South of France January 2022 - Planning and Going!

[PaulC70]

Right, been flitting with France / Spain for 2 weeks in January and decided we will stick with France as it's only 2 weeks.
It will be 9th to 23rd January (2 full weeks) with a possibility of a couple of extra days each side but we won't know that until the wifes off duty is done and we wont know that until December.

Plan is Folkstone - Calais either chunnel or ferry depending on price (ferry seems cheaper currently) then head for the south coast and quite happy to take 3ish days to get there, stay a week(ish) and 3/4 days to get back.

However, on reading the many threads I need some prep work first as I have realised recently that I don't know what I don't know! For example I have read a recent thread about the EHU's and how they can be wired up differently / backwards?

So my list of to do's include:

Socket tester
EHU Conversion socket
Passports - done and are in date
Dogs - have their Irish EU passports but undecided whether to bring them or not yet.
Snowchains - Need these I believe at this time of year in some areas so will buy some.
UK stickers already applied.
Headlamp converters - need to get some of these
Warning triangle and reflective jacket - need to get
APPS - I already have searchforsites and park4night but believe I could benefit from the france Passion too?
My Natwest mastercard and the wifes virgin card can be used with no extra charges abroad so that's good but we will bring some euros too.
The motorhomes 3500kg so I don't need the angle mort stickers.
EHIC/GHIC - already applied for
Travel insurance - covered by my Nationwide account but will check and ensure specifics for france
Both of us have our proof of Covid Jabs already.

So, is there anything anyone thinks I have missed or need to consider?

 

[Grianan]

GHIC and travel insurance?
Proof of vaccination status?

 

[yodeli]

Pneus hiver, chaînes : équipement obligatoire en zones montagneuses à partir du 1er novembre 2024

Pneus hiver ou chaînes à neige : équipement obligatoire en zones montagneuses à partir du 1er novembre 2024

www.service-public.fr

If you can't manage a translation with Google, give a shout on here. I'll be available around 4.30 to explain it all.
Chains are COMPULSORY. Don't think at the last moment you won't need them!

 

[PaulC70]

GHIC and travel insurance?
Proof of vaccination status?

Ah yes, original post edited to include these

Pneus hiver, chaînes : équipement obligatoire en zones montagneuses à partir du 1er novembre 2024

Pneus hiver ou chaînes à neige : équipement obligatoire en zones montagneuses à partir du 1er novembre 2024

www.service-public.fr

If you can't manage a translation with Google, give a shout on here. I'll be available around 4.30 to explain it all.
Chains are COMPOLSARY. Don't think at the last moment you won't need them!

Yes, I'll be buying chains for sure as assumed they'd be compulsory looking at many of the posts Ive already seen here. Will do a google translate on the link now.

 

[Lenny HB]

In January hardly any sites open in France and not many Aires have EHU. If you have plenty of solar you should get by with the occasional hook up, sun is a lot stronger than in the UK.

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[yodeli]

Ah yes, original post edited to include these


Yes, I'll be buying chains for sure as assumed they'd be compulsory looking at many of the posts Ive already seen here. Will do a google translate on the link now.

Sorry for my spelling of "compulsory" It's one of the English words I seem to always get wrong, I've edited my OP

 

[PaulC70]

In January hardly any sites open in France and not many Aires have EHU. If you have plenty of solar you should get by with the occasional hook up, sun is a lot stronger than in the UK.

I would probably prioritise EHU just for the heating if nothing else, but do have the standard solar set up which I believe is a single 100w panel and all the internal lights are led so the only other thing it would have to run is the water pump and tv so think I'd be ok

 

[deleted79651]

Pneus hiver, chaînes : équipement obligatoire en zones montagneuses à partir du 1er novembre 2024

Pneus hiver ou chaînes à neige : équipement obligatoire en zones montagneuses à partir du 1er novembre 2024

www.service-public.fr

If you can't manage a translation with Google, give a shout on here. I'll be available around 4.30 to explain it all.
Chains are COMPULSORY. Don't think at the last moment you won't need them!

