WARNING - Use the A roads in France at your risk. It's not just toll roads. (1 Viewer)

[meanders]

Hi all.

Just back from a short trip to France. Had the misfortune of a puncture on the A28 between Rouen and Abbeville which is not a toll road. Contrary to previous advice on the forum, on "any part" of the French motorway system your breakdown insurance will not save you the huge cost of a tow off, in our case over 200 Euro.

I've checked and our insurance and breakdown cover documents do not mention this anywhere. It's possible I may be able to claim reimbursement but I don't hold my breath but will be making an application. I'm also taking up the matter with AIB on Monday as it's just not mentioned.

We've always avoided toll roads as we knew we had to pay for a tow off if we broke down, but it makes travelling any distance in France difficult if you have to avoid all motorways. Incidentally, its now impossible to get to the tunnel at the French end without going onto the motorway as they have closed the junction that you could use directly from Cite Europe.

Many of you may already be aware, the 'any part of the motor-way system' came as news to us.

 

[bigtwin]

If the cost of being recovered from a toll road is the reason that you avoid tolls, and, in the light of your recent experience, possibly also giving non-tolls a miss in the future too, sounds like you don't have much confidence in the reliability of your vehicle.

I'd also understood from previous threads on here that the fee was recoverable from your breakdown provider but have no proof of this.

Hopefully your provider will come good for you.

Ian

 

[Just smiffy]

Shouldn't the title be check your breakdown cover instead...? I don't see that the roads have anything to do with it...

I'm sorry if this offends but I think it's wrong...

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[meanders]

Shouldn't the title be check your breakdown cover instead...? I don't see that the roads have anything to do with it...

I'm sorry if this offends but I think it's wrong...

No offence taken.
However all the research I've done on the web indicates that this applies to all UK based breakdown cover, whoever it's organised by and that includes both the RAC and the AA. It's also certainly true of the breakdown cover organised by Comfort, because I rang them in error first and they were adamant that 'under French law' I had to ring 112 for recovery at my cost long before they had taken details to ensure I was insured with them! We were also recovered from the A28 with a Dutch couple who were also not covered but thought they should be!

 

[Figaro]

I've checked and our insurance and breakdown cover documents do not mention this anywhere.

Why would it be mentioned in your breakdown policy, it`s a local arrangement for French motorways.
I`ll be interested to hear what AIB say, I`m sure they`ll come good assuming you have a receipt

 

[meanders]

.... sounds like you don't have much confidence in the reliability of your vehicle.

Thanks Ian. I have the vehicle regularly serviced, but not sure how to avoid punctures caused by small things in the road!

Just trying to make people aware of the risk to their wallets and to change the mindset of those Funsters who like me understood it only applied to toll roads.

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[Munchie]

Yep even with our French insurance you MUST use theirs!

 

[32143]

We have breakdown insurance with driver guardian. It pays a max amount to cover recovery from motorways, you would have to pay upfront, then claim back. Can't remember exact amount, something like 150 euro, might be more. They made this clear in their terms online before we took out. Not had to use them, so can't comment on how they perform, but the cover is flexible and very clear wording. We picked them based on recommendation on here.

Lin

 

[Camdoon]

Broke down in France in 2001 and was hoiked off by the local breakdown service (they have access and exit through locked gates. The garagiste told me to claim from my breakdown service. Don't think I bothered in the end.

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[Reallyretired]

I had the breakdown service in France on a toll road. They just invoiced my breakdown folks direct (RAC through Comfort)

 

[sonny]

Where did they tow you to

 

[Mikeco]

The alternative is to be able to put on the spare wheel which is what I would do, this means carrying the wheel and the right jack.

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[Camdoon]

Not if 2 tyres puncture.

 

[klaatu]

The alternative is to be able to put on the spare wheel which is what I would do, this means carrying the wheel and the right jack.

I've read in a number of places that it's illegal to change your wheel on a French motorway, is that not the case?

 

[Mikeco]

I've read in a number of places that it's illegal to change your wheel on a French motorway, is that not the case?

Would be interested to know if that is the case, but if so it would not apply to other roads.

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[GAVLAD]

Thanks for posting this.
I too was under the impression that you only got charged to be towed off the toll roads autoroutes in France and didn't expect that to be the same for non toll roads. I thought that my insurance breakdown would just sort the non toll.
Having said that, if it was a puncture, I'd have a go at changing it as i take a spare. I saw someone changing a tyre and they had a Gendarme helping them.

 

[klaatu]

Would be interested to know if that is the case

It may be a myth, I haven't so far found anything official.

 

[Mikeco]

It may be a myth, I haven't so far found anything official.

