main dealer in Cholet who confirmed a destroyed water pump.RAC payed for labour,towage and four days in a hotel

 

[SuperMike]

There is an app that you can download for your phone "SOS Autoroute" that let's you call for help and will pinpoint your position for them.

Unfortunately, you can't set up your details with a British SIM card number, but you can use it to call directly. Not that I have actually had to use it, YET.

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[mike mcglynn]

It happened to us a few years ago on route to Rouen ,so pulled in to hard shoulder on N10 put dayglow jackets on and hazards placed triangle 75 metres behind van walked along the road to emergency phone called services within 5 minutes 2 police men appeared and all they wanted was my documents ,licence details,etc. what they couldn't quite get their heads around was that I had a paper licence and no plastic card,I think they had never seen one before and had a discussion between themselves, they were only young gendarmes. In about 20 mins a recovery truck appeared which our van only just fitted on without grounding it was the spectacle type which held the front wheels in a frame. On the way back to the garage we bounced over a big dip in the country road and the towball took a big hit I could hear it dragging and then the nearside front wheel came off the carrier , I cant speak French but I heard the driver say Merde and I know what that means, the bump had dislodged the securing strap and had simply fallen off I was glad to get to the garage in one piece.

 

[flatpackchicken]

Unfortunately, you can't set up your details with a British SIM card number, but you can use it to call directly. Not that I have actually had to use it, YET.

I have just downloaded and filled out the app ok you can change the phone settings to UK +44 by pressing on the number and on the bottom comes up all different countries to be able to select your country code hope this helps

 

[SuperMike]

Thanks Garry, you learn everyday.

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[flatpackchicken]

Thanks Garry, you learn everyday.

Ho definitely mate me to You can go back into it and edit your number

 

[Dorwyn]

We also broke down having passed the last péage booth, a few kilometres on, on the up slope of a services, so couldn't make it into the services car park. They insisted at the services that we phone from a yellow motorway phone (they were very busy), I refused and held up the queue of shoppers, so they eventually phoned for me. I also couldn't understand why we had to call the police anyway when we were past the péage but they said the breakdown truck would have to go through the péage toll to get to us. The motorway people turned up but only to check that we were parked safely, which we weren't, so they insisted we move it ourselves (wouldn't help at all, no engine power so no brake or steering servo, very steep slope, it rolled back and was difficult to stop). They then put some cones around us, and grumpily drove off. Eventually a private garage truck arrived, and took us out through the motorway access point anyway. From then on things improved, the garage mechanic was great, friendly and helpful. Sent the bill to the breakdown company who paid with no problem.

Incidentally, when calling out breakdown, insist that you cannot start the engine or put it in gear. On one occasion, because we could, but it would not have been safe to drive, the breakdown people said we therefore hadn't broken down, so we should drive to a local garage, and refused to help.

 

[WhiteCheyenneMan]

There is an app that you can download for your phone "SOS Autoroute" that let's you call for help and will pinpoint your position for them.

Downloaded and installed! Thank you

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[Reallyretired]

Happened to us once, called from one of those roadside phones (working for once) chap attended and got us going. We had previously called our breakdown Co (RAC) and he just took our details and said he would invoice them himself. Job done.

 

[DL42846]

I have French insurance cover. Just call the phone number on the back of the sticker you have to display on your windscreen, Then sit back and wait. Job done. They then offer to take you to the nearest suitable garage or relay you all the way home.

 

[wardj2010]

Thanks for all the useful comments and advice - hoping not to need recovery but no point in having and not knowing how to get help!!
We are off to the Cantals and Tarn in a couple of weeks having lost one slot in July due to dog getting thorn in her eye on day of departure - had short break in Barcelona as compensation (late July)

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