Thanks for the information, Frankie. I understood the content without needing Google translate, albeit that my translations were a wee bit robust/ agricultural. 'Pneus cloutés' is a useful expression to drop into a conversation in French ... 'Ooh, I've run out of pneus cloutés, must run to Super U and grab a set before the store closes ...'

We're still hoping to visit you on the way to Spain, but waiting for COVID vaccination booster and flu vaccination, so I may have to insist that you pop outside so that we can show you our 'pneus cloutés' ...

Steve & Elaine

 

[Clarky]

I would probably prioritise EHU just for the heating if nothing else, but do have the standard solar set up which I believe is a single 100w panel and all the internal lights are led so the only other thing it would have to run is the water pump and tv so think I'd be ok

Do bear in mind the EHU, where it is available, will usually be 6amp or lower.
OK for charging battery and running fridge but that’s about all.
Use gas for heating but also remember that U.K. gas bottles, Calor, are not available in France.

Richard.

 

[VXman]

In January hardly any sites open in France and not many Aires have EHU. If you have plenty of solar you should get by with the occasional hook up, sun is a lot stronger than in the UK.

We found camping car park really plentiful and easy to use on our way down through France. They are open all year.

BROKEN LINK

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[Phill D]

I think that gas is most likely to be your heat source in the late evenings in January even in southern France.

 

[DoreenJ]

You'll need breatheliser kits too, 2 each.

 

[Phill D]

You'll need breatheliser kits too, 2 each.

 

[ivorantony]

You'll need breatheliser kits too, 2 each.

No you don’t

 

[DoreenJ]

Y

No you don’t

You do need breathelisers, we live in France, very near to a Gendarmerie

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[DoreenJ]

You do need breathelisers, we live in France, very near to a Gendarmerie

Y

You do need breathelisers, we live in France, very near to a Gendarmerie

Apologies!!! That law was scrapped in 2019! How come no one told me???? And sorry that I seem to have posted this twice, I'm still trying to find my way around the forum!

 

[Stonemags76]

We sent for our camping car parks card before we left home, as although you can get one from the machine, they can be temperamental! Can recommend them, as although not free, the water is always on & they are clean, tidy & reliable! Also, you can check if there is space before you drive to it!

 

[Bonsaiman]

Use gas for heating but also remember that U.K. gas bottles, Calor, are not available in France.

As I found out the hard way

On our first trip to France in the MoHo and literally in the middle of the country, my full spare gas bottle turned out to be an empty spare gas bottle, I thought it was full but in reality I'd forgot to refill it

After a couple of hours of panic and abuse from the wife, I approached the maintenance guy on the municipal site we were on and with a conversation half in pigeon French, half in pigeon English I tried to explain the situation. The guy, very helpfully then spent ages rummaging through the stuff in his workshop and managed to find a pigtail that fitted my van pipework and his gas bottles ..... sorted

He had a very unique way of testing the joints..................he used a match around the joints and explained if it leaked there would be a "bleu" flame showing, not for the faint hearted

 

[Clarky]

He had a very unique way of testing the joints..................he used a match around the joints and explained it is leaked there would be a "bleu" flame showing, not for the faint hearted

French 'elf n safety at its best.

 

[TDub49]

Right, been flitting with France / Spain for 2 weeks in January and decided we will stick with France as it's only 2 weeks.
It will be 9th to 23rd January (2 full weeks) with a possibility of a couple of extra days each side but we won't know that until the wifes off duty is done and we wont know that until December.

Plan is Folkstone - Calais either chunnel or ferry depending on price (ferry seems cheaper currently) then head for the south coast and quite happy to take 3ish days to get there, stay a week(ish) and 3/4 days to get back.

However, on reading the many threads I need some prep work first as I have realised recently that I don't know what I don't know! For example I have read a recent thread about the EHU's and how they can be wired up differently / backwards?