Just been looking and found one source that said that it was illegal to change your wheel on a motorway but other posts with people saying that they had. No plans to go to France but if it was safe enough I would risk it.

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[moulin 87]

Would be interested to know if that is the case, but if so it would not apply to other roads.

The hard shoulder in France has different rules to the UK.. It is there more for access by emergency services to accidents, and normally they are narrow... Wherever possible you should go to a layby where the emergency phones are normally situated..

 

[martin2603]

I m sure they do not recover every HGV that gets a puncture!

 

[roamingman]

Was over 35 years ago that I had puncture with HGV'S allways changed the wheel, on motorways we carried 2 spare wheels one for the tractor one for the trailor, back then in my day if you saw a trucker with a puncture you helped him or her.

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[Figaro]

@meanders
Did @aib come good for you ?

 

[spitfire]

I've read in a number of places that it's illegal to change your wheel on a French motorway, is that not the case?

I am guessing not because we had a puncture just into France on our way home from Spain . Managed to get to emergency layby and used the emergency phone . Was asked if we could change ourselves and said yes . No problem she said and a few mins later little orange van appeared to ask if we were managing , stayed till we were ready for off No problem

 

[meanders]

Update.

We have today received notification that we are to be reimbursed the cost of the recovery. The third party breakdown agency, ERS have sent me a whitewash of an email as to why they cannot put something like, 'If you breakdown on a road where local law prevents us recovering you, you will be reimbursed! However, AIB have today also assured me that on renewal, they will be using a new agency, as indeed for all customers in the future. You can draw your own conclusions.

I'm unsure if I mentioned it earlier, but we had to return to the France recovery garage the following day as they had 'kept' my spare wheel. They claimed it was an error, but refused to remount under the vehicle next morning, so we traveled back with it inside the van. The tyre replacement company (Hadliegh Tyres) tried to remount it only to find the spare wheel carrier had been broken by the recovery company. Despite the best efforts of my garage to repair it, parts have had to be replaced totally £275 plus VAT. The chances of us getting that back from the bar stewards who broke it are remote of course!

So the short and long of it is that our original warning remains and you need to be prepared to find the funds to pay the recovery vehicle if you breakdown anywhere on the French A roads. Your wallet is certainly at risk! Ask your insurer if you would be able to reclaim this afterwards. I don't believe this advice will put people off travelling to France, but might save them some stress if they have the misfortune to breakdown because recovery is not cheap.

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[Puddleduck]

We have ERS through AiB so will see who they arrange the breakdown cover with when we renew next year.

We did have 5 weeks in Ireland earlier this year but haven't been to Continental Europe under our own steam for many years.

 

[carolyn]

We were towed off a motirway in France with a flat tyre. Paid them with a credit card and claimed it back through Safeguard. I think this is pretty normal. You do have to phone the emergency services which can be a challenge if you're not near one of the special phones. Because of the language problems I wished that Safeguard could take the details and do the phoning as that would be easier for the emergency services as well. Not sure if any do that?

 

[EuroTrotters]

I broke down in a single lane contraflow with no hard shoulder on our side. I was coasting downhill and had to wait for a gap to swing through the cones to the opposite carriageway and then to the hard shoulder.

The road workers immediately assisted us and called the local breakdown company. Whilst waiting for a tow, two truck drivers on their mobile phones narrowly missed us, as they were straddling the solid line onto the hard shoulder. I would not have wanted to wait for ours.

The breakdown driver got us to a safe place, off the motorway, we paid the company on our card. When we got home, Safeguard/AA paid us back no problems.

We had run out of fuel. First Garage, we missed the pumps. Second Aire, Closed for 48 hour refurb (signs). I had a Jerry can with 20 litres in but thought we could last, we did'nt. Even when the breakdown man put his 20l in, still would not pump as we were on a hill.

But they still paid up.

However!

As with ALL Insurance policies, It is wise to go through their conditions with a fine tooth comb, NEVER assume all is well.

This matter can never be over emphasised, Many companies trick you with their "smallprint".

Better still, get an expert or someone with the tim to go through it with you.

TM

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[gus-lopez]

Broke down in France in 2001 and was hoiked off by the local breakdown service (they have access and exit through locked gates. The garagiste told me to claim from my breakdown service. Don't think I bothered in the end.

I've never found a set of gates that have had a padlock on yet.Especially any accessed from Aire de repos.

 

[Minxy]

I've never found a set of gates that have had a padlock on yet.Especially any accessed from Aire de repos.

We've certainly seen 'access gates' on motorways in various countries usually on aires etc as that's the only safe place they can get on/off without using the normal slip roads, they are for use by all 'emegency' services so they don't have to drive miles down the motorway to get to those in need.