KIRKY Posted 13 October , 2021 Share Posted 13 October , 2021 Can you advice me if I need an International Driving Licence if I drive in France? tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 13 October , 2021 Admin Share Posted 13 October , 2021 https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/international-driving-permit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 13 October , 2021 Admin Share Posted 13 October , 2021 Certainly wasn’t asked for evidence at the tunnel, I think they’ve got other documents to check…………..I do have one, but I’ve not been asked for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIRKY Posted 13 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2021 Thanks guys as I have a plastic version it seems I do not need one, Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 14 October , 2021 Share Posted 14 October , 2021 and don't forget to remove/cover your "GB" sticker/registration plate with "UK" - just done mine. Bureaucracy gone mad. Wish they were as fast sorting out the pet passports mess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 15 October , 2021 Share Posted 15 October , 2021 14 hours ago, Don Regiano said: and don't forget to remove/cover your "GB" sticker/registration plate with "UK" - just done mine. Bureaucracy gone mad. Wish they were as fast sorting out the pet passports mess! I drove back from the south of France last week. In 1000 km, I saw one car with a UK sticker over the GB, one with a separate UK sticker (where on earth did they buy them?), and about a dozen who either had GB stickers or in around half of the cases, no country sticker at all. No one was checking anything at all (not even COVID tests or passes). I think the Gendarmerie have better things to do. However Customs are another matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 15 October , 2021 Admin Share Posted 15 October , 2021 4 minutes ago, healdav said: one with a separate UK sticker (where on earth did they buy them?) Easily obtainable on eBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 15 October , 2021 Share Posted 15 October , 2021 26 minutes ago, healdav said: COVID tests or passes Eurotunnel are now stating (for fully vaccinated travellers): "You do not need to upload evidence of your vaccine status in advance, but you will need to present proof to the border agencies when travelling." Another potential delay. As it is still necessary to upload the French declaration of honour, I would have thought that continuing to upload the vaccine pass in advance of travel would have been preferable than having to dig out one's mobile and/or paper certificate at border control to prove one's status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 15 October , 2021 Share Posted 15 October , 2021 @healdev tell us about the customs issues please as I hope to travel on 26th of the month George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 15 October , 2021 Admin Share Posted 15 October , 2021 I travelled out to France on 24th September and returned on 4th October. I had no issues getting my documents checked, my passport stamped or with the documents I had prepared and uploaded; it was a bit of a faff as the rules changed that you didn’t need a test to return to the UK at 4 am on the 4th October and when we did the forms online on the 3rd it was still showing that it was needed. However, at Coquelles, the official who checked us in said everything was in order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 15 October , 2021 Share Posted 15 October , 2021 3 hours ago, George Rayner said: @healdev tell us about the customs issues please as I hope to travel on 26th of the month George British Customs, anyway, are delighted with what is going on. More power to them to harass people. Whether the French Customs are doing anything much I have no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 15 October , 2021 Share Posted 15 October , 2021 @George Rayner I trust you found that useful. On my last two trips (July and August) I had no problems with UK Customs. On the July return trip French Douanes did repeat the x-ray exercise. It only delayed me about 10 or 15 minutes this time. On a previous occasion we were held up over 30 minutes and it was a rush to catch the train despite arriving 75 minutes before departure! Reg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIRKY Posted 16 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 16 October , 2021 23 hours ago, Don Regiano said: @George Rayner I trust you found that useful. On my last two trips (July and August) I had no problems with UK Customs. On the July return trip French Douanes did repeat the x-ray exercise. It only delayed me about 10 or 15 minutes this time. On a previous occasion we were held up over 30 minutes and it was a rush to catch the train despite arriving 75 minutes before departure! Reg What is the xray exercise? Do they check what food you take to France? Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 16 October , 2021 Share Posted 16 October , 2021 1 hour ago, KIRKY said: What is the xray exercise? Do they check what food you take to France? Tony Hi Tony. If you are unlucky, on the return trip immediately after the French passport control, you might get diverted into a queue of vehicles to be checked by x-ray. You have to get out of the vehicle while it is on a sort of partial conveyor belt which takes it through an x-ray machine. Actually there is a similar machine at the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone but it doesn't get used much. (I have been diverted through it when I went across with a friend in his large white van. We were taking furniture etc to our house so I guess we were obvious candidates for inspection.) Unfortunately, at the French terminal they seem to pull over vehicles to go through about 12 at a time. This meant that, especially when they didn't know how to operate it, it was taking an absolute age to get through. We were about number 6 in the queue so we had to wait over 30 minutes as the x-ray is for one car at a time. God knows what happened to those at the back of the queue. In the meantime, of course, all the other vehicles were being allowed straight through without being checked. I really don't know why they didn't pull over around 6 at a time and when number 6 was going through they could have pulled over another 6. They would have checked the same number of vehicles but would have significantly reduced the time spent queueing. I guess that was a bit difficult for them to comprehend. So just watch out for that. I think they have sped it up a bit but I am always a bit concerned at the potential delay. The first time was especially difficult for us as we had our two black labs with us so had to uncouple them from their seat belts on the back seat etc. Maybe others can comment on their experiences. No, I have never been checked for the food I'm taking to France (fingers crossed for next trip). I was asked once for my covid pass. Last time I was wearing an Everton t-shirt. The UK border police and the guy doing the explosives check were more interested in discussing the potential impact of our new manager! Reg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIRKY Posted 16 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 