So my list of to do's include:

Socket tester
EHU Conversion socket
Passports - done and are in date
Dogs - have their Irish EU passports but undecided whether to bring them or not yet.
Snowchains - Need these I believe at this time of year in some areas so will buy some.
UK stickers already applied.
Headlamp converters - need to get some of these
Warning triangle and reflective jacket - need to get
APPS - I already have searchforsites and park4night but believe I could benefit from the france Passion too?
My Natwest mastercard and the wifes virgin card can be used with no extra charges abroad so that's good but we will bring some euros too.
The motorhomes 3500kg so I don't need the angle mort stickers.
EHIC/GHIC - already applied for
Travel insurance - covered by my Nationwide account but will check and ensure specifics for france
Both of us have our proof of Covid Jabs already.

So, is there anything anyone thinks I have missed or need to consider?

We're off to Normandy for a week next week. Things we aren't taking that are on your list are socket tester and EHU converter - having been across France and up through Italy, Switzerland and Germany last year we never came across a "wrongly" wired EHU. Not sure what your list was meant to include but proof of vaccination status, the sworn undertaking to comply with the rules, and the French Tous Covid app (on which you can store your vaccination status and which you use to sign in to venues etc) are on our list.

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[royandsharont]

already answered

 

[PaulC70]

Do bear in mind the EHU, where it is available, will usually be 6amp or lower.
OK for charging battery and running fridge but that’s about all.
Use gas for heating but also remember that U.K. gas bottles, Calor, are not available in France.

Richard.

Oh of course, forgot about the fridge lol!
I have an 11 and a 6kg calor bottle, both of which would be full at the outset, I'm hoping they would last?

 

[PaulC70]

We sent for our camping car parks card before we left home, as although you can get one from the machine, they can be temperamental! Can recommend them, as although not free, the water is always on & they are clean, tidy & reliable! Also, you can check if there is space before you drive to it!

Yes I had a look at the camping car park site yesterday when looking at the various threads, looks like quite a good system and will order a card today I think.

 

[Clarky]

Oh of course, forgot about the fridge lol!
I have an 11 and a 6kg calor bottle, both of which would be full at the outset, I'm hoping they would last?

With a lot of heating required in the evening and early morning plus hot water it might be very tight.
Others that have similar sized gas bottles might be able to advise further.

 

[DoreenJ]

We found camping car park really plentiful and easy to use on our way down through France. They are open all year.

BROKEN LINK

I have to thank you for posting this! I had a look at the website, registered and bought a card

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[PaulC70]

Oh of course, forgot about the fridge lol!
I have an 11 and a 6kg calor bottle, both of which would be full at the outset, I'm hoping they would last?

With a lot of heating required in the evening and early morning plus hot water it might be very tight.
Others that have similar sized gas bottles might be able to advise further.

Yes, I was thinking it could be and may well investigate getting another 11kg, I'm thinking its probably a no-no to then also take the 6kg strapped down inside the van? though now I think about it I remember something about a maximum amount of gas I can travel with on one of the threads somewhere?

 

[Nirvanauk]

You'll need breatheliser kits too, 2 each.

Now, that is funny.

 

[deleted79651]

Oh of course, forgot about the fridge lol!
I have an 11 and a 6kg calor bottle, both of which would be full at the outset, I'm hoping they would last?

Before we swapped to a Refillable System in mid July, the fridge and the gas hob were consuming a total of 0.5kg of gas each day [a smidgeon less, because there was always about 3 or fumes left in the bottle when it was exchanged ...]. So your 6kg might just get you across the line for the fridge, and you have 11kg for your heating. Hot water bottles and early to bed works for us!

Steve

 

[DoreenJ]

Now, that is funny.

I think that's rather rude, I don't see what's so funny. I made an honest mistake. probably due to the fact that I've driven around with them in my car for the last 9 years. During that time, several friends were stopped and fined for not having them. Maybe you think that's funny too?

 

[Nyvern]

Apologies!!! That law was scrapped in 2019! How come no one told me???? And sorry that I seem to have posted this twice, I'm still trying to find my way around the forum!

"Motorists may no longer be required to carry breathalysers from late 2020 following vote by French parliament. A law requiring all motorists driving in France to carry a breathalyser kit in their vehicle looks set to be scrapped, after the French parliament approved a draft bill that proposes to abolish it."

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