16 October , 2021 1 hour ago, Don Regiano said: Hi Tony. If you are unlucky, on the return trip immediately after the French passport control, you might get diverted into a queue of vehicles to be checked by x-ray. You have to get out of the vehicle while it is on a sort of partial conveyor belt which takes it through an x-ray machine. Actually there is a similar machine at the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone but it doesn't get used much. (I have been diverted through it when I went across with a friend in his large white van. We were taking furniture etc to our house so I guess we were obvious candidates for inspection.) Unfortunately, at the French terminal they seem to pull over vehicles to go through about 12 at a time. This meant that, especially when they didn't know how to operate it, it was taking an absolute age to get through. We were about number 6 in the queue so we had to wait over 30 minutes as the x-ray is for one car at a time. God knows what happened to those at the back of the queue. In the meantime, of course, all the other vehicles were being allowed straight through without being checked. I really don't know why they didn't pull over around 6 at a time and when number 6 was going through they could have pulled over another 6. They would have checked the same number of vehicles but would have significantly reduced the time spent queueing. I guess that was a bit difficult for them to comprehend. So just watch out for that. I think they have sped it up a bit but I am always a bit concerned at the potential delay. The first time was especially difficult for us as we had our two black labs with us so had to uncouple them from their seat belts on the back seat etc. Maybe others can comment on their experiences. No, I have never been checked for the food I'm taking to France (fingers crossed for next trip). I was asked once for my covid pass. Last time I was wearing an Everton t-shirt. The UK border police and the guy doing the explosives check were more interested in discussing the potential impact of our new manager! Reg Thanks Reg was worried about my ham sandwich!! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 16 October , 2021 Share Posted 16 October , 2021 2 hours ago, KIRKY said: ham sandwich I have tuna on mine - just in case! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 20 October , 2021 Share Posted 20 October , 2021 On 16/10/2021 at 20:44, KIRKY said: Thanks Reg was worried about my ham sandwich!! Tony. Straight through yesterday as they offered me the hour earlier train which was on its "last call" when I went through the car park at the terminal. They weren't even interested in my sandwich and I managed to avoid the explosives swab so straight through again and on to the train. French authorities not interested, just stamped my passport. Reg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 20 October , 2021 Admin Share Posted 20 October , 2021 When I went over end of September people were getting out of their vehicles on the train to use the toilets, which the announcement boards in the car park had announced were closed. The bloke in the car behind us also got out and was pumping up his car tyres……. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 20 October , 2021 Share Posted 20 October , 2021 On 14/10/2021 at 18:28, Don Regiano said: and don't forget to remove/cover your "GB" sticker/registration plate with "UK" - just done mine. Bureaucracy gone mad. Wish they were as fast sorting out the pet passports mess! This wasn't anything to do with bureaucracy gone mad. This was a choice made by the UK Govt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 20 October , 2021 Share Posted 20 October , 2021 13 minutes ago, Gareth Davies said: This wasn't anything to do with bureaucracy gone mad. This was a choice made by the UK Govt. My understanding (very short) was that "UK" wasn't allowed in the EU because of Irish sensitivities (Northern Ireland basically being a part of the UK, but not of GB). After Brexit, UK is basically the correct name, thus with Ireland not being able to object any more, the sticker was changed. Correct me if I understood it wrongly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 20 October , 2021 Share Posted 20 October , 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, AOK4 said: My understanding (very short) was that "UK" wasn't allowed in the EU because of Irish sensitivities (Northern Ireland basically being a part of the UK, but not of GB). After Brexit, UK is basically the correct name, thus with Ireland not being able to object any more, the sticker was changed. Correct me if I understood it wrongly. That's pretty much it. One might ask why GB was ever used in the first place, the informal usage I think predates the Great War * but formalised internationally in 1949. Edit: Yes it does, 1910: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_vehicle_registration_code#Current_codes Edited 20 October , 2021 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 20 October , 2021 Share Posted 20 October , 2021 4 hours ago, Gareth Davies said: This wasn't anything to do with bureaucracy gone mad. This was a choice made by the UK Govt. I know - that's what I was referring to. Good to see someone doesn't equate government with bureaucracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 20 October , 2021 Share Posted 20 October , 2021 4 hours ago, Michelle Young said: When I went over end of September people were getting out of their vehicles on the train to use the toilets, which the announcement boards in the car park had announced were closed. The bloke in the car behind us also got out and was pumping up his car tyres……. The only issue I had yesterday (apart from a little contrtemps with a queue hopper on the M26) was an obvious eejit. I came across him first when he didn't know whether he was a high vehicle or not (he wasn't, I was). I had to go around him where he had stopped to make my way to that part of the train for loading high vehicles. The train was on the right. The qeue worked its way down the ramp which had a fairly high brick wall to the left. I had left a gap of about 10 feet between me and the vehicle in front thus I was still with the wall to my left. All of a sudden eejit appeared from the other side of the wall (no idea how he got there) and without looking or stopping (he obviously hadn't seen me and didn't think there might be others who were waiting to board) comes across and sticks the front of his car across my front. He couldn't move anywhere as the queue was stationary. he did eventually look over, coffee cup in his hand, no thanks, no sorry, no kiss my ar$e or anything. Needless to say his licence plate still had a GB sticker.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 20 October , 2021 Admin Share Posted 20 October , 2021 I thnk we were the only people with a UK sticker…… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted 20 October , 2021 Share Posted 20 October , 2021 Reg, any news on pet passports this time? our vet still unsure, seems like we will be their first request. Stormm wont be going for a while until her plates have set properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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